safety, Water

A Look Inside $900 Million Folsom Dam Auxilliary Spillway Project

It’s a busy 24-hour, six-day a week operation near the Folsom Dam site, all of it with the goal to shield Sacramento from the worst that rainy weather might do.

FOX40′s cameras were the first to get into the construction pit for the dam’s auxiliary spillway since this first spillway gate arrived close to 11 p.m. on March 13.

That massive piece of equipment and the 12 other gates for the structure will have been driven 600 miles before they make it to their destination.

From the foundation to top of the control structure is about the same height as the Statue of Liberty.

Each bay will be able to funnel 55,000 cubic feet of water per second.

So what’s next for the very first gate to get on site?

“The roller housing, eight of of them, go on each side of the bulkhead gate and that basically goes down into the slot so it rolls up with the hoist mechanism at the top,” senior project manager Katie Huff said.

A crane even taller than the structure will slide that bulkhead into place in one of six bays at the spillway.

The room for error for this construction element is only a 16th of an inch on each side of its designated slot.

The straight bulkheads for this $900 million project will work in harmony with curved tainter to evenly regulate what could be the fateful force of a flood.

“These gates are 50-foot lower in elevation so in that flood event we’ll be able to release water much sooner and safer so that the levies downstream are able to handle it without flooding out Sacramento,” said Huff.

Part of the ground now up on top of the construction site, almost level with Folsom Lake Crossing, will actually start disappearing in July.

More at Fox40.com >>>

safety, Water

Dive Teams Have Suspended Search In Folsom Lake Boat Wreck

The effort to find the bodies of four men presumed dead following a boat crash on Folsom Lake over the weekend continued Wednesday without success. Patrol boats will continue to troll the waters, but dive teams have suspended their search, said Folsom Lake superintendent Richard Preston.

Preston said authorities are uncertain of the exact location of the crash, complicating the recovery effort. The bodies of the men will surface at some point, he said, “but it’s hard to say when that might occur. It would be based upon the depth of where the bodies might be, and water temperature.”

Officials have identified the missing men as Toby Strauch, 54; his brother, James Strauch, 47; and friends Jake Jacobs, 53, and Jon Smith, 48. All were residents of the Sacramento area.

More at ModBee.com >>>

Read more here: http://www.modbee.com/2014/05/14/3340483/dive-teams-have-suspended-search.html#storylink=cpy
Fish, safety, Water, Wildlife

Fishermen Say Folsom Dam Releases Making Search For Missing Men More Difficult

The search for four men thrown from a boat on Folsom Lake continued for a third day as crews scoured the lake and found no sign of them.

While the water appears to be calm at first glance, fishermen CBS13 spoke to on Tuesday say releases from Folsom Dam are making currents stronger and searchers’ jobs tougher.

“I’m sure there’s currents that would be moving and making things difficult for them,” said fisherman Kelly Owens.

The crash is said to be one of the deadliest in Folsom Lake history—four men are presumed dead after the boat they were riding capsized Saturday afternoon.

Fishermen Owens did their best to stay out of deputies’ way as the search for brothers James and Toby Stauch and their friends Jon Smith and Jake Jacobs continues.

“They just keep gridding back and forth,” Owens said. “I don’t think they’ve had any results yet, but they’ve been sticking it with it all day.”

With weather cooperating, deputies used sonar technology to search for the bodies of the four men from the Sacramento area.

More at CBSlocal.com >>>

Fish, safety, Water, Wildlife

Placer Land Trust Protecting 417 American River Acres

A unofficial swimming and recreation area along the North Fork of the American River outside Auburn is going to be become official, with 417 acres acquired for permanent conservation by the Placer Land Trust and the Trust for Public Land.

The acreage, called the Big Bend North Fork Preserve, includes the riverside land around Ponderosa Way, which links the small towns of Weimar and Foresthill.

“It’s already open to access, but it’s not guaranteed,” said Jeff Darlington, Placer Land Trust’s executive director. “This just removes the threat that this is going to be developed.”

Darlington said there’s never been a formal application to develop the property, though it’s zoned for housing. The previous property owner, Foresthill Land Co., does have plans to develop some land nearby, he added.

