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.
The final salmon egg taking of the season will be available for
the public to view at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery next week,
according to hatchery officials. Egg-taking combines eggs from
euthanized female fish with milt, which contains sperm, from
male salmon. The fertilized eggs are then submerged in a water
tank and later taken to a holding area in the hatchery to
continue the fertilization process. The egg-taking is done to
aid in the conservation of the species. … Although late
in the season, dozens of Chinook salmon can still be seen
swimming up the fish ladder at the hatchery’s visitor center.
After the conclusion of salmon spawning, the ladder will remain
open through the winter for the migration of steelhead trout.
In early 2020, while the rest of the Sacramento region headed
to their homes to ride out the COVID-19 pandemic, a long line
of construction equipment under contract by the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers Sacramento District was instead heading to the
jobsite. The first of eight dikes bolstering the west and south
shores of Folsom Lake, Dike 8, gradually rose three and a half
feet at the southern tip of the lake. Contracted workers donned
safety vests, boots, and something new—the face mask—while work
continued on Dike 8. … Folsom Dam is not just one structure;
it’s made up of a main dam, two wing dams (left and right), the
Mormon Island Auxiliary Dam, and the eight dikes. Dike 8 was
the first of all this infrastructure to be raised 3.5 feet, but
far from the last. All of these components are scheduled to
undergo a similar raise by 2028
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.
This tour ventured 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.
