The ARCF 2016 Flood Risk Management Project SEIS/SEIR XIV was prepared to address design refinements made to the 2016 ARCF General Reevaluation Report (GRR) Final EIS/EIR. Refinements include changes to designs associated with the Magpie Creek Project, American River Erosion Contract 3B, 4A, and 4B, Sacramento River Erosion Contract 3, American River Mitigation Site, Sacramento River Mitigation Site, and installation of a Piezometer Network.

USACE and the non-federal Partners received public comments from December 22, 2023, until February 23, 2024, during the extended comment period of 63 days. We are no longer accepting comments and have shifted focus to finalize the comprehensive comment log to ensure every comment is captured and adequately responded to by a subject matter expert, including environmental resources, engineering, project management staff. For perspective, we have logged nearly 900 comment letters. The Public Involvement appendix of the Final SEIS/SEIR will include all public and agency comments and responses, and the resulting text changes made to the SEIS/SEIR.

Announcements for future public outreach associated with the Project Components in this SEIS/SEIR will be posted on www.sacleveeupgrades.com

Any further questions regarding the ARCF 2016 Project can be directed to USACE. Public Affairs Office: SPK-PAO@usace.army.mil

The public may still view the Draft SEIS/SEIR at the links below, and the recorded public meetings held on January 10^th, and 16^th, 2024 under the Public Engagements tab.

The Draft SEIS/SEIR is available here: – Draft SEIS-SEIR Report
The Draft SEIS/SEIR Appendices are available here: – Draft SEIS-SEIR Appendices

Note: A public commenter brought to our attention that Section 3.5.2 American River Erosion Contracts 3B North, 3B South, and 4B, in the Draft SEIS/SEIR omitted Figures 3.5.2-11 and 3.5.2-12 (page 3-42). These diagrams have been available to the public in the Presentation Slides under Public Engagements on Slide Number 11. You may also view the link below. These Figures will be added to the Final SEIS/SEIR.
Figure 3.5.2-11, 3.5.2-12
LAR C3B trees upstream 20240216
LAR C3B trees downstream 20240216

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions can be found here: FAQ

USACE published the Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the ARCF SEIS/SEIR in the Federal Register (Vol. 87, No. 194) on October 7, 2022, with an update posted in the Federal Register (Vol. 87, No. 199) on October 17, 2022. 

• Original NOI can be found HERE.  
• Corrected NOI which extended the scoping period can be found HERE.  
• The public scoping period was extended to December 31, 2022.

Public scoping for this SEIS/SEIR was initiated in November 2022. Virtual public scoping meetings were held November 2, and November 30, 2022, to discuss the development of the Draft SEIS/SEIR. Scoping resulted in 69 categorized comments, one-third of which were related to habitat mitigation concerns. Appendix A, Scoping Report, in the Draft SEIS/SEIR contains scoping comments and the corresponding responses. The presentation slides and meeting recording can be found here:

Virtual Scoping Meeting Presentation Slides (Updated November 30)
Virtual Scoping Meeting Recording

Objective: This water-side bank protection repair project is located within the City of Sacramento, California. This particular reach of riverbank has been identified as being at high risk for levee failure due to erosion and needs to be brought up to modern bank protection standards.

Duration:  Construction Work will begin late July and extend through October, 2024. The temporary access
driveway established in 2022 at Glenn Hall Park will remain in place through 2024 for completion of the Site1-1 erosion protection work.

Work Areas: This repair site is located only on portions of the south side (left bank) of the American River near the Business I-80 Bridge.

Additional News/Notes: 

American River Contract 3A Final SEA/SEIR - November 2022
Final SEA Report
Final SEIR Report
Final SEA-SEIR Appendices
Final SEA Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
Final SEIR Notice of Determination 

Lower American River Erosion Contract 3A Virtual Public Meeting
May 5, 2022
This virtual public meeting discussed the Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment/Environmental Impact Report.  Project leaders gave a presentation discussing the proposed work, environmental impacts, and answered questions related to the project. 

