American River will stay dry on Independence Day as county park officials ban alcohol

Any rowdy rafters will have to stay dry on the American River this weekend.

Sacramento County Regional Parks will be enforcing an alcohol ban on the river and Sherman Island in the Delta from Saturday through Monday, increasing the number of park rangers to enforce the order.

“They know all the tricks,” said Ken Casparis, a spokesman for the parks department. “People think they’re sneaky. They’ll try and sneak alcohol in like their kayak paddles. The rangers know all the tricks.”

The ban covers both open and closed containers, including anything someone might have in a cooler.

Similar bans are extended for Memorial Day and Labor Day. The prohibitions are standard and have been issued since 2014.

This story was originally published July 1, 2022 at 11:33 AM.