Cache Creek is a tremendous regional resource, and a major watershed and surface water feature for Yolo County. The lower creek area is under jurisdiction of Yolo County and is managed pursuant to the Cache Creek Area Plan (CCAP), which was adopted in 1996. The CCAP is an award-winning rivershed management plan that covers 14.5 miles of lower Cache Creek, between the Capay Dam and the town of Yolo, in unincorporated Yolo County. The CCAP balances many interests including aggregate resource management, agricultural resources, habitat preservation and restoration, flood protection, groundwater management, channel stabilization and maintenance, and public open space and recreation. The CCAP is comprised of the Off-Channel Mining Plan (OCMP) and the Cache Creek Resources Management Plan (CCRMP), which together regulate and protect the area and manage the creek as an integrated system.

As an outcome of permitted aggregate mining within the Lower Cache Creek planning area, and other activities, there are approximately 1,900 acres of land that have, or will, transfer into public ownership and/or control, including several reclaimed lakes (land dedication table). Both the OCMP and CCRMP contain numerous references to, and descriptions of, an anticipated second phase of planning involving development of a Cache Creek Parkway Plan (Parkway Plan) to provide policy, regulation, and strategy for management of dedicated lands and easements transferred to public ownership as a result of implementation of the CCAP. The Parkway Plan will establish an integrated system of trails and recreational areas along Cache Creek, examine costs and management for further development and maintenance of a parkway system, and allow for community involvement.

The Cache Creek Parkway is comprised of four components published as separate documents:

• Open Space Inventory and Baseline Improvements (Baseline Inventory)

• Baseline Inventory Financial Feasibility Study

• Master Plan and Parkway Vision (Master Plan)

• Master Plan Financial Feasibility Study

More information on these documents can be found below.

Access the Baseline Inventory

This document contains a map and profile of each of 17 properties and two bridge structures that are already a part of, or negotiated to become a part of, the CCAP open space system, based on executed development agreements. This inventory provides descriptive information about each property, a brief history, details relating to access and dedication items, relevant legal documents and technical studies, existing or approved improvements, and known opportunities and constraints related to existing conditions or approved future conditions. Included are:

• Properties currently under public ownership or control and managed by the CCAP.
• Properties and/or ownership interests (e.g. trail easements) that will be dedicated to the County in the future pursuant to already approved agreements.
• Guidelines and specifications for improvements, access, use, operation, management, and maintenance of each property.

This document reflects existing or previously approved outcomes, and as such, requires no additional County or agency approvals, discretionary permit, or CEQA clearance.

At the Yolo County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, April 9, 2019, the Board received and filed the Cache Creek Area Plan Parkway Open Space Inventory and Baseline Improvements document and the companion Parkway Baseline Inventory Financial Feasibility Study. View the Minute Order for this action. Additionally, the Board directed staff, per staff's request in response to feedback received from the first round of public outreach, to conduct additional public outreach on the revised Parkway Master Plan and Vision document and the companion Parkway Master Plan Financial Feasibility Study. The schedule for broader public outreach is currently under development. 

Please note the Baseline Inventory document was revised in early 2020 to correct errata. 

Access the Baseline Inventory Financial Feasibility Study 

This report presents the financial feasibility analysis for the long-term operation and maintenance of the Baseline Cache Creek Parkway system, as described in the Cache Creek Parkway Plan, Open Space Inventory and Baseline Improvements document (Baseline Inventory). The financial feasibility analysis covers the period from 2019 to 2050.

This study includes the following major elements:

• Review of Development Agreements and coordination with County staff and consultants to identify the year of delivery and attributes of each individual site in the Parkway system upon delivery to the County.
• Projecting the ongoing operations and maintenance costs for each site.
• Projecting the revenues that would be available to offset operations and maintenance costs.
• Evaluating the overall financial feasibility of the Baseline Inventory, including exploration of potential strategies to augment revenues in support of additional uses.

In conjunction with completing the components above, the County's consultant incorporated the development assumptions, operation and maintenance costs, and anticipated revenues into a comprehensive financial model for the Cache Creek Parkway. The model serves as the tool to evaluate financial feasibility for the Parkway over time as changes and augmentation may occur. 

The results of the financial modeling conducted for the Baseline scenario indicate the Cache Creek Parkway will be viable at the initial level of improvements and associated public use through the year 2050. This assumes that the County makes no significant additional capital improvements that would expand maintenance demand and costs, without first identifying additional funding for both the one-time improvement costs and the additional ongoing operations and maintenance costs.

Access the Draft Master Plan

Corrected page uploaded June 9, 2020

This document contains an overall master plan and vision for future trail connections, identification of gaps and recommendations for future acquisitions, site-specific recreational and open space opportunities, and recommended future improvements, consistent with the goals and aspirations of the CCAP. This document expands on the Baseline Inventory to achieve the following:

• Establish priorities, guidelines, and specifications for development, access, use, operation, management, and maintenance of each property, beyond the baseline conditions.
• Development of a comprehensive trail system beyond baseline conditions, coordinated with other planned trails.
• Provide a planning framework for the County to use in negotiations regarding land dedications associated with future development agreements and mining applications.
• Provide guidance regarding additional lands to target for dedication/acquisition from willing landowners in order to provide connectivity and continuity throughout the Parkway as it may be expanded and improved over time.
• Lay the foundation for a mechanism to provide long-term revenues, financing, and management of the Parkway through collaborative efforts among the Natural Resources Division, Parks Division, Cache Creek Conservancy, and other local, regional, state, and federal partners.
• Identify areas appropriate for consideration as wildlife and habitat reserves, in collaboration with the Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Community Conservation Plan (Yolo HCP/NCCP).

The Draft Master Plan will be presented to the public and decision makers in a series of workshops and meetings. The public outreach schedule is currently being developed. Other opportunities for community involvement may be identified. The potential for environmental impact resulting from implementation of the Master Plan will be addressed and the Master Plan will ultimately be presented to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors for approval.