Public Meeting Presentation Slides

American River Contract 3A Draft SEA/SEIR - April 2022/July 2022 (Recirculated)
Draft SEA Notice of Availability (Recirculated)
Draft SEA (Recirculated)
Draft SEA Appendix (Recirculated)

Notice of Availability
Draft SEA/SEIR Report
Frequently Asked Questions

USACE and the State of California issued a draft environmental document for a 45-day public review from 22 December 2023 thru 4 February 2024. The American River Common Features Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIS/SEIR) can be found here (link: ARCF_Draft-SEIS-SEIR_Dec2023).

Public comments will be accepted from December 22, 2023 until February 5, 2024 and can be submitted to ARCF_SEIS@usace.army.mil and PublicCommentARCF16@water.ca.gov. Response to written comments will be published in the Final SEIS/SEIR.

Two virtual public meetings will be held.

• 10 January 2024
• 16 January 2024

Meeting information will be posted in advance at www.sacleveeupgrades.com.

Contract 3A – This site will be constructed along the left bank of the American River at the Business 80 crossing. We anticipate constructing approximately 2,400 linear feet of bank protection improvements at this location in the spring and summer 2024. Vegetation clearing onsite will commence in January of 2024.

Contract 3B North & South - Since much of the Lower American River is constrained by a narrow flood plain there are other areas which must be protected against erosion.Erosion protection measures will be constructed upstream of Howe Avenue under the Contract 3B North & South project. This work is anticipated to occur in the 2025-2026 timeframe. See Question 1 for how to receive more information and provide comments on this work.

With the 2017 completion of a new auxiliary spillway at Folsom Reservoir (which can now release up to 160,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), combined with improvements to the levee system for seepage and stability concerns, the ability to manage large flood events has greatly improved. Erosion of the levee system must now be addressed to bring the entire system up modern standards and safely accommodate the increased flow.

Several levee sections along the American River were identified as being susceptible to significant erosion from the higher, longer releases from Folsom Dam. The proposed bank protection work will armor the riverbank to reduce and prevent erosion which, if left unaddressed, could result in levee failure.

In order to construct the bank protection measures, some trees and shrubs located in the project footprint will need to be removed prior to the start of construction. Vegetation removal work typically occurs between October 1 and April 30, prior to bird nesting season. Most of the vegetation affected by project activities is located on lands owned by the City of Sacramento and the County of Sacramento. The project sponsors are working directly with these respective agencies, including Sacramento County Regional Parks, to facilitate removal of the vegetation necessary to accommodate the project.  Each site will be revegetated  with appropriate native species (on-site mitigation) and additional off-site mitigation (plantings) will be created within the parkway.

Our design engineers developed and planned erosion protection measures to be as effective as possible while causing the least amount of impact to the existing environment. Only vegetation that is directly affected by construction is removed. In many cases designs have been revised to avoid high value habitat and recreational features such as mature trees. The type of improvements associated with erosion protection typically involve placing rock along the riverbank, covering it with soil to establish planting benches and revegetating the bank. The project features cannot be properly installed around existing vegetation located in the project footprint. This means that if the material is in the construction footprint, it would be removed prior to the installation of the protective rock materials.

Tree roots can provide some protection from erosion at low flows, but under higher conditions they may be a liability. For example, at high flows water may rise into the canopy of many trees within the parkway. When high velocities push against the canopy of trees the resulting forces can pull the entire tree out of the ground leaving a hole, accelerating erosion, and potentially compromising the levee. Additionally, high velocities around tree trunks may cause turbulence downstream which creates erosion. For these reasons trees are restricted from some areas near the levees.

But these are not the reasons why trees are being removed in our current work areas. The trees are being removed because in most cases rock protection cannot be properly installed around existing vegetation therefore it must be removed within the construction footprint (see question above).After construction the area will be replanted with native trees, shrubs, and grasses to gain the erosion and habitat benefits that they afford.

Unfortunately, wildlife is often displaced as a result of vegetation removal in advance of construction activities. However, these activities are timed to occur during the fall and early winter, typically the non-breeding season, when the level of impact/displacement to wildlife would be minimal. The wildlife that inhabited these areas are expected to move to adjacent habitats upstream and downstream of the construction footprint. This displacement is expected to be temporary until construction and habitat restoration activities have completed.

