Water Releases from the Shasta Reservoir Will Double
Increased water releases beginning February 7 will be utilized for hydropower before the water is stored in the San Luis Reservoir for use farther south by California farmers, communities and wildlife refuges, later this year.
As a result of significant storms in early February, which resulted in high runoff inflows into Northern California reservoirs, the federal Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) is implementing flood control operations at the Shasta Reservoir. Those operations include doubling water releases from the reservoir, beginning Friday, February 7.
The actions are being undertaken with close coordination between Federal, State and local agencies, according to a press release from Mary Lee Knecht, a spokesperson for the BOR. The BOR coordinates its flood management operations in order to maximize hydropower created by releases from Central Valley Project facilities, including Shasta Dam.
“Federal pumps in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta are currently operating at maximum capacity and storing water in San Luis Reservoir to support south-of-Delta delivery to farms, communities, and wildlife refuges when needed later this year,” according to a press release from the BOR on February 6.
Releases from the Shasta Reservoir will be double from the current rate of 30,000 cubic feet per second to 60,000 cfs, beginning Friday, February 7. The releases will be implemented over the day on Friday, increasing to 40,000 csf by 2 pm, and reaching a full 60,000 by 10 pm.
Keswick Dam, which is located not far downstream from Shasta Dam, will help regulate the flow of the releases from the Shasta Reservoir, which are expected to last at least through the weekend and could be adjusted next week as needed.
Similarly, on the Trinity River, the BOR said, Lewiston Dam releases will increase from 1,500 cfs to 3,500 cfs on Friday. Whiskeytown Dam releases, which are currently at 300 cfs, will remain in place.
Since January 31, the Shasta Reservoir has risen by more than 22 feet, the BOR says. A coordinated team that includes local and state agencies as well as the United States Army Corps of Engineers is working together to implement the water releases.
2.7.25 10:18 pm We have corrected a misspelling in the article’s subheading.
Do you have a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org.
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