SONORA, Calif. - On Dec. 1, the Bureau of Reclamation will begin another series of 11-day controlled pulse flows from New Melones Dam into the Stanislaus River for flood control purposes. This follows a similar schedule implemented Nov. 3.
Last year’s record setting precipitation filled the reservoir and increased flows are necessary to meet flood storage capacity requirements. The flows will be released in a pulsed sequence to minimize the likelihood of Chinook salmon spawning in areas that will be dewatered after the flood control release is completed.
Flows will increase from 600 cubic feet per second to peak at 2,500 cfs Dec. 1, then ramp down to 1,300 cfs before peaking again at 2,500 cfs Dec. 3. This process will repeat three additional times until Dec. 11, when flows will return to 600 cfs.
People recreating in or along the Stanislaus River downstream from New Melones Dam should take safety precautions during the increased flows.
For more information on the Stanislaus River and daily reservoir operations, visit Reclamation’s Central Valley Operation Office website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