To mitigate the impacts to wildlife that occur as a result of habitat removal, two to three times the amount of habitat will be replaced and protected in perpetuity per the opinions of the resource agencies. This mitigation approach significantly increases the amount of habitat available to wildlife and is a way of helping to offset the temporal impacts to wildlife. The habitat mitigation provided onsite will typically completely replace the impacted habitat and depending on the bank protection design may increase the amount of available habitat compared to the original impact. The remaining habitat mitigation must be fulfilled at an “offsite” location in as close proximity to the impact site as feasible.

The vegetation establishes relatively quickly with intensive maintenance in the first 3-5 years, and it will not be long before wildlife can reclaim the area. The bank protection sites implemented during the late 90’s and early 2000’s have demonstrated that successful habitat is achievable.

Advanced computer modeling is used to determine how the river will behave and where erosion is likely to occur under high water conditions. These models are studied to determine the best location to place protective features and control erosion which could threaten the levees. Sometimes the best place to put protective rock features is not on the levee but along the riverbank near the water’s edge.

Haul trucks and other construction equipment need to use or cross portions of recreational trails located within the American River Parkway to move materials to the construction and mitigation sites. In areas where construction equipment is required to only cross an existing trail, flaggers would be present to direct traffic. Where larger portions of a trail are impacted or required for construction access, the trail would be temporarily rerouted away from the construction area. Any required detours would be developed in consultation with the City of Sacramento and Sacramento County Regional Parks.  Signage would be posted at the affected locations a minimum of 14-days in advance.

The on-site mitigation goal is to ensure that plantings associated with the revegetation of the levee provide a robust habitat for native species and are fully compatible with the surrounding environment. The erosion protection improvements will include the construction of a planting bench along the waterside toe of the levee to support on-site mitigation that includes trees and shrubs. The tree mix will include Boxelder, White Alder, Oregon Ash, Sycamore, Cottonwood, Oaks, and Willows. Complementing the tree plantings will be a variety of native shrub species that include mugwort, button bush, wild rose, sandbar willow and wild grape, as well as groundcovers that extend further up the slope of the waterside levee.

On-site mitigation typically can survive elevated flows however if elevated flows cause damage and plantings need to be replaced during the establishment period, the project partners will replace them. (Continue reading FAQs for more information regarding on-site mitigation, and visit the ARCF 2016 Mitigation web page.)

Elderberry plants, which provide habitat for the protected Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle, are being relocated and transplanted to off-site mitigation sites. In addition, the project is planting approximately 55 acres of new Elderberry habitat within the parkway.

The offsite mitigation sites include Rio Americano East and West, Rossmoor East and West, Glenn Hall/Paradise Beach, and the American River Mitigation Site as shown on the map below. Additional mitigation information can be found at the ARCF 2016 Mitigation web page.

The mitigation site plantings will include a broad variety of native trees and bushes which vary by site. The tree species will include a mixture of Sycamore, Cottonwood, Valley Oak, Interior Live Oak. Bush and plant species will include, among others, Coyote Brush, Western Redbud, Rose, Coffeeberry, Elderberry, Clematis, Western Goldenrod, Evening Primrose, Mugwort, Rose, Yarrow, Deergrass, and Creeping Wildrye.

The erosion protection sites include instream woody material that is tied down at the riverbank. It is intended to stay in place and provide habitat for juvenile fish migrating downstream. As the planted vegetation grows the instream woody materials will degrade through natural processes and their function will be provided by the new mature, live vegetation.

Typically, site preparation begins between October – May with trimming and/or removal of vegetation located with the construction footprint. Bank protection construction usually occurs between May and November, outside of flood season. On-site planting typically follows in the spring and summer following the completion of the riverbank construction. In general, work hours are Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for locations within the city of Sacramento and Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the unincorporated areas of the county.

Neighborhoods located near project areas will be notified of specific work hours, haul routes, ingress and egress points, staging areas, detours, lane closures (if any), and affected recreational facilities(including bike paths) prior to the commencement of construction activities.

The construction roadway through Glenn Hall Park will remain until completion of the work near I-80 bridge. The construction roadway through the park is now being used by Caltrans and their contractor, Granite construction. When C3A beings work in the spring of 2024, GHP will be used to egress from the work site at I-80 bridge.

