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- Reclamation to Increase Folsom Reservoir Releases to 20,000 cfs for Flood Control
News Release Archive
Reclamation to Increase Folsom Reservoir Releases to 20,000 cfs for Flood Control
Media Contact:
Shane Hunt, 916-978-5100, shunt@usbr.gov
For Release: March 11, 2016
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Bureau of Reclamation plans to increase releases below Nimbus Dam into the lower American River from 15,000 cubic feet per second to 20,000 cfs to manage space in Folsom Reservoir to accommodate inflows from Sierra runoff. Additional releases may be required based on actual and forecasted inflows into the reservoir.
The releases will be increased starting Saturday, March 12, at 7 a.m. Incremental increases will continue hourly through 11 a.m., when outflows are expected to reach 20,000 cfs. Reservoir releases will be made from five main spill gates located at the top of Folsom Dam in order to preserve cold water storage for fish later in the year.
People recreating in or along the lower American River downstream of Folsom Dam to the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers can expect river levels to increase and should take appropriate safety precautions.
Located 26 miles northeast of Sacramento, Folsom Reservoir provides water for people, fish and wildlife, hydropower, the environment, and salinity-control requirements in the Bay-Delta.
Midnight Reservoir Elevation and Flows for Folsom may be found at Reclamation’s Central Valley Operations Office website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/. Current American River conditions may be found at the Department of Water Resources’ California Data Exchange Center website at http://cdec.water.ca.gov/river/americanStages.html.
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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.
