Changes to Shasta water release designed to protect salmon
RIO VISTA The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Sunday will begin releasing warmer water from the upper layers of the Shasta Reservoir directly into the Sacramento River to maintain flows, while saving colder water for the winter-run Chinook salmon migration.
“The only remaining population of winter-run Chinook salmon in the Central Valley is in the Sacramento River downstream of Shasta Dam,” David Mooney, Reclamation’s Bay-Delta office manager, said in a statement released Friday. “Last year, despite dry conditions, we effectively shaped cold water for higher survival rates, but other factors reduced survival to very low levels. Protecting egg incubation in this second year will help support this endangered species for the future.”
Central Valley Project announces reduced allocations for its water contractors
FAIRFIELD The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Tuesday made public its Central Valley Project water allocations.
The report notes that, as of Monday, the statewide snow water content in the Sierra Nevada was 54% of the April 1 average.
Northern Sierra precipitation is 52% of the seasonal average to date.
“Although we had a couple of precipitation-packed storms in January and early February, we are still well below normal for precipitation and snowfall this year,” Regional Director Ernest Conant said in a statement. “We will monitor the hydrology as the water year progresses and continue to look for opportunities for operational flexibility.”