In order to revegetate the sites and restore their natural beauty, topsoil must be protected from runoff erosion until grasses and other vegetation can take root. This is done with erosion control fabric and fiber rolls which are held in place by stakes. The protective devices were designed for the current rain and high water conditions, and they are doing a good job protecting the site. The fabric, fiber rolls and stakes are all biodegradable and will last long enough for vegetation to establish before deteriorating. (The green stakes may appear to be plastic, but they are biodegradable and will degrade into water, C0₂ and compost.).

The recently completed projects sites will be fully revegetated in subsequent “greening” contracts. Revegetation of the levee slope and riverbank typically occurs in the springtime, following completion of the erosion protection construction. The on-site mitigation and plant establishment is monitored and maintained as needed by the project sponsors for 3 to 5 years.

Subscribe for updates! On this page, in the left-hand column, look for the “Subscribe for Construction and Traffic email updates” button, or, copy and paste the following into an email: spk-pao@usace.army.mil and place "add me to your ARCF mailing list" in the subject line.

You can also follow our social media channels on Facebook and Twitter.

Residents with questions or concerns about the project should contact the USACE Public Affairs Office by telephone at (916) 557-5100 or email spk-pao@usace.army.mil

We're managing multiple projects within the region, and we'll do our best to respond as quickly as possible. Any serious emergency or life-threatening situation that is witnessed, such as theft in progress or vandalism, should be reported to local law enforcement immediately.

American River Common Features (ARCF) 2016 Draft SEIS-SEIR
January 16, 2024

This public meeting explained the AMERICAN RIVER COMMON FEATURES 2016 Flood Risk Management Project, Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement / Subsequent Environmental Impact Report

Presentation Slides

Video Link

American River Common Features (ARCF) 2016 Draft SEIS-SEIR
January 10, 2024;

This public meeting explained the AMERICAN RIVER COMMON FEATURES 2016 Flood Risk Management Project,  Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement / Subsequent Environmental Impact Report

Presentation Slides

Video Link

In this meeting we discussed why the Lower American River Erosion project is needed, how we chose the design, environmental impacts, what to expect during construction, and future work we’ll be doing in the parkway.

Presentation Slides

Video Link

This presentation was given to the River Park Neighborhood Association on March 16, 2023 to inform them of the status on erosion control projects on the Lower American River.

Presentation Slides

November 2, 2022 and November 30, 2022  
USACE is preparing to draft a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Subsequent Environmental Impact Review (SEIS/SEIR) to analyze changes made during final preliminary design of multiple contract actions within the American River Common Features (ARCF) project that could result in potentially significant environmental effects. This supplemental document will centralize where the public and agencies can look for the most current project information and will bring environmental considerations up to date. The SEIS/SEIR will focus on new or different features of project designs that have evolved since the original 2016 ARCF General Reevaluation Report (GRR) Final Environmental Impact Statement/Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIS/FEIR) was completed, while analyzing the potential environmental impacts of these changes. 

The Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the draft SEIS/SEIR can be found HERE.  
The NOI incorrectly states that the public comment period closes on November 31, 2022. A correction was made to accurately reflect the correct public comment period closing date of December 1, 2022. The correction can be found HERE.  The public scoping period has been extended to December 31, 2022.

Virtual public meetings were held November 2 and November 30, 2022, to discuss the development of the Draft SEIS/SEIR. Public comments will be accepted until December 31, 2022, and can be submitted to ARCF_SEIS@usace.army.mil.

Virtual Scoping Meeting Presentation Slides (Updated November 30)
Virtual Scoping Meeting Recording

May 5, 2022
This virtual public meeting discussed the Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment/Environmental Impact Report.  Project leaders gave a presentation discussing the proposed work, environmental impacts, and answered questions related to the project.

Public Meeting Presentation Slides

Contract Type: Construction – Installation of bank protection features including launchable rock, planting benches and slope protection.

Notice: Not Yet Available

Bids Due: This contract is scheduled to be advertised in Fall 2022

Estimated Contract Award: January 2023

Estimated Period of Performance: Construction: April 2023 - December 2023