News Release Archive

Reclamation Asks Visitors at Folsom Lake to Protect Exposed Historic Resources

Media Contact: Michelle H. Light, 916-978-5100, 11/14/2008 20:57

For Release: November 14, 2008

The Bureau of Reclamation asks visitors to Folsom Lake to help protect historic resources by not digging, handling, or removing anything from the bed of the lake. These areas are now exposed because of low reservoir levels. The cultural resources on the lake bed represent a legacy of the people who worked and earned a living during the past. Removing any materials from the exposed bed of Folsom Lake is like tearing pages out of a rare history book and, once removed, they can never be replaced.

The historic sites that are normally covered by water within the drawdown zone of Folsom Lake are protected by the Archeological Resources Protection Act and other Federal laws. Folsom Lake is one of Californias most popular areas with more than 2.5 million visitors annually. California Department of Parks and Recreation manages the project lands in partnership with Reclamation. Rangers regularly patrol the area.

Folsom Dam was authorized in 1949 as an almost 1,000,000 acre-foot reservoir and multiple-purpose facility. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Folsom Dam and transferred it to Reclamation for coordinated operation as an integral part of the Central Valley Project. Construction began in October 1948 and was completed in May 1956; water was first stored in February 1955. Releases are made from the dam to the American River for hydropower, flood control, urban use, fish and wildlife, and water quality purposes.

For more information regarding the protection of cultural resources, please contact Mr. Patrick Welch at Reclamation's Mid-Pacific Regional Office at 916-978-5040 (TDD 916-978-5608), or e-mail pwelch@mp.usbr.gov.

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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.