‘Hazards’ around site of Mariposa family’s death prompt Sierra forest closure order
Sierra National Forest closed numerous hiking trails, picnic areas and campgrounds, citing “unknown hazards found in and near the Savage Lundy Trail,” where a Mariposa family was mysteriously found dead two weeks ago.
The closures went into effect Sunday and extended through Sept. 26, when they were extended again, through Oct. 29, with a new closure order issued for the same reasons.
Sierra National Forest officials have not described more about the nature of the unknown hazards they said were found.
The Sierra closures started just a day before the U.S. Forest Service shared it will close all 20 million acres of California’s national forests beginning Tuesday until at least Sept. 17 due to “extreme fire conditions,” The Sacramento Bee first reported.
That also applies to Sierra National Forest. The Sierra forest order related to “unknown hazards” is for national forest areas northeast of Mariposa, west of Yosemite National Park (national parks aren’t closed), and along Highway 140 in the Merced River canyon west of Yosemite.
The “unknown hazard” area found along the Savage Lundy Trail is within the Bass Lake Ranger District.
The Mariposa couple, their baby and dog were found dead in a remote area of Devil’s Gulch, north of Jerseydale in Sierra National Forest, near the south fork of the Merced River and Hites Cove.
The investigation into their deaths is ongoing. Sierra National Forest announced its closures two days after the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office issued its most recent update about the case, ruling out weapons and “chemical hazards” along the Savage-Lundy Trail, but adding that “ALL other potential causes of death remain.”
The Sheriff’s Office previously said known harmful algal blooms along the south fork of the Merced River are among the many possible causes of death being considered in the case with “no smoking gun” clues.
Sierra National Forest has not answered questions about the size of the harmful algal bloom in that area, or if others exist within the forest.
Additional water and algae samples were collected along the south fork of the Merced River after the family was found dead. The results of those tests have not yet been shared by the California State Water Resources Control Board.
A California map of harmful algal blooms maintained by the State Water Board shows an area near where the family was found dead still listed as under a “caution” advisory, which is two tiers below the state’s most severe “danger” advisory.
Sierra National Forest, in a news release, stressed that “as of mid-July, Forest officials have posted warning signs of potentially harmful algal blooms (HABs) identified in the South Fork of the Merced River.”
Forest officials then linked to a page from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (CyanoHABs) in Water Bodies,” for more information.
Sierra National Forest also described the closures as a “precaution.” The original Forest Order No. 05-15-51-21-18 was replaced by Forest Order No. 05-15-51-21-21, that extends through Oct. 29.
Sierra National Forest closures
Sierra National Forest announced the following forest closures:
- Cranberry Flat Day Use Picnic Site
- Dirt Flat Campground
- Dry Gulch Campground
- Indian Flat Picnic Site
- McClendon Beach Day Use Picnic Site
- Redbud Picnic Site
- Forest Road No. 3S02
- Hite Cove Trailhead
- Savage Lundy Trailhead
- South Fork Merced Trailhead
- Forest Trail numbers 19E05, 19E200, 19E369, 21E01, 21E07 and 22E25
Officials said those closures “will be accomplished with signs and/or barricades and monitored by law enforcement personnel.”
This story was originally published August 30, 2021 at 7:39 PM with the headline "‘Hazards’ around site of Mariposa family’s death prompt Sierra forest closure order."
