News Release Archive

Reclamation Increasing Releases into Lower American River for Storage Management

Up to 15,000 cubic feet per second minimum Thursday afternoon

Media Contact: Shane Hunt, 916-978-5100, shunt@usbr.gov

For Release: January 04, 2017

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Bureau of Reclamation is scheduled to incrementally increase releases below Nimbus Dam from 3,500 cubic feet per second to 15,000 cfs Jan. 5 to manage potential Sierra runoff. If inflows continue to increase or start to decrease, operational adjustments will be made as necessary and may occur on short notice.

Folsom Reservoir, located 26 miles northeast of Sacramento, provides water for people, fish and wildlife, hydropower, and environmental and salinity-control requirements in the Bay-Delta.

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.

Midnight reservoir elevation and flows from Folsom Dam may be found at Reclamation’s Central Valley Operations Office website at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/vungvari/wtr_rpt.pdf. 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.