Using grant funds from the California Natural Resources Agency, the two land trust nonprofits bought the land for $1.368 million. Consisting mostly of pine covered hillsides and cliffs along the river canyon, the property is also popular for river swimming, with more daring sorts jumping off the Ponderosa Bridge crossing the river.

More at BizJournals.com >>>

safety, Water

Fourth Man Believed Dead In Folsom Lake Speedboat Wreck

A fourth man was on a speedboat that capsized in Folsom Lake on Saturday afternoon and is likely dead, authorities said, making the crash one of the deadliest in the lake’s history.

Efforts to find the men turned up nothing Sunday. Officials called off the search in the early afternoon because of high winds.

State Parks officials identified the men as Toby Strauch, 54; James Strauch, 47; Jake Jacobs, 53; and Jon Smith, 48. Authorities said that all lived in the Sacramento region but did not specify their hometowns.

Investigators aren’t sure what caused the accident. When park rangers arrived at about 1:45 p.m. Saturday, they found a 40-foot speedboat capsized. They’ve been searching for the men ever since. Determining the cause of the accident has been a secondary priority, said Folsom Lake State Recreation Area Superintendent Richard Preston.

Witnesses initially said three men were on the boat, but authorities later confirmed the boat had four passengers.

Officials now seek to recover, instead of rescue.

“This is probably the single most fatalities in my time doing this,” Preston said, who has worked at the lake more than 10 years.

Boating accidents happen frequently on Folsom Lake, but deaths are rare. About 30 accidents occurred in 2011 and 2012 at Folsom Lake, according to the latest state data, with 25 injuries and one death.

More than 25 rangers, emergency workers and divers scoured the lake for the men Sunday, the second consecutive day when wind hampered their efforts.

Whitecaps chopped the surface of Folsom Lake as teams struggled to hold their boats steady enough to search for the missing men. The craft used anchors weighing as much as 60 pounds, and were still unable to hold their positions.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/11/6396819/fourth-man-believed-dead-in-folsom.html#storylink=cpyMMore at SacBee.com

 

Fish, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

American River Flow To Rise For Salmon

Water flows in the American River are scheduled to increase through the Sacramento region starting tonight to help salmon and steelhead.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates Folsom and Nimbus dams on the river, will maintain the increased flow for three days to help juvenile steelhead and Chinook salmon migrate downstream, and to help improve in-river conditions for young steelhead.

The flow will gradually increase from the current 500 cubic feet per second starting at about 9 p.m., and will reach 1,500 cfs by 11 p.m. Flows will remain at that level until early Friday morning, when the volume will be gradually reduced to 800 cfs.

More at Modbee.com >>>

Read more here: http://www.modbee.com/2014/04/22/3303052/american-river-flow-to-rise-for.html#storylink=cpyM

 

Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

On Northern California Rivers, Good Forecast For Summer Rafting

The story of this summer’s prospects for rivers, rafting and trout fishing might sound like a yarn right out of the “Outdoors Department of Yer Eyes Ain’t Foolin’ Ya.”

For the American and Tuolumne rivers, NorCal’s top rafting rivers, the forecasts look great.

What? Aren’t we in the worst drought in a gazillion years? Isn’t the snowpack (and the melt-off to come) about 30 percent of normal in the high country? And won’t the rivers be rendered into trickles by July?

Well, in many cases, nope.

In a reversal of what is logical thought for many, conditions and flows on several rivers will be spectacular into summer for rafting, fishing and camping. And no, yer eyes ain’t foolin’ ya.

It’s a surprise twist to the way things work in California, even in a drought.

It rained enough in February and March to replenish, in part, several watersheds and reload many of the smaller, high-country reservoirs. Enough, that is, for water managers to release water from them and make their deliveries this summer.

The timing of the flows has been worked out to benefit recreation. So when those water deliveries are made, rafters will have a chance to float on them.

One of the best examples is the San Francisco Water Department, which met with outfitters last week to work out flow regimes out of Hetch Hetchy and Cherry reservoirs for the Tuolumne River.

