Colusa-Sacramento River

OUR MISSION CHICO Orland Willows MILES 5 10 0 20 99 STATE RECREATION AREA 20 MARYSVILLE Sa nt o ame 5 70 Ri v RUTH COLEMAN Director, California State Parks er Woodland ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER Governor MIKE CHRISMAN Secretary for Resources cr Williams Colusa YUBA CITY The mission of the California Department of Parks and Recreation is to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Roseville 80 505 Davis SAC RAMENTO CAMPING AND PICNICKING Each of the park’s 14 developed campsites has a table and barbeque stove and will accommodate tents, trailers and motor homes up to 27 feet long. Two accessible campsites are available with accessible restroom and shower facilities nearby. Reserve your campsite by calling toll-free, 1-800-444-PARK (7275) or make online reservations at www.parks.ca.gov. Overlooking the beautiful Sacramento River, the park’s tree-shaded picnic area has five acres of lawn with barbeque stoves and a restroom. Drinking water and hot showers are also nearby. California State Parks does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at the phone number below. To receive this publication in an alternate format, write to the Communications Office at the following address. CALIFORNIA For information call: STATE PARKS 800-777-0369 P. O. Box 942896 916-653-6995, outside the U.S. Sacramento, CA 711, TTY relay service 94296-0001 www.parks.ca.gov COLUSA-SACRAMENTO RIVER STATE RECREATION AREA P.O. Box 207 Colusa, CA 95932 Park Office (530) 329-9198 © 2001 California State Parks (Rev. 2017) Printed on Recycled Paper COLUSA- SACRAMENTO RIVER STATE RECREATION AREA There’s probably no more dramatic “rags to riches” story in California State Parks than that of Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area, where an unsightly city dump was transformed into a beautiful area that is enjoyed by thousands of campers, picnickers, boaters and anglers each year. The area’s transformation began in 1955 when the city of Colusa gave the 7.5-acre site to the state of California. Gradually, more land was added and the area was filled, leveled, cleared and landscaped. Picnic tables, barbeque stoves, parking areas, restrooms, campsites and mooring facilities were constructed, and the new 63-acre Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area was formally dedicated May 1964. The River Patwin people lived here before the settlers came. The surrounding wealth of resources provided them with all they needed to live. Their primary food source was the acorn. After harvest and drying, the acorn was cracked and the nut was pounded with a mortar and pestle. The resulting flour was then leached with water and used to make acorn mush and bread. The River Patwin hunted tule elk, deer, antelope, bears and waterfowl with hunting implements tipped by sharpedged obsidian. They caught salmon, trout and steelhead using weirs (nets) made from wild grapevines and milkweed fibers. They traveled the river in boats made from bundles of tule balsa bound with grapevine. These watercraft, up to 20 feet long and 6 feet wide, were propelled with long poles. With the 1848 discovery of gold in California, the flood of settlers caused the River Patwin’s way of life to change forever. Settlers had arrived with General John Bidwell’s wagon train in 1841, but by 1849 gold seekers took over California. Colusa became an agricultural center, and scows (large, flatbottomed boats) transported loads of produce and grain downstream to market. After the railroads came, the river declined in importance for a time but is now experiencing a renaissance of commercial and pleasure boating. In winter and spring the Sacramento River often becomes a rushing torrent. The river pours over its banks carrying away anything in its course, leaving a thick layer of fine silt behind when it subsides. This silt is responsible for some of the finest farmland in the world. • Wood gathering is not allowed. Wood may be purchased in the nearby town of Colusa. • Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.; generators may be run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. • Speed limit on park roads is 15 miles per hour. • Mosquitoes are a nuisance in spring and summer, so have repellent on hand. 500 1000 1500 Boat Launch ver at e ur l Tr a i Ri AD E RO • Fires are allowed in barbeque stoves or your camp stove; no ground fires on the beach or elsewhere. 0 to • Dogs must be on a 6-foot leash during the day and in an enclosed tent or vehicle at night. FEET men So that everyone will enjoy visiting the park, please follow these rules: LEVE Not only is fishing for king salmon, steelhead, rainbow trout and striped bass excellent in this stretch of California’s largest river, but anglers also take consistent catches of catfish, shad, carp and sturgeon. The fall run of salmon is September and October, and the summer run is mid-July through August. The salmon run from November through mid-January may be less productive. The steelhead run is from late August to the end of October; striped bass from April through June; and shad from mid-May to mid-June. A valid California fishing license is required. Consult the latest California PLEASE REMEMBER ra FISHING Bank fishing is easiest from the river’s northwest bank, outside the park, or you can take the trail to the park’s gravel bar/ beach area. You’ll probably be most successful if you fish by boat, searching out the deep holes in the river bed. N The area’s wildlife, which includes deer, raccoons, opossums, foxes, skunks and muskrats, are sheltered by riverbank cottonwood and willow trees. Wild grape and fig are among many other shrubs, trees and plants along the river. Birds you might see include ring-necked pheasants, California quail, mallard ducks, Canada geese, western meadowlarks, northern flickers and ospreys. Sport Fishing Regulations guide issued by the California Department of Fish and Game for current information. 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