American River Parkway Master Plan

Sacramento County General Plan
American River Parkway Master Plan

Adopted April 2011
This document is maintained by the Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks.

Purpose

The American River Parkway is an open space greenbelt which extends approximately 29 miles from Folsom Dam at the northeast to the American River’s confluence with the Sacramento River at the southwest. There are several distinct areas of the Parkway, each having individual features which contribute to their separate identities. The lower American River (LAR) is classified as a ‘Recreation’ river within the State and Federal Wild and Scenic River Systems. The river is the central focus of the Parkway which provides enjoyment to residents and visitors of the Sacramento region. In fact, the American River Parkway is often referred to as ‘the jewel’ of the Sacramento Region.

Recreational activity is important in the maintenance of healthy lives. Residents in the Sacramento region are particularly fortunate in having easy access to the recreational opportunities that the Parkway provides. In addition, visitors to the Sacramento area can also take advantage of the natural, aesthetic and historical resources of the Parkway. While the importance of recreational opportunities is recognized, preserving the natural qualities of the Parkway resource is essential.

The purpose of the Parkway Plan is to provide a guide to land use decisions affecting the Parkway; specifically addressing its preservation, use, development and administration. The Parkway Plan is a policy and action document. It is written to ensure preservation of the naturalistic environment while providing limited developments to facilitate human enjoyment of the Parkway. The Parkway Plan also acts as the management plan for the federal and state Wild and Scenic Rivers Acts, as described in Chapter 4 of this Plan.

This Plan is the policy document for the Parkway. It contains policy statements of a general and flexible nature. The American River Parkway is a regional open space greenbelt which crosses jurisdictional boundaries. The Parkway Plan addresses the entire length of the Parkway which includes areas in the unincorporated County, the City of Sacramento, the City of Rancho Cordova and the Lake natoma portion of the Folsom Lake State Recreational Area. The County of Sacramento adopts the Parkway Plan as an element of its General Plan. The City of Sacramento and City of Rancho Cordova reference the Parkway Plan in their General Plans. The locally adopted Plan is then submitted to the State legislature for adoption through the Urban American River Parkway Preservation Act, Public Resources Code §5840. The Plan acts as an informational document and an invitation for citizen participation in the planning process. It also provides basic policy guidance for the future of the Parkway.

Download

Go to the Department of Regional Parks’ American River Parkway Plan Page. This is an archived PDF document.