Regular-Community Services # 35.
Board of Supervisors
Public Works
- Meeting Date:
- 01/13/2026
- Brief Title
- CR 41 Update
From:
Adam Fieseler, Director, Department of Community Services
Staff Contact:
Todd N. Riddiough, Director of Public Works, Department of Community Services, x8039
Supervisorial District Impact:
District 5
Subject
Receive a presentation update on County Road 41 and consider options for potential next steps. (No general fund impact) (Fieseler/Riddiough) (Est. Staff Presentation: 15 min)
Recommended Action
- Receive a presentation update on County Road 41; and
- Consider options for potential next steps.
Strategic Plan Goal(s)
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Thriving Residents |
Reason for Recommended Action/Background
Per the Board of Supervisors’ request at the July 22, 2025, Board of Supervisors Meeting, Public Works Division staff reached out to various partners that have some association with use of County Road 41 between the two locked gates within Yolo County. The northernmost gate is at the Colusa County line. Staff contacted the following partners:
- Colusa County Public Works Department
- Capay Valley Fire Protection District
- Williams Fire Department
- Arbuckle – College City Fire Protection District
- Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation
- Property Owners at 2189 CR41
- Yolo County Office of Emergency Services
County Road (CR) 41 extends across the Yolo County line north into Colusa County and becomes Sand Creek Road (see Attachment A). Sand Creek Road continues for approximately 12 miles northeasterly through the hills until reaching Cortina School Road. There are several low water crossings on Sand Creek Road, and many of the adjacent lands are used for grazing. You may encounter cattle on the roadway, as it is a very active grazing area. Cortina School Road is the next viable paved road and is about 5 miles west of the Town of Arbuckle. Traveling on CR41 and Sand Creek Road is known to many as the “Arbuckle Grade.”
Partner Responses
Colusa County Public Works maintains the approximate 10-mile gravel portion of Sand Creek Road, continuing from CR41, about once per year. The remaining two miles of paved road areas are maintained by Colusa County as needed. The road is closed when the low water crossings are flowing (Sand Creek Road is currently closed as of 12/23/25 per Colusa County’s website). Colusa County Public Works would not recommend using Sand Creek Road to CR41 as an emergency escape route for their constituents.
The Capay Valley Fire Protection District would prefer to realign and restore CR41 connectivity, restore Yolo County maintenance of the gated CR41 section, and reopen both CR41 gates to the public for recreation and emergency evacuation purposes.
The Williams Fire Department, and the Arbuckle-College City Fire Department, would only desire access be provided from CR41 to State Route 16 if there was a project to address the washout/missing section of road. The Fire Department would not recommend CR41 or Sand Creek Road as an emergency escape route for the public. They would also recommend keeping the CR41 gates locked. Both Fire Departments expressed concern regarding increased emergency response calls if the CR41 gates were to be opened.
The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation (Tribe) would also prefer to keep the gates closed if the road were to be realigned. The Tribe owns the majority of the land between the two locked gates. In the past, before the gates were closed because of the washout, the Tribe experienced trespassing, poaching, partying, and illegal dumping on their lands between the gates. Due to the remote location, the area is not regularly patrolled by law enforcement.
The property owners of the home most affected by the washout at 2189 CR41 would prefer to leave the road as is. They have given emergency services permission to go through their property to provide access around the washout as needed. They would prefer to keep gates closed to discourage public access. They would not be supportive of a realignment of CR41 through their front yard (see Attachment B, Alternative 2) as was directed by the Board in 2021.
In the July 22, 2025, Board Meeting presentation, the Yolo County Office of Emergency Services provided the following statement regarding CR41 between the gates:
“The Yolo County Office of Emergency Services (OES) has determined that CR 41 currently may not serve as a suitable evacuation route. The road faces challenges such as infrequent maintenance, washouts during heavy rains, and obstructions from fallen trees and debris, which can compromise safe passage. Emergency evacuation plans are adaptable and will utilize the most secure and accessible routes available at the time.”
Staff Site Visits
Yolo County Public Works Division staff conducted recent site visits to Sand Creek Road on December 12, 2025, and to the CR41 washout on December 17, 2025. Some photos and information from those visits are contained in the presentation (see Attachment C).
The washout on CR41 continues to erode toward the northeast. In the past two years, it appears that another 10 to 20 feet of bank has eroded. The erosion is still within the area that the 2021 geomorphology report estimated for continued erosion (see slide 25 in Attachment C). There is still about 150 feet of distance between the current top of bank and the home at 2189 CR41. The utility pole providing power service to the home may need to be relocated very soon due to the proximity to the new creek bank. The property owners have contacted PG&E about this situation.
