News Release Archive

Reclamation to Open the Delta Cross Channel Gates

Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis@usbr.gov

For Release: May 14, 2015

WALNUT GROVE, Calif. – The Bureau of Reclamation will open the Delta Cross Channel Gates today, Thursday, May 14, at approximately 9 a.m. The opening is needed to meet interior water quality standards in the Bay-Delta. The gates are scheduled to close on Monday, May 18, at approximately 9 a.m.

During this opening, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will be monitoring salmon and steelhead in the system. The gates may need to be closed earlier than Monday if any fishery concerns are identified.

The Delta Cross Channel Gates control the diversion channel near Walnut Grove about 30 miles south of Sacramento. When the gates are open, fresh water is drawn from the Sacramento River into the interior of the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta through Snodgrass Slough and the Mokelumne River; they also allow for boat traffic to pass. When closed, the gates prevent juvenile salmon from being diverted from their migratory route along the Sacramento River into the interior Delta.

Boaters are advised to check the status of the gates. The gates opening and closing times are approximate, since an operator must travel to the site to perform the change. The opening and closing of the gates generally takes approximately one hour.

Information on gate operations can be accessed on Reclamation’s Central Valley Operations website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/vungvari/dcc_chng.txt or by calling 916-979-2194 or 916-979-0268.

For additional information, please call the Public Affairs Office at 916-978-5100 (TTY 800-877-8339).

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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.