From the Bureau of Reclamation:
“The Bureau of Reclamation, in collaboration with federal and state fisheries agencies, the local water districts and the State Water Resources Control Board, met to talk through the issues related to pulse flows on the Stanislaus River for steelhead and Chinook salmon. The agreement will allow the required pulse flows to be accomplished as previously scheduled, while protecting water supplies in New Melones Lake for later this summer. With this agreement in place, Reclamation has scheduled the pulse flows from Goodwin Dam to begin Saturday morning, April 11, at 0100 a.m. Releases will be ramped up from 200 cubic feet per second (cfs) over several hours to 1,500 cfs and then ramped down on Tuesday morning at 0100 a.m. to 1,300 cfs.
In addition to the pulse flow release the Districts will work with Reclamation on increasing water conservation this year. The water the districts conserve this year will be available to the districts in the 2016 water year.
Lake Tulloch is expected to have normal operations through October 1, 2015. Lake drawdown after October 1 will depend on inflows into New Melones. Calaveras County Water District’s municipal supply from Lake Tulloch will not be interrupted.
Reclamation, the districts and the resource agencies will continue work cooperatively to manage operations at New Melones to meet fishery resource needs through the summer.
“I am very proud of the work we put into resolving the pulse flow concerns,” said David Murillo, Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Regional Director. “It shows what can be accomplished when people are willing to sit down, roll up their sleeves and work toward a common goal.”
Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter at Reclamation@USBR.”
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