[Jesse Saich, El Dorado Irrigation District]
Placerville, Calif. — Starting on Saturday, May 16, the following activities are scheduled to be available at Sly Park Recreation Area from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. for local residents: picnicking (among stay-home household members only), hiking, biking, walking, equestrian, boating (among stay-home household members only), and fishing. Please note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, EID will be accepting only credit card payments or exact change for park entrance fees until further notice.
While some activities will be authorized, others must be deferred until state and local restrictions are eased further. Under current guidelines, camping is not allowed statewide under any circumstances at this time and further restrictions of planned authorized uses could become necessary.
The health and safety of visitors to EID’s recreation facilities and the recreation personnel who take care of them is a high priority to EID. As the State of California continues to issue guidance on preparing and protecting Californians from the COVID-19 pandemic, EID is monitoring the situation closely and is implementing safety measures with guidance provided by the Governor’s Office via the California Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
EID is also working closely with El Dorado County and public health officials in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and is assessing park operations on a daily basis to provide access to healthy outdoor options while emphasizing the need to maintain appropriate physical distancing and prevent visitation surges in public outdoor spaces.
On May 12, 2020, El Dorado County received approval from the Governor’s Office to proceed with allowing more activities among county residents, including recreational opportunities. EID has reviewed these materials, known as Local Variance Attestations, and is working diligently to prepare and execute plans that will allow specific activities within Sly Park Recreation Area to be available beginning this weekend to local, in-county residents consistent with both statewide and county restrictions. It is important to note these plans require actions on the part of visitors, as well as EID, in order to comply with state and local restrictions. Those actions are outlined below.
These plans will also require capacity restrictions at times. Therefore, we are asking local residents wishing to visit the park to please check the Recreation web page (www.eid.org/recreation), Sly Park Recreation Area Facebook page (www.facebook.com/SlyParkRecreationArea/) or call the Sly Park Gatehouse at (530) 295-6824 before you leave to check current status as conditions may change rapidly.
Please be patient as EID works to make this resource available to our residents. Expect delays with park access and/or closures associated with restrictions as EID works to ensure compliance with current restrictions.
As part of EID’s plans to make this recreational opportunity available for our residents, we need all park visitors to do their part and take the following actions.
- Stay Local: Recreate in your local community.
- Stay Active: Keep walking, jogging, hiking and biking. Watch for one-way trails.
- Stay Safer at 6 Feet: Maintain a physical distance of 6 feet or more. Gatherings, picnics and parties of non-household members are not allowed. Visitors will be asked to leave if there are too many people at the park or on trails to allow for the required physical distance. Everyone has the responsibility to “Flatten the COVID-19 Curve at Parks” by maintaining a physical distance of 6 feet or more when recreating in the outdoors and staying home if they are sick. If visitors cannot maintain physical distancing, they need to leave the park.
- Stay Clean: Be prepared. Bring soap/sanitizer and pack out all trash.
- Face coverings: Recommended when interacting with Gatehouse and Reservation Office Staff. Recommended when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
- Payment of fees: Only credit cards or exact change will be accepted.
Thank you for doing your part in ensuring a successful phased reopening of Sly Park Recreation Area.
