The American River water level will continue to rise Thursday as operators have begun increasing water releases through Nimbus Dam.

The first gate at the dam opened at 7:30 a.m., releasing 5,000 cubic feet per second of water downstream.

“Been such a long time since the drought started. It’s a treat to see,” said Glen Lutz who came to watch the gates open.

Throughout the day, the water releases were scheduled to increase steadily.

At 2 p.m., the flow was set to increase to 10,000 c.f.s. according to the California Date Exchange Center.

The releases come as Folsom Lake continues to rise following the recent rain and snow.

Between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning, the lake rose roughly five feet.

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