EXHIBIT 99.1

       American River Bankshares Announces its First Quarter Cash Dividend


Sacramento, CA, March 16, 2005 - American River Bankshares [NASDAQ: AMRB]
announces its first quarter cash dividend of 15 cents per share payable on April
12, 2006 to shareholders of record on March 29, 2006.

American River Bankshares [NASDAQ: AMRB] is the parent company of American River
Bank ("ARB"), a community business bank serving Sacramento, CA that operates a
family of financial services providers, including North Coast Bank [a division
of "ARB"] in Sonoma County and Bank of Amador [a division of "ARB"] in Amador
County. For more information, please call (916) 851-0123 or visit www.amrb.com;
www.americanriverbank.com; www.northcoastbank.com; www.bankofamador.com.


Forward-Looking Statement
- -------------------------

Certain statements contained herein are forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual
results may differ materially from the results in these forward-looking
statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, among other
matters, changes in interest rates, economic conditions, governmental regulation
and legislation, credit quality, and competition affecting the Company's
businesses generally; the risk of natural disasters and future catastrophic
events including terrorist related incidents; and other factors discussed in the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, and
in reports filed on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K. The Company does not undertake any
obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements,
whether to reflect new information, future events or otherwise.

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