10,000 Acres Protected
The American River Conservancy has been successful in the protection of over 10,000 acres of native fisheries, wildlife habitat, woodlands, and endangered species habitat since 1989. Thank you to all of our supporters and volunteers over the years who have helped make this achievement possible!

In order to help offset the carbon emitted as a result of people coming to and from American River Conservancy programs and events, we've added a new forum to our Blog -- Ride Share Forum. All you have to do is log on to the ARC website using your username and password, or register as a user if you haven't already. Then you will have access to share information with others about where you are coming from and which program or event you will be attending. It's an easy way to save the air and some money at the same time. Visit the ARC Ride Share Forum to post your information. For step by step instructions on how to use the forum, click here.

Cutting Corners
Have you ever wondered why downed limbs always show up in the shortcuts created by trail users on switchbacks? Sure -- the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but switchbacks serve a great purpose and should be used by all. A properly designed and maintained switchback helps prevent trail erosion by preventing water on the trail from making the direction change. The typical trail against a hillside is slightly canted, or sloped, to allow water to flow from the hill above the trail, across the trail and down the hill without being captured by the trail tread. Over time, soil compaction and displacement on the trail creates a shallow trough that catches water and causes erosion as water flows on the trail rather than across it. The key to trail design and maintenance is to get the water off the trail. One way to do this is to reverse the cant to keep any water off the trail and force it to the outside corner of the switchback. This prevents the water from making the direction change and continuing down the next segment of the trail. Shortcuts are steeper than the trail segments they connect, making them more susceptible to damage. Trails are designed to allow people to explore nature while protecting the environment from unnecessary damage. The next time you are on your favorite trail, please remember not to cut any corners.