Something is Fishy @ Folsom Lake

Hipster · Post by **Hipster** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 7:53 am

I am not talking about the fishing !!!!

All this rain and the lake has come up 1 foot in two to three weeks

Berryessa came up 3 - 4 feet in three days!!

Hell I have been fishing Berryessa this Winter because of this non factual somebody is hiding something Folsom Lake Problem.

I

MGJR · Post by **MGJR** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 8:00 am

Hipster,

Probably a result of a number of things...surface area to volume, rainfall patterns, snowpack (the American River watershed gets a higher proportion of snow than Putah Creek Watershed).

But I'm with ya, its a bit discouraging...we want our ponds brimmin full of hungry bass!!!!!

bahlzar · Post by **bahlzar** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 8:05 am

park & rec and been cut so much they dont have the manpower they need to patrol/maintain the lake.....keeping it below 400ft with a 5mph restriction is perfect for them..............hows that for a theory !

Barry Watson · Post by **Barry Watson** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 9:12 am

I wonder when they are going to start the spillway construction?
That might require keeping the lake low but, naturally I am not sure. Just a thought.

backlash · Post by **backlash** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 9:33 am

Might be due to spillway construction but alot of that will be on the West side of the dam. I think they have the lake right where they want it; and where they'd like to keep it if they could.

Wolfeman · Post by **Wolfeman** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 10:59 am

Shouldn't the answers to all of these questions be publically available? Why would they be a secret? Has anyone called the folks who are making these discissions?
- Wolfeman

MIKE TREMONT · Post by **MIKE TREMONT** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 11:23 am

Why all the DAM secrecy?

Now if I were to venture a guess, with the amount of snowfall and projected weather patterns, they have the water level right where they want it.

They have to keep the flows at certain levels for the salmon/steelhead. There's also the salt water pushing farther inland, because our southern folks need all the water from up here. They are getting pounded pretty good this year, so hopefully we'll get a bit of a break. I doubt it because they really want to build another bypass. So I think low water levels are a must, so they can get the public's blessing for these expensive projects.

Water equals big bucks for the state. I can't see them wasting it. I'm confused, so what's going on. We are all just talking off the top of our heads. I know there are a few that visit this site that have an answer, so how about it?

bahlzar · Post by **bahlzar** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 3:04 pm

backlash wrote:Might be due to spillway construction but alot of that will be on the West side of the dam. I think they have the lake right where they want it; and where they'd like to keep it if they could.

why do you say they have it right where they want it?

backlash · Post by **backlash** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 4:08 pm

I don't have any specific knowledge to back up my thoughts. I just don't think those in charge care much about the fishing, recreational use on Folsom. I'll bet a friendly dime, even with snowpack, Folsom isn't allowed to fill this year.

bahlzar · Post by **bahlzar** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 4:48 pm

your probly right..it is pretty d@m frustrating..

kb · Post by kb » Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:49 pm

Mark

The lake has actually came up more than one foot in the past few weeks. Don't know the exact number but more than 10 feet. Now some bunch of fluffy bug chuckers (fly fishermen) want to stop fishing on the American river due to the low water and the chance someone could snag the steelhead. Now these are not wild steelhead...they are returing hatchery fish. If the lake isn't rising and the river is lower than usual wher is the water???

Well this weekend will mark the 6 month anniversary of the 5 mph speed limit put in place by Michael Gross and his lake experts from Califoiria State Parks. I am guessing another month......

The brain surgeons must me thinking the lake is going to come up they had the dock pulled almost all the way out of the water on Saturday. Made it almost impossible to launch in the wind.

kb

Gator · Post by **Gator** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 7:18 pm

Yeah, it sure looks like they aren't worried about keeping water in.....and they can't tell me that their outflows are for the river.......if they were they would be consistent......here is the data from today.....

Date Elevation Acre Feet Outflow Inflow
01/27/2008 08:00 380.31 262717 227 1519
01/27/2008 09:00 380.30 262664 1655 1047
01/27/2008 10:00 380.28 262560 1716 475
01/27/2008 11:00 380.27 262507 1712 1105
01/27/2008 12:00 380.27 262507 1712 1737
01/27/2008 13:00 380.28 262560 1649 2308
01/27/2008 14:00 380.28 262560 239 265
01/27/2008 15:00 380.31 262717 124 2049
01/27/2008 16:00 380.32 262769 124 782
01/27/2008 17:00 380.37 263030 291 3481
01/27/2008 18:00 380.38 263083 2198 2856

Brian · Post by **Brian** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 7:30 pm

Word I'm getting is that it will be two years before the lake is allowed to fill again.

nipples · Post by **nipples** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 7:34 pm

I'm not privy to the details on the Folsom project, however I have seen similar projects in the past.

