SYRCL’s River Ambassadors Release Data After Their First Month At The Yuba

(photo of Russell Stabler, one of SYRCL’s River Captains, by Lazy Fox Photography)

Now in its 13th year, the South Yuba River Citizen League’s (SYRCL) River Ambassadors program has a cadre of volunteers motivating and educating visitors to care for the South Yuba River. Working in conjunction with California State Parks and using a friendly, non-confrontational approach, River Ambassadors talk to folks about river safety, the polluting impacts of trash and dog waste, the dangers of broken glass, and the catastrophic potential of wildfire.   

As the summer progresses, this messaging, especially concerning fire, becomes more important than ever. The River Ambassador program stands on the front lines of visitor safety and the safety of the entire community. Adequately staffing this program has never been more important.

This year, SYRCL’s River Ambassadors have been at the Highway 49 and Bridgeport Crossings every weekend from 10am-2pm since the unofficial opening of “River Season” on May 24^th.  During these shifts, River Ambassadors try to talk to as many visitors as possible, while also keeping track of the total number of visitors they see. 

Here is a breakdown of the data they have compiled over the past five weekends: 

Total number of Visitors Counted: 7,648 

• Highway 49: 3,411 
• Bridgeport: 4,237 

Of those 7,648 visitors counted, River Ambassadors had interactions with 1,634 visitors 

Of those 1,634 interactions: 

• Identified themselves as “first time visitors”: 353 
• Identified themselves as “locals”: 440 
• Identified themselves as from “out of town”: 1,194 

Of those 1,194 visitors who identified as from “out of town” 

• Sacramento Area: 329 
• Bay Area: 490 
• Southern California: 97 
• Somewhere Else: 278 

Other notable data points tracked by SYRCL’s River Ambassadors: 

• River Ambassadors have interacted with 108 Spanish speaking visitors 
• River Ambassadors have counted 505 dogs 
• River Ambassadors have picked up 48 piles of dog poop 
• River Ambassadors have removed 2,255 pieces of trash, including 419 cigarette butts 
• River Ambassadors have reported that parking lots were full at around 10:30 am at both crossings on the average  

Safety for visitors and our community, stewardship of our beautiful natural resource: these are the important things SYRCL’s River Ambassador program offers.