SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA · OPEN SPACE

Open Space

18 pages

Government: Sacramento County, California
Covers: Open Space
Pages: 18
Verified: 2026-08-09
Source: Government PDF ↗

Pages 1–18

Page 1

General Plan

Open Space Element

BACKGROUND TO THE 1993 GENERAL PLAN AS AMENDED

The background section text and maps were not updated as part of the 2011 amendments to the County General Plan.

County of Sacramento Community Planning and Development Department

Page 2

(blank page)

Page 3

SACRAMENTO COUNTY GENERAL PLAN

OPEN SPACE ELEMENT

OPEN SPACE RESOURCES

BACKGROUND REPORT

Sacramento County open space resources are comprised of natural areas and lands set aside primarily for human use. Natural area open spaces are riparian habitat, seasonal and permanent marshes, vernal pool concentrations, oak woodlands, flood zones, and the open waters of the rivers and Delta. Open spaces used primarily for human use are agricultural lands, recreation oriented parklands, existing and proposed buffer lands, aquifer recharge areas, and areas zoned for mineral and aggregate extraction. There is overlap and combining of natural and human use attributes on many of the open space areas. For instance, the best aquifer recharge areas are often prime agriculture lands, and oak woodlands are found scattered amongst grazing areas.

County open space area maps are used for illustrative purposes in the General Plan document. [Note that scale limitations require the generalization of these diagrams. Therefore, the complete extent of the planning factors depicted may not be fully represented, and in some cases may be overstated.] Maps were compiled using various sources including cartographic, photographic, natural resource, and land use databases. Sources were county, state, and federal maps, communication with professional resource managers and land use planners, and computerized land database information from academic institutions and public, private, and nonprofit agencies. Maps were compiled by County cartographic staff using a Mackintosh II computer and appropriate software.

The open space related maps represent the various categories of open space found in Sacramento County and delineate areas based on natural attributes or human uses. Listed below are the individual map titles, a brief explanation of the map, compilation procedures and, if applicable, a notation as to where maps are included with associated background reports. Maps follow text.

EXISTING OPEN SPACE MAP

Open Space Map. Map shows existing open space areas, as opposed to urban areas, in Sacramento County. The open space map serves as an illustrative representation of acreage used and maintained in such a way that preserves, either purposefully or inadvertently, open space values. The map was compiled from review of the California Department of Conservation's Important Farmlands Map and the County's map of recreation oriented areas. The state's farmland map has a ten-acre threshold, and thus parcels that size or smaller were not mapped.

Page 4

OPEN SPACE RESOURCE MAPS

Important Natural Areas Map. Map delineates areas considered primarily natural such as riparian zones, marshlands, and oak woodlands. Boundaries drawn based on review of reports and maps of public and private agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wetlands Inventory maps, the State Department of Water Resource's Delta Atlas, the California Department of Fish and Game's Natural Diversity Database, and aerial photography.

Flood Areas Map. Map delineates 100-year floodplain and categorizes flood areas based on flood protection attributes and levee elevations. Cartographic data compiled from 1989 Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Flood Insurance Rate Maps. The delineation of different types of flooding is approximate and illustrative.

Prime Agricultural Lands Map. Map shows prime, statewide in importance, and unique farmland areas, as defined by the State of California and the U.S. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service. Data compiled from the State of California, Department of Conservation's 1990 working draft of Sacramento County's Important Farmlands Map. Approximate acreage of area: 216,829.

Williamson Contracts Maps. Map shows existing lands under Williamson Act provisions. Information compiled from review of current (1990) County Agriculture Preserve Map.

Recreation Oriented Parklands (in production). Cartographic information delineates existing parkland facilities. Map data obtained from communication with County Parks personnel and from review of County maps.

Existing and Planned Buffer Lands Map. Information regarding airport noise buffer zones, public utility buffer lands, and propellant hazard buffer zone are cartographically displayed on this map. Buffer zones were compiled from communication with and maps supplied by professionals at respective commercial airports and military bases, public utilities, and Aerojet.

Groundwater Recharge Area Map. Maps effective groundwater recharge areas based on permeability characteristics of underlying geologic formations. Cartographic information compiled from geologic interpretation of maps and data published in, Evaluation of Groundwater Resources: Sacramento County, D.L. Dupras, Bulletin No. 118-3, State of California, Department of Water Resources, July 1974.

Page 5

Mineral Resources Map. Delineates known economically significant mineral and gas deposits, as well as potential aggregate and clay deposits. Cartographic data, except clay and gas deposits, compiled from interpretation and review of maps and text published as, Mineral Land Classification: Portland Cement Grade Aggregate in the Sacramento-Fairfield Production-Consumption Region, Special Report 156, State of California, Division of Mines and Geology, 1985. Clay deposit data within the Ione Formation compiled from review of Aerial Geology Map of Sacramento County, published as Plate 1 in, Evaluation of Groundwater Resources: Sacramento County, D.L. Dupras, Bulletin No. 118-3, State of California, Department of Water Resources, July 1974. Gas deposits identified through communication with resource professionals with the California Department of Conservation, Division of Oil and Gas.

Aggregate and Clay Resources Map. Boundaries show significant aggregate and potentially significant clay deposits. Deposits mapped from review of maps and text published in, Evaluation of Groundwater Resources: Sacramento County, D.L. Dupras, Bulletin No. 118-3, State of California, Department of Water Resources, July 1974. Remaining open space with the aggregate resources are mapped from review of American River Parkway Plan map and communication with County planning and surveying staff.

Vernal Pool Concentration Map. Map shows areas containing high concentrations of vernal pools as determined through interpretation of color infrared aerial photography. Much of the County was not included in this analysis. Areas delineated are approximate and reflect only those included in the Jones and Stokes report of June, 1990.

Wildlife Corridors Map. Map shows both riparian and other aquatic corridors, as well as oak woodland and grassland corridors. These were determined in consultation with professional resource ecologists.

COMPOSITE OPEN SPACE RESOURCES MAP

Composite Open Space Resource Map. This map is a schematic representation of all open space areas, both natural and human use, currently existing within the County. The map is a compilation of all open space areas identified in the Conservation and Open Space Elements, most of which are mapped individually for illustrative purposes. Due to scale and complexity of combined uses, boundaries are generalized.

Page 6

FIGURE 2

OPEN SPACE

⬚ figure

OPEN SPACE

Prepared by the Sacramento County Planning and Community Development Department

Page 7

FIGURE 3

IMPORTANT NATURAL AREAS

⬚ figure

Figure 3

Important Natural Areas

Prepared by the Sacramento County Planning and Community Development Department

Page 8

FIGURE 4

FLOOD AREAS

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FLOOD AREA MAP KEY
TYPE OF FLOODING $\vec{\star}$
[Symbol: Dotted Pattern] Streambank Overflow-Effective flow area during 100 year flood conditions
[Symbol: Horizontal Line Pattern] Low lying backwater areas where drainage into the Sacramento River is severely hampered
[Symbol: Dark Shaded Pattern] Delta Islands with inadequate levee protection for 100 year flood
[Symbol: White/Empty Box] Floodplain fringe backwater areas
[Symbol: Diagonal Line Pattern] Additional areas, previously protected by levees, which are threatened by 100 year flood based on reanalysis of 100 year flood event reflected on revised 1989 FEMA maps

$\vec{\star}$ Boundaries between different types of flooding are approximations. Not based on tecnical analysis. Use for illustrative purposes only. * Flood information for the Cities of Sacramento, Folsom, Galt and Isleton is not included.