News release: Keeping Folsom Reservoir’s cold water in the bank until it’s needed
California’s winter storms have blasted the Sierra Nevada with a thick blanket of snow. That ample snowpack has been subsequently pelted with rain, pushing some of it downhill as runoff through ravines, canyons, and creeks before feeding into the forks of the American River. The water eventually fills Folsom Lake to the delight of the people throughout the Sacramento metropolitan area who flock there in the heat of summer. Beyond water supply, power generation, instream flow needs, and yes, summertime fun, Folsom has a key role to play in keeping the water temperature in the lower American River hospitable to the fish that return each year to spawn. That means having cold water on demand when it’s needed.