Federal officials have begun releasing water from Folsom Lake after recent storms caused it to rise to its highest early-April level in five years. Following late winter and spring snowstorms, the Sierra Nevada snowpack approached normal levels, significantly increasing inflows into Folsom.
Last week, the lake surged to 458 feet above sea level, prompting officials to open spillways at both Folsom and Nimbus dams along the American River. This measure aims to accommodate anticipated snowmelt runoff from the mountains.
After the early April storm brought inflows around 10,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) daily, officials significantly increased the lake’s outflow from roughly 1,500 cfs to 7,000 cfs starting Monday. As of mid-week, outflow was approximately 6,547 cfs, closely balancing the inflow of 7,412 cfs, stabilizing lake levels at 458 feet.
The Federal Bureau of Reclamation manages releases from Folsom Lake as part of the integrated Central Valley Project, which includes reservoirs like Trinity, Shasta, and New Melones. Water released from Folsom supports water supply, Delta water quality, and species conservation.
Local agencies drawing water from Folsom include SMUD, city of Roseville, and Sacramento County Water Agency, among others. The city of Folsom, holding water rights since 1851, currently uses less than 2% of the water passing through annually. Folsom Lake has a total capacity of 976,000 acre-feet, reaching “full pool” at 466 feet above sea level.
