SACRAMENTO, Calif. – On Monday, December 17, between 6 and 8 p.m., the Bureau of Reclamation will increase releases from Nimbus Dam to the lower American River from 4,000 cubic-feet per second (cfs) to 6,000 cfs. The releases are for flood control management according to the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency’s Flood Control Diagram which identifies the required space availability needed in Folsom Reservoir during the rain and snowmelt runoff season each year.

While most of the water will pass through the Nimbus Powerplant, releases of 1,000 cfs will be visible through two of Nimbus’ 18 Spillway gates, causing the river level to rise about 1 foot in elevation. Nimbus Dam, Lake Natoma, and Folsom Dam and Reservoir are located about 25 miles east of Sacramento, Calif., and are features of the Central Valley Project. Additional operational change may be required as the current weather systems increase runoff and as the system moves through the area.

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

Daily information on expected flows in the American River is available on the Department of Water Resources 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 operations of the Folsom and Nimbus facilities, please visit Reclamation’s Central Valley Operation Office website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo.