News Release Archive

Delta Cross Channel gates to close for five days starting Tuesday

Media Contact: Contact: Mary Lee Knecht, 916-978-5100, mknecht@usbr.gov

For Release: October 16, 2020

WALNUT GROVE, Calif. – The Bureau of Reclamation plans to temporarily close the Delta Cross Channel gates at 4 p.m. on October 20. The closure is related to a lower Mokelumne River pulse flow to help prevent adult fall run Chinook salmon from being diverted off their migratory route from the Mokelumne River into the Sacramento River. The gates are scheduled to re-open at 10 a.m. on October 24.

Opening or closing gates can be made on short notice and boaters are advised to check the status of the gates, especially around holidays. The process takes about one hour.

The Delta Cross Channel gates control the diversion channel near Walnut Grove, about 30 miles south of Sacramento. When the gates are open, fresh water is drawn from the Sacramento River into the interior of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta through Snodgrass Slough and the Mokelumne River. The open gates also allow boat traffic to pass.

Information on gate operations can be accessed on Reclamation’s Central Valley Operations website at usbr.gov/mp/cvo/vungvari/dcc_chng.pdf or by calling 916-979-2196 or 916-979-2194 (TTY 800-877-8339) during normal business hours.

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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.