Folsom Dam, located on the American River above the city of
Sacramento, is part of the Central Valley Project. It includes
water storage (Folsom Lake), power generation and conveyance
facilities.
This will be the first time in several years that California
will enter summer with the majority of its reservoirs at or
over 90 percent of total capacity, according to data from the
California Department of Water Resources. As of Saturday,
Shasta, Oroville, Folsom, New Bullards Bar, San Luis, Castaic
and Cachuma reservoirs are over 90 percent of their total
capacity and in the case of Shasta and Oroville are less than 5
percent away from being full. Each of these reservoirs is
all well over their historic averages for this time
point-in-time of the year. Lake Oroville, which is the
second largest reservoir in the state, has a current depth of
895 feet and is storing about 3.47 million acre-feet of water.
There’s now a plan underway to store more water in [Folsom
Reservoir], and that involves raising Folsom Dam. It was a
Memorial Day sight not seen in years. Folsom Lake is currently
at 116% of its historical average. … Now, efforts are
underway to help store more of this water during wet years. The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working to raise Folsom Dam by
three and a half feet. The plan also requires raising eight
earthen dikes that surround the lake’s perimeter. Work has
already been completed on one of the dikes, and this year,
construction is beginning along the western shoreline. The
project’s primary goal is to increase the Sacramento region’s
flood protection, but it will also allow Folsom Lake to store
an extra 42,000 acre-feet of water.
No matter if it’s a dry year or wet year, there are
continued pleas for more water storage. Now, an American River
Basin study is showing how a strategically placed high Sierra
reservoir might be part of the water solution. The concern to
capture Sierra runoff is seeing increased interest as
California experiences even bigger climate whiplash years -
going from droughts to floods. The big snowpack in the
Sierra this year stands out as an anomaly with climate models
forecasting more rain than snow falling in the lower mountains
by the end of the century. The other concern is the earlier
runoff and having to store and manage reservoir water over a
longer period of time through the dry summer months. To
help ease that tension, a new reservoir is being considered
near Alder Creek in the Sierra.
Snowmelt season is well underway, and as water flows down the
west slope of the Sierra, some of it is destined to end up in
Northern California’s reservoirs. Here’s an update on water
storage around the region. … Lake Shasta is
currently at 96% of capacity. At the start of April, the
reservoir was at 83% of capacity. As of Wednesday afternoon,
inflow from runoff is estimated to be around 12,000 cfs.
… Lake Oroville is also nearing capacity. On April 1,
storage was at 82%. As of Wednesday, storage is up to 90% with
19,000 cfs of runoff inflow. Water is being released at about
15,000 cfs to maintain space in the lake.
On average, more than 60 percent of
California’s developed water supply originates in the Sierra
Nevada and the southern spur of the Cascade Range. Our water
supply is largely dependent on the health of our Sierra forests,
which are suffering from ecosystem degradation, drought,
wildfires and widespread tree mortality.
Join us as we head into the Sierra to examine water issues
that happen upstream but have dramatic impacts downstream and
throughout the state.
Many of California’s watersheds are
notoriously flashy – swerving from below-average flows to jarring
flood conditions in quick order. The state needs all the water it
can get from storms, but current flood management guidelines are
strict and unyielding, requiring reservoirs to dump water each
winter to make space for flood flows that may not come.
However, new tools and operating methods are emerging that could
lead the way to a redefined system that improves both water
supply and flood protection capabilities.
Sixty percent of California’s developed water supply
originates high in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Our water
supply is largely dependent on the health of our Sierra forests,
which are suffering from ecosystem degradation, drought,
wildfires and widespread tree mortality.
One of the wettest years in California history that ended a
record five-year drought has rejuvenated the call for new storage
to be built above and below ground.
In a state that depends on large surface water reservoirs to help
store water before moving it hundreds of miles to where it is
used, a wet year after a long drought has some people yearning
for a place to sock away some of those flood flows for when they
are needed.
This 25-minute documentary-style DVD, developed in partnership
with the California Department of Water Resources, provides an
excellent overview of climate change and how it is already
affecting California. The DVD also explains what scientists
anticipate in the future related to sea level rise and
precipitation/runoff changes and explores the efforts that are
underway to plan and adapt to climate.
30-minute DVD that traces the history of the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation and its role in the development of the West. Includes
extensive historic footage of farming and the construction of
dams and other water projects, and discusses historic and modern
day issues.
Water as a renewable resource is depicted in this 18×24 inch
poster. Water is renewed again and again by the natural
hydrologic cycle where water evaporates, transpires from plants,
rises to form clouds, and returns to the earth as precipitation.
Excellent for elementary school classroom use.
The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to the Central Valley Project
explores the history and development of the federal Central
Valley Project (CVP), California’s largest surface water delivery
system. In addition to the project’s history, the guide describes
the various CVP facilities, CVP operations, the benefits the CVP
brought to the state and the CVP Improvement Act (CVPIA).
A new look for our most popular product! And it’s the perfect
gift for the water wonk in your life.
Our 24×36 inch California Water Map is widely known for being the
definitive poster that shows the integral role water plays in the
state. On this updated version, it is easier to see California’s
natural waterways and man-made reservoirs and aqueducts
– including federally, state and locally funded
projects – the wild and scenic rivers system, and
natural lakes. The map features beautiful photos of
California’s natural environment, rivers, water projects,
wildlife, and urban and agricultural uses and the
text focuses on key issues: water supply, water use, water
projects, the Delta, wild and scenic rivers and the Colorado
River.
