An Unusual Challenge—American River Parkway

A 23-mile (37-km) natural river with its flood plain meandering through the urban area of Sacramento County in California poses a challenge to the planning, design, and management concepts for recreational development. Balancing the conflicting recreational demands with conservation of natural values, preservation of wildlife, protection of property rights, ecological balance, and jurisdictional coordination is no small task. A description of the American River Parkway, its resources and its uses show why there are conflicts in utilizing the valuable resources. The attempts to resolve the many conflicts, and evolution of parkway development, are the topics of this paper.