Alcohol is banned on the American River for 2nd straight weekend, now through July 4

Alcohol on the American River has been banned by the Sacramento County Regional Parks director for the second straight weekend, extending Saturday through the Fourth of July.

Sacramento County announced the July 1-4 prohibition of open or closed alcoholic beverages in a release issued Thursday, which included other guidelines related to food and fireworks safety.

The holiday ban shouldn’t be a total surprise, as the county prohibits alcohol along the shoreline and on the river between Hazel and Watt Avenues every Fourth of July, as well as Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. But unlike many previous years, this ban comprises four days instead of just July 4.

The current ban comes after a Rafting Gold Wild event prompted a weekend alcohol restriction on the American River between Hazel and Watt avenues just a week ago. The same event resulted in a ban last year, and it resulted in 23 arrests in 2012.

Alcohol bans on the river aren’t unheard of – in addition to holiday bans, the county issued three, one-day alcohol restrictions in 2016, per that year’s news releases. All three were in reaction to planned rafting events.

This story was originally published July 1, 2017 at 7:12 PM with the headline "Alcohol is banned on the American River for 2nd straight weekend, now through July 4."