Fishermen, bicyclists and hikers trudged along the American River on Saturday, surveying the historically low flows and wondering about the impact.

In response to extreme dry conditions, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation cut water releases from Folsom Dam into the river gradually last week from 1,100 cubic feet per second to 500 cfs Friday. About half a million residents in suburban Sacramento rely on the dam for water.

The strict water-conservation measures have created the lowest flows anyone has seen in a generation, which stands in contrast to the median flow for January of 1,700 cfs for the past 15 years.

At William Pond Park, Carmichael native Amy Musial, 32, snapped a couple photos of the exposed rocks and islands.

“It’s crazy,” said Musial, who grew up playing in the river. “I’ve never seen it this low.”

Musial ventured out with her husband and 3-year-old son just to see the water level.

“We would be standing in a few feet of water here,” Musial said, “but not anymore.”

The last time American River flows were dropped to this level was in 1993, according to the Bureau of Reclamation, which operates Folsom and Nimbus dams on the river.

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