Wow... Folsom Lake (Upstream Of Sacramento) Rises 47 Feet In 30 Days !!!

[WillyT]

Turnaround At Folsom Lake Called 'Amazing'
Folsom Lake Rises More Than 47 Feet In 30 Days
theKCRAchannel.com
updated 3:16 p.m. PT, Sat., March. 7, 2009

<snip>

FOLSOM, Calif. - Boaters are calling what has happened at Folsom Lake over the past month "unfathomable and amazing."

In the past 30 days, Folsom Lake has risen more than 47 feet. The lake has more than doubled the amount of water now in it. For perspective, it gained the equivalent of 140 billion Super Big Gulps of water in the past 30 days.

"Two weeks ago there was no water in this basin, and now we should have enough water to make it through summer," said Brown's Ravine Harbor Master Ken Christensen. "It's just a guess on my part, but we could be boating until September."

That is no small change considering that a month ago, Folsom lake was so low that cities that depend on the lake for water -- Roseville, Folsom, and the San Juan water district -- imposed mandatory water reductions for customers.

It is still not clear how much this added water will change future water allocations for cities and farms this summer. However, an announcement is expected by the end of the month.

Regardless, fisherman John McDaniel said the change from a month ago is "monstrous."

"It's huge. Things that were exposed and places where you could walk on are now completely covered in water," he said.

<snip>

Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29558028



:wow:

[ensho]

1. where did the water come from? rain? melting snow?

nt

[WillyT]

2. A Little Bit Of Both...

We had a couple of "Pineapple Express" storms blow through recently that both dumped a lot of rain, and melted snow at the lower levels of the mountains from earlier colder storms.

:shrug:

:hi:

[msongs]

3. typical CA winter - famine to feast, like the famous "March miracle"....

no rain at in Nov-Dec-Jan-Feb, then rain every day in March until rainfall was actually above average for that year.

This was awhile back tho, NOT this year so far.

Msongs

[mulsh]

4. local news readers (KPIX-SF) are saying the drought is political

This morning these bastions of info were saying that hydrologists look at reservoirs and snow pack and politicians look at population. the inference they were leading to is that the drought is purely a political invention and conservation is not needed. what's going on with the drains up there at Folsom Lake? are they wide open?

[WillyT]

5. Ya Know, It's Wierd...

Nimbus Damn (just downstream from Folsom Dam) did not have any water coming through its release gates yesterday, just the normal flow. Don't know about Folsom itself, or Shasta which regulates the Sacramento River. Yet both rivers (Sacramento and American) are several feet higher than they were a couple of weeks ago.

Maybe it's just uncontrolled runoff from undammed streams and creeks that brought runoff to the rivers from the recent storms.

:shrug:

:hi:

[DJ13]

6. It IS political

With most urban areas now using water meters the politicians see them as a means to increase revenues in the current tough economy.

[WhiteTara]

7. I live on a small lake which was dry

up until a couple of weeks ago. We have gotten enough rain that the water is almost up to the old beach lines. It still needs a lot more to go to supply all the needs of the vinyards and cities that rely on it.

[TahitiNut]

8. Sounds like whitewater rafting on the American River would be AWESOME this year!!

Or the Stanislaus. :bounce: One of my "favorite things."