Category Archives: Water

safety, Water, Wildlife

Dike Failure Worries Prompt Major Repairs Near Folsom Lake

Concerns about a dike failing near Folsom Lake have the Bureau of Reclamation preparing to make major repairs.

Sean Glavin loves connecting with nature on his mountain bike near Folsom Lake. He’s one of countless people biking, hiking and boating in the area on a daily basis.

But federal officials have concerns for a heavily traveled road near the lake. The asphalt on top of Dike 1 needs to be fixed immediately, says Kyle Keer with the bureau.

“We are trying to tighten up and control the seepage right now,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is make sure is this is not a weak link in system.”

The feds say they’re going to cut the risk of the road collapsing or buckling up above by constructing a new filter and drain to keep any water seeping through the dike from eroding the soil.

More at Sacramento.CBSLocal.com >>>

Fish, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Steelhead Numbers Alarmingly Low At American River Hatchery

The upper section of the American River that has been closed to fishing since Nov. 1 reopened to steelhead fishing on Jan. 1, but the outlook for the fishing is not very promising, based on a very low fish count to date at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery.

This stretch of river is from the U.S. Geological Survey gauging station cable crossing about 300 yards downstream from the Nimbus Hatchery fish rack site to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) power line crossing at the southwest boundary of Ancil Hoffman Park.

Only 10 adult steelhead were reported at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery as of Dec. 29, an alarmingly low number for this time of year. By contrast, the hatchery had trapped 335 adults to date last year, according to Gary Novak, hatchery manager.

Normally there are hundreds and sometimes thousands of steelhead showing at the facility at this time of year.

Hopefully, the steelhead are late in their migration, just as the fall run Chinook salmon were. The main body of the fall Chinook salmon run arrived over a month late this fall on the American River.

Few anglers have been fishing on the American River lately. The salmon fishing closed Dec. 31, but most anglers have already put down their rods.

“Opening day is going to be SLOW if the action at the basin is any indication,” reported Roland Aspiras, an avid American River steelhead fisherman. “I fished both yesterday and today for barely a sniff. I floated eggs, swung spoons, tossed jigs for zilch. I saw one fish follow a spoon in to the bank. The fish seem confused with the new channels they (state and federal governments) created at the basin.”

One angler, Leo Salcido of Sacramento Pro Tackle, reported landing two steelhead in the 4-pound class while tossing out Little Cleos in the basin on Dec. 23.

Releases to the lower American below Nimbus Dam continue to be 900 cfs, very low for this time of year.

More at WillitsNews.com >>>

 

Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Residents Cut Water Usage 32 Percent

San Juan Water District reported their retail customers reduced water use by 32 percent in 2014 after the board of directors implemented 25 percent mandatory cutbacks.

“We are thrilled our customers took action during this unprecedented drought and significantly reduced their water use,” said Shauna Lorance, general manager of San Juan.

The district relies on water supplies from Folsom Lake, the primary water source for a half million people in the Sacramento region. Thanks in part to water conservation efforts, Folsom Lake levels are higher than they were this time last year.

“Our customers were active in their efforts to use less water,” said Judy Johnson, customer service manager. “Water conservation staff spent more time than ever talking with customers about how they can use less water. They performed water audits, helped detect leaks and made sure customers were aware of drought conditions.”

San Juan Water District was one of the first in the state to implement mandatory water use restrictions and has since seen a spike in customer engagement. More than one in ten customer accounts have received personal assistance to become more water efficient and customers have redeemed over $50,000 in water conservation rebates.

More at RocklinToday.com >>>

Fish, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Federal Appeals Court Upholds Protections for Central Valley Salmon

A federal appeals court in San Francisco has upheld measures imposed by federal agencies to protect salmon and steelhead that migrate through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

A unanimous three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the National Marine Fisheries Service acted reasonably and within its discretion when it prescribed limits on the amount of water exported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in order to protect threatened and endangered salmonids.

The fisheries service “biological opinion,” issued in 2009, set seasonal limits on the volume of water that could be extracted by the massive federal and state pumping plants at the southern edge of the Delta. From there, water flows down a pair of massive canals to farms in the San Joaquin Valley and to urban customers from the South Bay to the Los Angeles area.

A wide array of irrigation districts, serving valley farmers, and urban water districts went to court to challenge the biological opinion. Those plaintiffs won the first round of the case when U.S. District Court Judge Oliver W. Wanger, of Fresno, ruled that fisheries service scientists had erred in developing their findings and that the agency’s action was “arbitrary and capricious” under federal law.

