[env-trinity] Reclamation will increase American River releases to 35, 000 cfs

[Dan Bacher]

http://fishsniffer.com/index.php/2016/12/14/reclamation-will-increase-american-river-releases-to-35000-cfs




Reclamation will increase American River releases to 35,000 cfs

by Dan Bacher

As a big Pacific storm was slated to drench northern California, the  
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced today it will increase water  
releases to the American River below Nimbus Dam on Dec. 15 at 9 a.m.  
from 15,000 cubic feet per second to reach 35,000 cfs by 1 p.m.

This is the largest increase in releases in one day in the past  
several years, at least since 2011. Peggy Manza of Reclamation said  
the purpose of the increased releases was for “storage management/ 
flood control.”

“Please route any release in excess of Power Plant capacity through  
the river outlets,” she said in a memo.

“Should inflows continue at current levels or increase, additional  
releases may be required,” noted Shane Hunt, Reclamation spokesman, in  
a news release.

Hunt said increased releases are based on “changing conditions and are  
necessary to maintain space in Folsom Reservoir for projected Sierra  
runoff.” Current storage in the reservoir is around 158 percent of its  
15-year average for December.

He advised, “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. Some inundation along the American  
River’s recreational trails and at Discovery Park are expected.”

When I called the media contact at the Bureau, everybody had already  
gone home for the day and nobody was available to answer my questions.  
I will report any additional information if and when somebody calls  
back or emails me.

The increased releases occur at a critical time for struggling fall- 
run Chinook salmon and steelhead on the American. The salmon run is  
near its end as fish spawn in the river or have already spawned. The  
high flows are expected to wash out many of the freshly laid salmon  
eggs from the gravel beds.

The winter run of steelhead, listed as an endangered species, is  
starting to move into the river.

Due to the high river flows, Discovery, Howe Avenue, Watt Avenue and  
Gristmill Parks, Campus Commons Golf Course, William Pond Recreation  
Area and the American River Parkway multi-use trail at mile 20 will be  
closed Thursday-Sunday.

Midnight Reservoir Elevation and Flows for Folsom 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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