About the Project

Photograph: Artist's rendering of the completed auxiliary spillway- Graphic courtesy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The Folsom Dam Auxiliary Spillway project is an approximately $900-million cooperative effort between the Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that greatly reduces flood risk for the Sacramento region, allowing water to be released earlier and more safely from Folsom Reservoir during a high water event.

The level of cooperation between Reclamation and the Corps during construction was extraordinary. Reclamation has responsibility for dam safety as well as operation and maintenance of the Folsom Dam facility, while the Corps is responsible for flood damage reduction. By combining their efforts into a single project, the two federal agencies completed the project sooner and at a lower cost than otherwise expected.

Artist rendering courtesy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

For more about how it was constructed, watch this video:

 

 

 

Last Updated: 7/29/20