The Central Valley Flood Protection Board will consider whether to approve a new cross-levee fence at its Thursday meeting, a proposal some residents say threatens Sacramento’s vision for a mixed-use trail.
The project is on the left bank of the Sacramento River in the northwest corner of the Pocket neighborhood. Requested by Leo Dy-Ragos and Julie Pham, it is one in a series of cross-levee fences that have stirred controversy in Sacramento.
Some residents argue the levee belongs to riverside property owners, while others say levee encroachments conflict with plans for the Sacramento River Parkway.
The proposed 17-mile, multiuse trail would run south along the Sacramento River from its confluence with the American River to the community of Freeport. The parkway was first envisioned in a 1975 master plan.
A segment of the imagined Sacramento River Parkway trail is seen with a cross levee fence in the Pocket neighborhood of Sacramento in 2019. The Central Valley Flood Protection Board is scheduled to consider Thursday whether to approve another cross levee fence nearby. DANIEL KIM Sacramento Bee file
“I’m concerned that you know if there’s another fence approval, that this will just delay (the parkway) even farther,” said Pocket resident Connie Wright.
The flood board approved staff’s recommendation to allow two cross-levee fences during its last meeting in June, finding they would not interfere with flood control.
Before the meeting, the city of Sacramento submitted a letter opposing the permits, arguing the fences would interfere with the planned shared-use trail and block public access.
To address the city’s concerns, board staff developed two special conditions. First, the permit recipient must acknowledge the fence may interfere with future plans and remove it upon the board’s notice. Second, if property rights change from private to public in a way that affects the project, the board may revoke or modify the permit.
Despite these special conditions, some supporters of the Sacramento River Parkway said they remained disappointed.
A cross-levee fence blocks access along the Sacramento River in the Pocket neighborhood of Sacramento in 2019. Similar fences have become a point of contention as Sacramento pursues plans for a Sacramento River Parkway trail. Renée C. Byer rbyer@sacbee.com
“They’ve been doing this for years,” said Wright. “The city keeps saying that they’re going to put an end to it and it doesn’t seem to happen.”
Wright said the fences make it difficult to use the levee because they force pedestrians to leave the levee or turn around when they reach a fence.
Pocket resident Richard Markuson, who has been active in the fence debate, echoed her concerns.
“I used to ride my bike to work and would have to get down off of the levee… in order to get around the gates, so it has been a source of frustration to me … that the city has not been able to complete the plan for the parkway,” he said.
Staff again recommended approving the encroachment permit for the new fence. Residents may provide public comment at the meeting or submit written comments beforehand to Board Clerk Jonah Knapp at jonah.knapp@cvflood.ca.gov.
The Sacramento Bee
Alula Alderson is a summer reporting intern for The Sacramento Bee covering local news. She is a junior at Stanford University, where she studies political science and communication. Previously, Alula worked as a staff writer and desk editor for the Stanford Daily and as an intern for the Ojai Valley News.