More at KQED.com >>>

Fish, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Chinook Salmon Could Be Wiped Out By 2100: Study

New climate-change research involving a University of British Columbia scientist predicts that one of the West Coast’s most prized salmon stocks could be wiped out over the next 85 years.

A study has concluded that there is a five per cent chance of a catastrophic loss of the chinook salmon by 2075, and that upwards of 98 per cent will be gone by 2100, if climate change warms the water.

An international research team looked at the ability by the chinook to adapt to warming water temperatures caused by climate change.

More at CTVNews >>>

Boating, Rafting, safety, Water

First Responders Practice Dangerous Water Rescues

Wind whipped up whitecaps on the already turbulent American River as a Sheriff’s helicopter moved in to position to save a man swept downstream. The name of the game: swift water rescue.

The victim in this scenario volunteered to brave the frigid waters as part of joint-agency training Thursday morning at the river’s confluence.

The water is cold, powerful and moving fast – it doesn’t leave any room for error – but Deputy Kristopher Ulshoffer waded midstream and let it carry him toward waiting rescuers.

His dry suit and life vest kept him relatively safe, but the river poses an unyielding threat all the same – not to mention the fact that risks increase even more when you add a helicopter to the mix.

Jim Mathias, battalion chief with Cal Fire, said exercises like this one are vital when it comes to multiple agencies combining their resources effectively during an emergency situation.

At the Auburn Airport there are three helicopters available to assist with rescue operations; two belonging to the California Highway Patrol and one belonging to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.

More at AuburnJournal.com >>>

Boating, Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Reservoir Levels Rising, But Not Fast Enough

Reservoir levels are rising in Northern California thanks to the recent rain, but much more is needed to make a dent in the state’s three-year drought.

The water levels at Folsom Lake, for example, have risen 7 feet in the past week to stand at 397 feet.

That’s a good start, but Folsom needs much more water before boaters can exceed the 5 mph speed limit.

The slow speeds make it smooth sailing for paddle boarders like Alex Minno, who noticed a big difference in scenery Sunday.

“This used to be all exposed right here,” said Minno, pointing to a water-covered area. “It used to go out like a peninsula and now it’s all covered.”

Fisherman Brian Wallace didn’t catch many bass Sunday at Folsom Lake, but he did notice a difference in water levels.

“The water has come up and covered some of the islands a little more in different places,” Wallace said.

Fisherman Steve Yee has noticed it, too.

“More water, less land,” Yee said.

More at KCRA.com >>>

Boating, Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Reservoir Levels Rise After Pacific Storm

This week’s powerful Pacific storm delivered welcome rain to area reservoirs. According to Louis Moore with the Bureau of Reclamation, much of this rain goes directly into storage.

Folsom Lake is now at 34 percent capacity after seeing about a four foot rise with this storm. That equates to nearly 1.3 million gallons of added water. Shasta Lake, which is larger and feeds the entire state with water, rose nearly 12 feet and is now at 29 percent capacity.

Moore says reservoirs are still low and water conservation will need to continue. He says we hit near historic lows as recently as November due to the prolonged three year drought.

More at News10.net >>>

Fish, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

American River Trout Hatchery Reopens After Summer Evacuation

The American River Trout Hatchery operated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) reopened this week after warm water temperatures forced the closure of the facility in early summer.

Colder winter temperatures and recent rain are allowing hatchery staff to begin filling the raceways with cooler river water and start to produce rainbow trout for planting in northern California lakes this summer.

“The drought forced us to think quickly and make the best decisions for the health of the fish,” said Dr. Bill Cox, CDFW Fishery Program Manager. “Because of the rain and colder weather, we can start producing trout right away.”

More at LakeCoNews.com >>>

 

Boating, Fire, Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Sacramento Rainfall Totals Rising With Good Drenching

The strongest storm of the season flooded Sacramento streets, sent drivers spinning out of control on area highways and dropped about an inch-and-a-half of rain in a 24-hour period.

“This is by far the most rain we have had this season,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Smith.

The steady drumbeat of rain through Wednesday morning was welcome to drought-stricken Northern California.
However, maneuvering a car on surface streets and highways was difficult and simply walking around sometimes meant hopping over rain-and-leaf choked gutters.

Sheets of water formed on roadways. Backed-up drains produced six-inch deep mini-ponds on highway onramps, despite the best efforts of Caltrans crews.

In a 24-hour period ending at 8 a.m. a total of 1.44 inches had fallen in Sacramento, 1.56 in Elk Grove, 1.34 in Orangevale, 1.02 at Folsom Lake, 1.10 in Roseville, 1.58 in Auburn and 1.51 in Walnut Grove. Between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. Wednesday an inch of rain fell in Sacramento.

More at SacBee.com >>>