I suspect they will keep Folsom at extreme low pond until the project is completed. If it goes anything like the other projects I have seen, they will build a temporary dam inside the lake just to the inside of the current spillway. This will allow them to remove the spillway and replace it with the new one. Once that is done, they will take down the temporary dam. The outer levy reinforcements would also need to be completed and inspected before they allowed the lake to reach full pond.

Now if I remember the details correctly, we are looking at 7 year project. However, that will be if it completes on time. I have some connections I can check with at the state level (civil engineers that specialize in water related engineering who may know all the details).

If things go as I suspect, it will take 10+ years for the fishing at Folsom to recover, however it should be fine for the lake lice once they let it fill up (7+ years).

Regardless of the approach they use to replace the spillway, they will need the lake level to be extremely low in order for the ground to be solid enough for the heavy equipment they will be using.

I think it will be interesting to see just how they go about accomplishing the task, so at least we have that to look forward to.

Good Fishing,

-Paul-

bahlzar · Post by **bahlzar** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 7:43 pm

i believe there is a email floatin around that says the water level in no way shape or form affects the raising of the levees...

Charles · Post by **Charles** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 9:54 pm

American River Conditions
As shown in the map to the right, Sacramento's flood threat centers along the lower reaches of the American River where flows are confined by levees. River flow rate is controlled by Folsom Dam. During the flood season (November through March) at least 400,000 acre feet of reservoir storage capacity is emptied to provide space to store inflow in excess of the capacity of downstream levees (115,000 cfs).

Folsom Lake
Reported 1/27/2008 7:00:00 PM Flow Historic Max
Cubic Feet per Second Acre Feet per Day Cubic Feet per Second
Inflow 2,936 5,823 262,000
Outflow 2,277 4,516 130,000

Flood Storage Space Available in AF
Current
1/27/2008 7:00:00 PM Required
715,068 270,500

medfish · Post by **medfish** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 10:38 pm

Kb It is stupid to think that the fly fishermen what to close the American.....I spent the greater part of college (7) years wading that river for stealhead......fly guy used to tell me low flow is what you want......... find one covering (nest) in a riffle and cast around it.......BINGO............. it's just that easy.....that was the fly fishermans rule..... poachers take salmon!!!!!........when was the last time you ate out and the catch of the day was stealhead.......never...................my 2cents....... O walked by you 5 times at the ISE show before saying hello.......great show but dam that's the second time you had Mr. Tuck talk on short....no notice......................cheers.........medfish

kb · Post by kb » Sun Jan 27, 2008 10:45 pm

Not stupid....from the KOVR webpage

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ― Its calm, relaxing and an escape from reality, but fisherman might be putting these away come next month.

The Fish and Game Commission is considering banning Steelhead fishing on the lower American River. The river is a foot and a half lower than it was during the same time last year.

The reason is the fear of 'snagging,' which is when a fisherman drags a line through the water until a fish gets hooked. And its not always through the mouth, it can be on the body.

"I'm definitely not in favor of endangering the species but truly, I'm a fisherman out here pretty regularly and I don't see people snagging fish really that often. And pretty much the rangers are on top of people that are poaching," explains one fisherman.

The request for the temporary ban comes from the Northern California Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers. This would be the first of its kind in several years.

Fisherman says they'll abide by the new regulation if it takes affect, but they don't think it's necessary.

"I guess I would have to go along with the program but I'm not in favor of banning fishing. If anything they should stock more fish, let more water out, and save some water in Folsom this time," one fisherman says.

This meeting is scheduled for February in San Diego. But at this time, it appears that the Steelhead season would only be halted along this one river, at least for now.

(Â© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Sean Graf · Post by **Sean Graf** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 6:53 am

Horrible.

Us Steelhead guys get no respect.

CORAL 96 · Post by **CORAL 96** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 9:03 am

The reason the aren't concerned take a look at the snowpack levels above the lake. At that rate, Folsom will still fill. Been there 5 springs, and I think only 2 out of five between 2002-2006 did it not fill completely. It's known as the "Bathtub effect" tub low in winter & full at the end of spring!!

Happens EVERY year, just some years are worse or better than others!!!