Merced River Recreation Management Area
Photo by David Greenwood, BLM.

September 3, 2021 - El Dorado Hills, Calif. – Today, the Bureau of Land Management Mother Lode Field Office issued an Emergency Closure Order for all BLM-managed public lands along the Merced River, between Briceburg and Bagby, in Mariposa County. The temporary closure, in response to the presence of toxic algal blooms in the Merced River, will remain in effect until Sept. 17. The BLM may modify the length of the closure if conditions change.

The affected recreation areas include the Merced River Campground Access Road, McCabe Flat Campground, Willow Placer Campground, Railroad Flat Campground, North Fork Primitive Camp, Cable Rock Day Use Site, and Briceburg Day Use and Put-in, and are closed to all forms of public access.

“The safety of visitors to our BLM-managed public lands is a top priority,” said BLM Mother Lode Field Manager Elizabeth Meyer-Shields. “These algal blooms can produce toxins that can make people and pets extremely sick. We will continue to monitor for the algae’s presence and look forward to when the public can safely recreate in the Merced River.”

For additional information on algal blooms please visit: https://mywaterquality.ca.gov/habs/resources/benthic_education.html

For specific questions, please contact the Mother Lode Field Office at 916-941-3101.
Source: BLM