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- Bureau of Reclamation to Hold Media Briefing: Participants to Observe Interim Closure of Auburn Tunnel
News Release Archive
Bureau of Reclamation to Hold Media Briefing: Participants to Observe Interim Closure of Auburn Tunnel
Media Contact:
Jeffrey McCracken, 916-978-5100, 09/26/2007 17:07
For Release: September 26, 2007
On Friday, September 28, 2007, Bureau of Reclamation and Placer County Water Agency construction crews will begin to move steel, earth, and rock as an interim closure to the entrance of the ½-mile Auburn Diversion Tunnel which has diverted the American River since the 1970's. The tunnel was part of early construction of Auburn Dam which was halted in 1977. The closure of this tunnel will divert the North Fork of the American River back to the restored riverbed.
The tunnel closure is part of the American River Pump Station Project, which has been ongoing since 2004. The project, when completed in early 2008, will provide Placer County's population a year-round water diversion facility capable of delivering up to 35,500 acre-feet annually of the Placer County Water Agency's 120,000 acre-foot water entitlement from its Middle Fork American River Project.
News media who wish to cover this event need to wear heavy shoes. Safety vests and hard hats will be provided.
The event will begin at 11 a.m. Please plan to arrive 20 minutes early for transportation from Maidu Drive down to the pump station site.
Directions: From Sacramento: travel on I-80 East to Newcastle, and exit at Indian Hills Road; travel about 2 miles to the intersection of Auburn-Folsom Road; turn left, and travel about 300 yards to Maidu Drive; turn right, and travel about 1 mile; when the road curves to the left look for the Placer County Water Agency field station on the left; meeting place is opposite the field station at the gate.
For additional information, contact Lynnette Wirth at the Mid-Pacific Region Public Affairs Office at 916-978-5100 (TDD 916-978-5608). On the morning of the event, contact Public Affairs Officer Jeff McCracken at 916-769-1109.
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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.
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