SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- On Friday, April 27, 2012, between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., the Bureau of Reclamation will increase releases from Folsom Dam into the lower American River from the current 5,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 7,000 cfs to help manage the filling of Folsom Reservoir due to rain and snow melt runoff from the mountains. These higher releases are expected through mid-May, although specific flow rates may vary as hydrologic conditions change.

Folsom Dam and Reservoir are located about 25 miles east of Sacramento, Calif., and are features of the Central Valley Project.

People recreating in or along the lower American River downstream from Folsom Dam to the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers should take appropriate safety precautions due to the increased flows.

Daily information on expected flows in the American River can be found on the California Data Exchange Center website at http://cdec.water.ca.gov./queryRes.html or from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ website at http://www.spk-wc.usace.army.mil/generic/rel_rep_s.html.

For additional information on the American River, please visit Reclamation’s Central Valley Operation Office website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo.