[env-trinity] Bureau increases water releases from Lake Shasta

[Tom Stokely]

Trinity is still less than half full.  The glass is half empty.TS
http://www.redding.com/news/local/bureau-increases-water-releases-from-lake-shasta-2e986339-8326-2a9c-e053-0100007fd857-373160011.html


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| LOCAL NEWS
Bureau increases water releases from Lake Shasta
Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight The Bureau of Reclamation has increased the release of water from Keswick Dam the past few days due to the large amount of water in Lake Shasta.Posted: Yesterday 6:00 p.m.8 CommentsBy Damon Arthur of the Redding Record SearchlightAfter receiving nearly 5 feet of rain since October, there is too much water in Lake Shasta, according to the agency that manages Shasta Dam.After four years of drought, the lake has finally reached levels not seen in five years, according to Shane Hunt, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.But bureau officials, worried about the high inflow into the lake from recent heavy rains, have also had to increase the amount of water coming out of Shasta and Keswick dams to reduce the chances of downstream flooding."We're into the safety space for flood encroachment," Hunt said.On Tuesday, 18,600 cubic-feet per second of water was being released from Keswick Dam, or six times the 3,100 cfs of water released from the dam at the beginning of the month.Hunt said the bureau has to keep a safety margin in the lake in case too much water begins flowing into the lake during a storm. If there is not enough space in the lake to absorb the high inflows, the bureau could conceivably be forced to let out amounts that could cause flooding downstream in the Sacramento River, he said.Prior to the weekend rainstorm, the bureau began increasing releases from Keswick Dam. On Friday night, the bureau was releasing 20,200 cfs.Hunt said releases are expected to begin dropping again this week and the lake could continue refilling. Even with the higher releases, inflow into the lake Tuesday reached 30,000 cfs.The bureau's reasoning behind releasing water did not add up, according to Frank Rusch of Redding, who said he has been paying attention to the amount of water being let out of the lake into the Sacramento River.He said it is frustrating to see so much water going down the river while Redding residents are under water-use restrictions that include cutting back on outdoor landscape watering."It just isn't logical that they are releasing this amount of water when we're in a drought," Rusch said.David Coxey, manager of the Bella Vista Water District, said he had similar concerns about why the water was being released.Bella Vista, which serves residents and businesses from northeast Redding to Bella Vista, has been under severe water restrictions the past few years because of cutbacks in deliveries from the bureau."It's a pretty extreme set of circumstances, and I'm getting a lot of calls from customers asking what's going on," Coxey said.The 18,600 cfs being released Tuesday is equivalent to 36,890 acre-feet of water a day. During 2015, city of Redding water utility customers used 24,739 acre-feet of water for the entire year.Hunt said Shasta is not the only reservoir in the state that has had to release water out of flood control concerns. He said similar measures were taken recently at Folsom Reservoir near Sacramento and at Lake Oroville.Lake Shasta hasn't been this full since March 2011, Hunt said. Since then, California has been in the grips of a drought that has drained reservoirs and brought water-use restrictions on businesses and residents.But this year, heavier rain and snowfall has helped reservoirs recover. Since October there has been about 59 inches of rain at Shasta Dam, driving up the lake level 133 feet since Dec. 8, 2015, the date it reached its lowest point of the year.Even though the lake is getting close to full this year — 86 percent of capacity Tuesday — that doesn't mean local water agencies will get all they are entitled to this year.City of Redding officials are planning for reductions ranging from 12 percent to 24 percent.Hunt said the bureau usually notifies water contractors such as Redding and Bella Vista of their water allocations by February. But this year the announcement has been delayed.One factor in planning has been the need to keep enough water in the lake for fish and wildlife during the summer and early fall.Because of drought the past couple years, the cold water pool in Lake Shasta has been depleted, leaving only warm water to send down the Sacramento River in the summer and early fall. That warm water is fatal to endangered winter-run chinook salmon eggs and recent hatches in the river.State and federal officials are trying to work out a plan that provides bureau water for cities, agriculture and fish and wildlife. Hunt said he expects an announcement on water allocations toward the end of this month or the beginning of April.With the higher lake level this year, providing enough cold water for the salmon shouldn't be a problem this year, Hunt said.
About Damon Arthur
Damon Arthur covers resources, environment and the outdoors for the Record Searchlight and Redding.com.   
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