California State Parks eyes relocating motocross track at Mammoth Bar; why it's a good move

Traci Newell

May 12, 2020 10:00 AM

Auburn State Recreation Area is seeking public comment on its plans to relocate its motocross track, which was washed away due to flooding in 2017.

The Mammoth Bar project relocates the track and parking lot to higher ground, where it will be much less prone to flooding, said Mike Howard, sector superintendent.

“It was a popular track,” Howard said. “It was one of the few dirt bike tracks that are in the area – the others being in Marysville and Prairie Hill. It is so close to the river on beautiful grounds. When we rebuild, it will be a popular spot again.”

The original track sustained major flooding in 2017. The proposed project would involve pulling the motocross track area back from the river to an existing parking/picnic area, thus reducing the chances of flood damage. The existing parking area, picnic tables and trials area would be moved to the east side of the river bar.

Fill from the old track would be used to build bank turns and jumps on the level portions of the relocated track. After boulders are removed from the slope of the trials area, fill would be used to incorporate additional turns, minimizing the need for fill placement. Because this area is adjacent to the ascending canyon flank, the track would be engineered to effectively control surface runoff from the up-slope terrain.

“The goal is to make the area a lot more durable to flooding,” Howard said.

The track would be fenced to prevent access during non-operating days. Access to the river boating put-in would be re-established around the relocated track.

The project is currently accepting public comment on its intent to adopt a mitigated negative declaration of its environmental quality report. Funding for the project comes from the state’s Off-Highway Vehicle Division.

“There is always room for improvement, but I believe this project will make this facility even better than it used to be,” Howard said.

Once the plan is adopted after public comment is closed on June 1, the project could take two to four months to complete.

“Hopefully, we can rebuild the track this year, but with the pandemic it is just uncertain,” Howard said. “We might be at a point where we can pull the trigger on the project or we might be shut down financially. Hard to tell.”

The motocross track is just one feature at Mammoth Bar, which is part of the Auburn State Recreation Area. The motorcycle/ATV riding area has been used by off-road enthusiasts for nearly 25 years and offers a wide range of trails and conditions in a setting next to the Middle Fork of the American River.

The area is under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Reclamation and is operated by California State Parks.

MX43..."This is sad, three years and they don't have an approved plan".

Comments

[Doug 21J]

This is more than sad. A year ago I was told by a ranger who has access to this kind of information the Auburn Rec area receives something over four hundred thousand a year from our OHV funds. Here we are over three years later and all I've seen is the closing of more trails by building fences and gates to keep people out. No signs of new trails to replace the closed ones. When they start having meetings again several of my friends and I are going to ask questions, the least of which is we'd like to know what they have been spending that kind of money on,it would appear not on OHV activities.

Based on the article I just read it sounds like they would close down the trials area to build the MX track, are they going to move it somewhere else?

Doug 21J

[#33]

Lots of misleading double speak from another official that truly has NO Interest in re-establishing this facility to accommodate OHV/MX use. As Doug stated the Park is taking $400,000 per year from our OHV funds to NOT operate this facility. Then Mr. Howard has the gall to say, "We might be at a point where we can pull the trigger on the project or we might be shut down financially. Hard to tell." What?????????????????

Unfortunately, as I have observed over the past 30 years of riding at Mammoth Bar OHV there are a LOT of outside influences that contribute to the slow progression of anything happening in a timely fashion with protests and lawsuits by other entities that would rather see us disappear from this area as recreation participants. We will always have to battle for a sliver of use in this awesome recreational area with the River Rafters, Hikers, Mountain bikers plus all the other non Monetary contributing sub groups. As stated, SAD!

#33

[Joe Kimbriel]

It seems to me that there is very little elevation change from existing location to the proposed site. If you don't gain 10 feet elevation your not protecting much for the amount of time and money you will spend. Maybe it's more about getting it off the beach and being able to fence it off. Just my 2 cents.