Sand Creek Road is in relatively decent condition for passenger vehicles, however there are several low water crossings that could be a challenge for some vehicles to negotiate if wet or flowing. There are several locations where runoff from the adjacent hills is causing road damage that may need attention in the near term. There is one location where Sand Creek has eroded to the edge of the road (similar to how Cache Creek has eroded on CR41), and could eventually be a challenging spot to pass, especially at night. Cell phone coverage is spotty or lacking for about 75 percent of the Sand Creek Road section.
Possible Next Steps
Options for consideration to address the status of CR41 between the two gates in Yolo County include:
- Continue to monitor the creek erosion: Keep the gates locked due to the washout and do not restore the washed-out section of CR41 at this time. Emergency services, and the property owner past the washout (Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation), have coordinated with property owners to obtain access through private property to safely travel around the washout with their vehicles. The local property owners have all expressed an interest in keeping the gates locked to continue to discourage unnecessary access and recreational activities along CR41 and Sand Creek Road in Colusa County. The Arbuckle – College City Fire Protection District and the Williams Fire Department both expressed concern regarding increased emergency response calls if the CR41 gates were to be opened. The CR41 Bridge over Cache Creek (Rumsey Bridge) Replacement Project is planned to begin construction in Spring 2026. Once the bridge replacement is completed, staff can revisit this situation and reevaluate how erosion is affecting the area.
- Realign the road and keep both gates locked: Acquire the necessary rights-of-way, design, and construct a realignment for the washed-out section of CR41. A previous realignment design was in process before funding sources were expended in 2021. Three alternatives were considered by the Board previously (see Attachment B). The property owner of 2189 CR41 at that time was supportive of Alternative 2, which the Board directed staff to pursue. However, staff contacted the current property owners, and they are not supportive of Alternative 2, which would route the realigned road through their front yard and require a relocation of their septic system. Staff could shift to something like Alternative 3 as a potential realignment path. However, staff would need to engage with the affected landowners to gauge support, as staff did not previously pursue Alternative 3 with the property owners in 2021. Cost of the alternative would be on the order of $1.5M and take about three years to complete. There is no funding available for this option at this time.
- Investigate full restoration of CR41 connectivity and use: Have staff investigate the cost and effort to maintain CR41 between the gates, if the County were to take up maintenance again (which is a Board action). Have Yolo County staff coordinate with Colusa County Public Works regularly, or have County staff investigate the Sand Creek Road regularly, to determine if the road is passable for emergency evacuation purposes through Colusa County for Yolo County constituents. Cost for the realignment may be on the order $1.5M; however, there would be ongoing maintenance costs for the added two miles of CR41 between the gates (likely on the order of $200K per year), and staff time to regularly investigate if the 12 miles of Sand Creek Road are viable for emergency egress (regular staff costs). Maintenance of Sand Creek Road would be at the discretion of Colusa County Public Works. There is no funding available for this option at this time.
Due to the stances of the landowners, lack of project funding, and the general understanding that CalFire will grade CR41 between the closed CR41 gates or on Sand Creek Road as needed if firefighting response is required in the area, Yolo County Public Works Division staff recommends Option A at this time. If Options B or C, or variations thereof, are recommended by the Board, additional investigation into project scope, funding, and outreach will be required before moving forward with a solution.
Collaborations (including Board advisory groups and external partner agencies)
Arbuckle – College City Fire Protection District
Capay Valley Fire Protection District
Colusa County Public Works Department
Property owners of 2189 CR41
Williams Fire Department
Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, Land Management
Yolo County Office of Emergency Services
Capay Valley Fire Protection District
Colusa County Public Works Department
Property owners of 2189 CR41
Williams Fire Department
Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, Land Management
Yolo County Office of Emergency Services
Fiscal Impact
No Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact (Expenditure)
- Total cost of recommended action:
- $ 0
- Amount budgeted for expenditure:
- $ 0
- Additional expenditure authority needed:
- $ 0
- One-time commitment:
- Yes
Source of Funds for this Expenditure
- Road Fund
- $0
Attachments
- Att. A. Vicinity Map
- Att. B. CR41 Washout Alternatives Map
- Att. C. Presentation
- Att. D. Comments from Jasvir Mann
- Att. E. Comments from Hannah Houraira
Form Review
| Inbox | Reviewed By | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Todd Riddiough (Originator) | Todd Riddiough | 11/07/2025 12:57 PM |
| Todd Riddiough (Originator) | Todd Riddiough | 12/30/2025 03:19 PM |
| Stephanie Cormier | Stephanie Cormier | 12/31/2025 09:05 AM |
| Adam Fieseler | Adam Fieseler | 01/02/2026 08:46 AM |
| Cindy Perez | Cindy Perez | 01/05/2026 12:43 PM |
- Form Started By:
- Todd Riddiough
- Started On:
- 10/30/2025 10:57 AM
- Final Approval Date:
- 01/05/2026