Fremont Police Warns Against Niles Creek Swimming

Fremont police told residents and visitors on Saturday, May 23, to stay out of the Niles Creek area ahead of Memorial Day weekend, saying swimming and gathering there are illegal and unsafe. The department said officers would patrol the area during the holiday weekend and cited hidden hazards in the water. Police also said people have died while swimming there. The warning was distributed through the Fremont Police Department’s public channels and was later summarized by Patch. ### What did Fremont police say about Niles Creek? The Fremont Police Department said swimming or gathering in the Niles Creek area is “both illegal and unsafe,” and said officers would be watching for trespassers during the holiday weekend. The department said the creek and surrounding lands are off limits and that trespassing can be punishable by arrest under California Penal Code 602(o)(1). The police department said it is working with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Alameda County and Caltrans to enforce trespassing laws in the creek area. The department also said vehicles found to be illegally parked could be cited or towed. ### Why are officials warning people before Memorial Day weekend? Memorial Day weekend brings hotter weather and heavier use of creeks, lakes and picnic areas across the East Bay. Fremont police said the warning was aimed at people looking for a place to cool off or gather outdoors during the long weekend. The department said the water has hidden dangers and that people have lost their lives while swimming there. Police did not provide a death toll in the warning reviewed Sunday. ### Is this just a safety advisory, or can people be cited? California Penal Code 602(o)(1), cited by Fremont police in the warning, covers trespassing on lands that are lawfully closed to the public. Fremont police said violators in the Niles Creek area can be cited or arrested. Illegal parking was also part of the enforcement message. Fremont police said vehicles parked unlawfully near the area could be cited or towed during the weekend patrols. ### Which agencies are involved around the creek? The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission was named by Fremont police as one of the agencies involved in enforcement around Niles Creek and the surrounding lands. Alameda County and Caltrans were also identified as partners in the effort. That list matters because the warning covers not only the water itself but adjacent land access and roadside areas. Fremont police framed the issue as both a water-safety problem and a trespassing matter. ### Where are the legal public swimming options nearby? Fremont police pointed residents to Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area in Fremont and Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area in Pleasanton as alternatives. The department listed Quarry Lakes at 2100 Isherwood Way in Fremont and Shadow Cliffs at 2500 Stanley Boulevard in Pleasanton. The East Bay Regional Park District says Quarry Lakes has a swim beach and that swimming there is restricted to within the swim ropes only. The park district says Shadow Cliffs has a designated swim beach and that lifeguards are on duty during the summer months, while swimming outside those periods is at the swimmer’s own risk in the designated area. ### What should visitors check before heading out? East Bay Regional Park District advisories can change before a holiday weekend. Quarry Lakes currently carries a danger advisory for blue-green algae at Horseshoe Lake, according to the park district, and Shadow Cliffs lists a caution advisory for blue-green algae on its park page. Memorial Day marks the start of longer seasonal hours at Quarry Lakes, where gate hours shift to 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day, according to the park district. Visitors heading to either park can check East Bay Regional Park District alerts and swim-area conditions before leaving.