Frankly Speaking
Repairs are best way to preserve the river parkway
By Jeff Harris
February 2026
Frank Cirill was an important advocate for the creation of the American River Parkway. He was my friend and neighbor for many years in River Park. Cirill died in 2017, but today he’s remembered as the Father of the Parkway.
Cirill was a significant contributor to the American River Parkway Plan that defines the park’s land-use policy and management. He wanted to create a natural, continuous greenbelt along the river and protect the area from riverside development.
The idea was to balance safety, recreation and conservation. Frank said it best: “The Parkway should be protected and enjoyed by the community for generations.”
He was a visionary who helped create this regional treasure. I admired his vision and tenacity. He got it done.
Frank served on the County Parks Commission and Save the American River Association. He recognized the way to protect the parkway included flood control.
The American River Parkway Plan incorporates flood control as a key element of its broader land-use and natural resource management strategies.
The 1974 plan was created with these goals in mind:
—Floodplain protection over development.
—Flood-compatible land use that aligns recreation with safety.
—Continuous greenbelt, not separate park spaces.
—Preserve the parkway for posterity.
A lawsuit was recently filed by residents who object to an Army Corps of Engineers plan to protect levees from erosion and potential failure. The proposed project—from Howe Avenue to Mayhew Road—is similar to bank protection work done around River Park.
The argument centers around whether the Army Corps adequately analyzed a bioengineering approach to the levee that would save more trees from removal. The plaintiffs also cite “irreparable harm” to recreational enjoyment of the parkway due to the cutting of trees to enhance levee protections.
U.S. Federal District Judge Dena Coggins put a temporary stay on the construction work and levee repairs, pending further arguments.
The delays mean more risk of levee erosion while we wait for judicial resolution, plus the possibility of levee failure.
Along the American River, the city depends on one of the most sophisticated and heavily engineered flood control systems in the U.S.
This system—stretching from storage and release capabilities at Folsom Dam down through the Sacramento Weir and Yolo Bypass—forms the backbone of protection for countless residents and their homes and billions of dollars in public and private infrastructure.
Is the levee project engineered? Yes. The flood control system has been designed, constructed and operated according to standards set by the Army Corps and state authorities. Flood security isn’t an abstract concept. It’s tied to the structural performance of a major dam and levees serving the region for decades.
The River Park bank protection project is a testament to what can be achieved. Recreational uses are preserved, not irreparably harmed, by stronger levees.
Habitat was enhanced around River Park by elimination of non-native vegetation, plantings of native species and creation of fish spawning areas.
Thanks to the work in River Park, we have better flood protection. Residents use the parkway as much or more since the erosion repairs were completed.
Frank Cirill was right. Preservation of the American River Parkway is absolutely tied to flood-risk reduction. Without flood protection, lives and homes are imperiled.
It’s up to nature and the courts to decide the level of flood risk on the American River. Time is of the essence. Nature won’t wait. And nature always wins.
Jeff Harris represented District 3 on the City Council from 2014 to 2022. He can be reached at cadence5371@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
