New Melones Lake
Photo Credit: Bureau of Reclamation
September 2015 - SONORA, Calif. – On Saturday, September 26, the Bureau of Reclamation’s Central California Area Office, in celebration of the 22nd anniversary of National Public Lands Day, will waive day use fees at New Melones Lake for all visitors. As part of the celebration, the public is invited to help care for our public lands from 9 a.m. to noon by participating in kid-friendly NPLD projects: building a birdhouse, planting a native tree or taking a boat ride to pick up trash on the lake’s shoreline!
New Melones staff are also excited to officially launch President Obama’s Every Kid in a Park initiative. From Sept. 1, 2015, through Aug. 31, 2016, all fourth grade students nationwide may receive a special pass that allows them and their families free access to more than 2,000 federally managed lands and waters. After 12 years, every school-age child will have been able to visit these public sites for free, inspiring the next generation to be stewards of our nation’s shared natural and cultural heritage.
A special invitation is extended to all fourth graders and their families to participate in this NPLD event at New Melones Lake. Park Rangers will be available to help the students with the process to receive their free pass.
Reclamation is seeking volunteers to assist with this NPLD event. To register as a volunteer, please contact the Administration Office at 209-536-9094 ext. 0 (TTY 800-877-8339). Participants who require special accommodations should contact Reclamation as far in advance as possible.
On-site registration and check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the New Melones Visitor Center off of Highway 49 at 6850 Studhorse Flat Road, Sonora, CA 95370. Volunteers should dress in appropriate attire for weather conditions; bring a snack, water and work gloves; and wear sturdy shoes.
NPLD is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands. Begun in 1994 with three sites and 700 volunteers, it is typically held on the last Saturday in September. In 2014, about 175,000 volunteersworked at 2,132 sites performing a variety of services, including building and maintaining trails and planting trees, shrubs and native plants. For additional information, please visit the NPLD website at http://www.publiclandsday.org/.
Reclamation is focusing on the connection between outdoor recreation and good health. With the growing concern about childhood obesity and children’s lack of time spent outdoors enjoying nature, NPLD is a perfect opportunity for families to experience what our public lands offer. As part of this effort, Reclamation supports the President’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative, the Department of the Interior’s Let's Move Outside! program, and Every Kid in a Park. To learn more about these programs, please visit http://interior.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/index.cfm, www.letsmove.gov/lets-move-outside and www.everykidinapark.gov/.
New Melones Lake is located approximately 8 miles (13 km) north of Sonora and 6 miles (9 km) south of Angels Camp, California. For additional information on New Melones Lake, please visit the website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/newmelones/index.html.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
