Overview

Folsom Dam and Reservoir is a major water management facility located within a large metropolitan area. With a capacity of 976,000 acre-feet, the Folsom Reservoir catches runoff from the extensive American River watershed and are the key flood control structures protecting the Sacramento metropolitan area.

The Central California Area Office is headquartered at Folsom Dam, 23 miles east of California’s capital city of Sacramento, with resource offices located at New Melones and Lake Berryessa.

The area office manages water and land resources in 12 counties, including facilities of the Central Valley Project - American River, Auburn-Folsom South Unit and East Side Divisions, and facilities of the Solano Project.

The office's jurisdiction extends from the coast to the crest of the Sierra, and from the American River Basin to the Stanislaus River Basin. The Central California Area Office also manages the recreation areas at Lake Berryessa and New Melones reservoir, has a long-term lease with the California Department of Parks and Recreation for Folsom Lake, Lake Natoma and Auburn area, and an agreement with the California Division of Forestry to manage the lands associated with the Auburn Unit.

(Above alternate photo)

The auxiliary spillway was constructed adjacent to Folsom's main concrete dam, 23 miles northeast of Sacramento. Substantially completed in October 2017, it includes a 1,100-foot-long approach channel beginning in Folsom Reservoir, a concrete control structure with six bulkhead and six radial gates, a 3,100-foot-long auxiliary spillway chute, and a stilling basin that acts as an energy dissipation structure as water discharges and enters the American River.

With the ability to operate the new spillway, Reclamation is able to better manage large floods by safely releasing more water from Folsom Reservoir earlier in a storm through both the spillway gates on Folsom Dam and the new control structure’s radial gates (which sit 50 feet lower), reducing hydrologic risk and leaving more storage capacity in the reservoir.

Overview

Folsom Dam and Reservoir is a major water management facility located within a large metropolitan area. With a capacity of 976,000 acre-feet, the Folsom Reservoir catches runoff from the extensive American River watershed and are the key flood control structures protecting the Sacramento metropolitan area.

The Central California Area Office is headquartered at Folsom Dam, 23 miles east of California’s capital city of Sacramento, with resource offices located at New Melones and Lake Berryessa.

The area office manages water and land resources in 12 counties, including facilities of the Central Valley Project - American River, Auburn-Folsom South Unit and East Side Divisions, and facilities of the Solano Project.

The office's jurisdiction extends from the coast to the crest of the Sierra, and from the American River Basin to the Stanislaus River Basin. The Central California Area Office also manages the recreation areas at Lake Berryessa and New Melones reservoir, has a long-term lease with the California Department of Parks and Recreation for Folsom Lake, Lake Natoma and Auburn area, and an agreement with the California Division of Forestry to manage the lands associated with the Auburn Unit.

(Above alternate photo)

The auxiliary spillway was constructed adjacent to Folsom's main concrete dam, 23 miles northeast of Sacramento. Substantially completed in October 2017, it includes a 1,100-foot-long approach channel beginning in Folsom Reservoir, a concrete control structure with six bulkhead and six radial gates, a 3,100-foot-long auxiliary spillway chute, and a stilling basin that acts as an energy dissipation structure as water discharges and enters the American River.

With the ability to operate the new spillway, Reclamation is able to better manage large floods by safely releasing more water from Folsom Reservoir earlier in a storm through both the spillway gates on Folsom Dam and the new control structure’s radial gates (which sit 50 feet lower), reducing hydrologic risk and leaving more storage capacity in the reservoir.

General

Hydraulics & Hydrology