The El Dorado County Transportation Division has issued a feasibility study proposing to remove access at the river once construction for a new Mosquito Road Bridge is started on the South Fork American River. American Whitewater pushed for this study as required under the California Highway Code. Unfortunately, this study outlined a litany of reasons why they believe access at this location is not feasible, rather than studying how river access could be maintained or improved, as the law requires.

The historic Mosquito Road Bridge has long been used as a point of public access to the Slab Creek reach on the South Fork American River.  Since the 1980’s paddlers have used this site as a take-out option, popular because it allows exiting the river before the Class V rapid Motherlode Falls.  Currently, the road around the bridge on the South Placerville side allows for limited parking of four to six vehicles.

The Transportation Division proposes to remove the existing bridge, block vehicle access to the river, allow only pedestrian access from gates located ½ mile up steep switchbacks and not allow any parking by the gates or propose any turnouts for parking by the new bridge.  Effectively, through the use of distance and no parking signs the county will end public access to a navigable river.  They justify these actions by citing that El Dorado County never authorized public river access at Mosquito Road Bridge.

El Dorado County does cite other take-out options developing downstream. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District is on the hook to build a new river takeout downstream in the vicinity of the White Rock Powerhouse.  However, those concept plans have not been written and it could be more than a decade before such a take-out is completed.  Additionally, the Rock Creek Powerhouse take-out, used during the first official recreational releases provided by SMUD, is strictly an interim arrangement made by BLM.

American Whitewater has been actively engaged in the public process for the Mosquito Road Bridge Replacement Project since the first County workshop in 2013.  We have provided comment advocating for El Dorado County to keep public access to the South Fork American River by the historic Mosquito Road Bridge and now we need our community of paddlers to speak up.

On August 16, 2016 the El Dorado County Transportation Division will be giving a presentation on their feasibility study to the County Board of Supervisors. We need boaters to show up and speak for their interests!

Where: Planning Commission Hearing Room 2850 Fairlane Court Placerville, CA 95667-4100

Time: 2:00 P.M. BOS Meeting Agenda Item 16-0629 Community Development Agency, Transportation Division, recommending the Board consider the following: 1)Adopt the Draft Feasibility Study for Public Access to the South Fork of the American River at Mosquito Road Bridge;

Comments can be emailed to mosquitobridge@edcgov.us and cc your email to theresa@americanwhitewater.org so we can insure that the California Department of Transportation is kept informed.

Comment Suggestions:

·      Tell El Dorado County about your experience on Slab Creek and why you use Mosquito Road Bridge as a take-out.

·      Tell El Dorado County how long you have been using Mosquito Road Bridge as river access.

·      Tell El Dorado County that runs down Slab Creek are not restricted to just the times SMUD releases recreational flow.

·      Tell El Dorado County they should refrain from interference with the public use of a navigable river.

·      Tell El Dorado County they should not use distance and no parking signs to prevent the public form accessing the South Fork American River at Mosquito Road Bridge.

·      Tell them requesting public access to the river does not equate to El Dorado County building recreational facilities.   

·      Tell them El Dorado County did not fully vet all alternatives to providing access at Mosquito Road Bridge.  

Photos by Max Blackburn