Water Supply (San Francisco, Sacramento, Folsom: build, flood, winter)

[NewToCA]

Last night I saw a news story about Folsom Lake now being where it should be at this time of the year, about 60% of capacity. I believe the story said it had risen over 20 ft the past few days, but I haven't been able to find a link to the story this morning (if someone else can link it, I'd appreciate it).

However, water continues to be a long term problem here, and I thought this story from Dan Walters was pretty interesting:

When the skies opened, the Sacramento River that flows just 10 blocks from the state Capitol and is the state's most important source of water began rising...it rose high enough that the flood bypass channel that protects the capital was opened. Even so, as much as 50,000 cubic feet a second surged past the city.

Virtually all of that water gushing down the Sacramento River to San Francisco Bay and the sea was storm runoff from below those dams, a clue that we need more ability to capture winter rains and hold the water for drier periods. In other words, we need to build the off-stream reservoir north of Sacramento that the state has long proposed, but that environmental groups have shortsightedly opposed.


State must solve water supply issues - Dan Walters - fresnobee.com