Everybody wins.

“Despite a historic drought in California, we’re fortunate to have a number of rivers that get water from upstream reservoirs,” said Nate Rangel of California Outdoors, a trade association that represents California’s river outfitters. “That means we’re going to have great water all summer long.”

“On the Lower American River (below Folsom Lake and Lake Natomas), the Bureau of Reclamation is tied into the federal water project and they have to deliver water,” said Randy Calvin of River Rat Rafting in Fair Oaks. “It will run right past where we rent rafts and give people a chance to float down the river on it.”

More at SFGate.com >>>

Events, Fish, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Nimbus Hatchery Offering Presentation On Drought, Salmon

The public is invited to a free presentation May 3 at Nimbus Hatchery on how California’s drought is affecting salmon and steelhead populations in the American River.

The event is offered by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which operates the hatchery, one of five in the Central Valley that produce most of the salmon caught by commercial and recreational anglers in the state.

Rob Titus, a senior environmental scientist at the department, will discuss the state of salmon and steelhead runs and the challenges the drought poses to their survival. He’ll also outline actions the agency is taking to protect these fish and improve their survival. Forest Williams of the Sacramento County Water Agency will then describe ways the public can reduce water use and lessen human impact on the river.

Both speakers will take questions from the audience.

The event begins at 11 a.m. May 3 in the hatchery visitor center. No advance registration is required. The hatchery is at 2001 Nimbus Road in Rancho Cordova.

More at SaccBee.com >>>
Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Complaint Alleges American River Flows Too Slow, Warm In Sacramento Area

The federal government’s operation of Folsom and Nimbus dams is harming fall-run Chinook salmon and steelhead in the American River, several environmental and fishing groups allege in a complaint filed this week with the state.

The groups are urging the State Water Resources Control Board to amend the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s permits to require colder and faster river flows from the two dams. The board has authority over water rights issued to the Bureau of Reclamation, as well as responsibility for protecting public trust resources, including fisheries and water quality. The board first issued operating permits for the dams in 1958.

“We’ve got to have a guaranteed higher flow, and there have to be modifications to Folsom Dam that will allow them to tap the coldest (water) pool in the reservoir,” said Stephen Green, president of Save the American River Association. “When temperatures are high and flows are low, we know that fish are being killed, and it’s not just this year. It’s been going on for decades.”

The other groups involved in the complaint are the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, California Save Our Streams Council and the Public Trust Alliance.

The water board is reviewing the complaint, which was received on April 4, said spokesman George Kostyrko. If it decides the complaint has merit, it could be scheduled for a hearing or further investigation.

“It is still early in the process, so we haven’t arrived at that, or any conclusions yet,” Kostyrko said via email.

Reclamation officials said they haven’t reviewed the complaint yet and had no comment.

Reclamation’s permit with the state allows it to reduce flows in the lower American River, which cuts through the Sacramento area, to as low as 250 cubic feet per second under certain conditions. Such flows were reached earlier this winter because of the drought, and may occur again this summer and fall. The complaint alleges this is insufficient to support healthy fish life, and should be raised to at least 750 cfs, Green said.

More at SacBee.com >>>
Fish, safety, Water, Wildlife

Folsom Lake Boating Season Open — But For How Long?

Sailboat owner Ron Hitchcock has enjoyed sailing on Folsom Lake for the past 17 years. But this year, he’s giving up his boat slip at the Brown’s Ravine Marina.

“Why? Because there’s no water. I’ll get on the waiting list and try again next year,” said Hitchcock.

Hitchcock’s decision comes as marina operators are advising boaters that the docks, which just opened last weekend, may be closed again in a matter of weeks due to low water levels.

“I’m thinking we’ll get into May, but there are no guarantees,” said Ken Christensen.

Christensen also said the 5 mph speed limit could return as early as the beginning of June if the lake falls fast enough.

“There’s limited space out there. You have to be constantly watching because you are so close to the bottom,” said Arnold Boeck, a sailboat owner.

Inside the Chevron Food Mart along Green Valley Road, the owner expressed relief that at least the boat docks are now open.

More at KCRA.com >>>