SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation plans to increase releases below Nimbus Dam into the lower American River from 8,000 cubic feet per second to around 15,000 cfs to create space in Folsom Reservoir for increased Sierra runoff. Should inflows into the reservoir continue at current levels or increase, additional releases may be required.
The releases will be increased starting Tuesday, March 8, at 7 a.m. Incremental increases will continue hourly through 11 a.m., when outflows are expected to reach 15,000 cfs. Reservoir releases will be made from the main spill gates located at the top of the 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.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
