News Release Archive

Lower American River flows to decrease for fish weir installation at Nimbus Fish Hatchery

Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, 08/30/2018 14:09

For Release: August 30, 2018

Fish weir assembly at Nimbus Fish Hatchery in Gold River, California, just downstream of Nimbus Dam. (Photo by Winetta Owens)SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Bureau of Reclamation will temporarily decrease flows in the lower American River below Nimbus Dam early September 7, from 1,800 cubic feet per second to as low as 1,000 cfs by 7 a.m. to facilitate fish weir installation at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery. Flows should return to 1,800 cfs by late afternoon.

The weir is installed annually to guide spawning Chinook salmon into the hatchery fish ladder and typically removed in December, after the end of the fall spawning season. Folsom Dam, Folsom Reservoir and Nimbus Dam are located about 25 miles east of Sacramento, and are features of the Central Valley Project.

Please note, returning lower American River flows back up to 1,800 cfs could raise water elevation around 7 inches near Nimbus Dam. Recreationists on or along the lower American River are advised to exercise caution due to variable flow conditions.

Scheduled releases from Nimbus Dam into the lower American River can be found on the California Data Exchange Center website at http://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/QueryRES?s=nat.

For more information on water operations, please visit Reclamation’s Central Valley Operations Office website at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/. For more on the fish weir install, please contact Russell Callejo at 916-537-7070 (TTY 800-877-8339) or rcallejo@usbr.gov.

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