Keswick Dam too full will send 5 times more water down Sacramento River due to storms
Colleen Palmer spent Wednesday scrambling to get guests and tenants at Marina RV Park packed and safely to higher ground before the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation quintuples the amount of water flowing out of Keswick Dam into the Sacramento River.
After heavy rainstorms raised Lake Shasta waters more than 12 feet in two days, the bureau announced it would increase water releases from Keswick Dam into the Sacramento River starting Thursday. Water releases will jump from 7,500 cubic feet per second on Wednesday, to 20,000 cfs by Thursday morning, then to 40,000 cfs on Friday.
The Redding Fire Department will arrive in the evening to make sure all of Palmer's tenants safely evacuated, she said, as she rushed to help people move from the lower level of Marina RV Park, along the Sacramento River, on Wednesday afternoon.
Palmer said she plans to make sure every resident has a place to drive their RV: To Marina RV's upper level, in front of a nearby friend's house or a space at another trailer park.
'We've got to be out by 6 p.m.,' she said, ''cause you can't do nothin' in the dark.'
Read more: A dry January, then rain from atmospheric rivers, now snow forecast near Redding
Lake Shasta's water level stood at 1,044.64 feet above sea level on Tuesday, up from 1,032.05 feet on Sunday, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.
The lake as of Tuesday was about 23 feet from reaching full capacity.
As of Tuesday, the amount of water flowing into the lake from the recent rains was 102,213 cubic feet per second, according to state data.
That's when the Bureau of Reclamation announced it had to release some of the rainwater that flowed into the Lake Shasta during the storms. That water will pour into the Sacramento River starting around 2 a.m. Thursday, flooding some low-lying areas in and near Redding.
People visiting the river banks should watch for fast moving and cold water, the bureau cautioned.
Read more: Widespread flooding reported in Shasta County after record rainfall
2025 is the second year in a row Marina RV Park guests needed to evacuate after heavy rains, said Palmer, whose long-term tenants include people on a fixed income.
Some guests consider the evacuation a semi-annual adventure, she said. 'Some people are doing this for the fifth time. They keep coming back,' she said laughing.
Palmer plans to keep tabs on her tenants until it's safe for them to come home. 'I know where all of them are. They keep in touch with me,' she said.
Record Searchlight Reporter David Benda contributed to this story.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Shasta County dam too full after storms to release more water
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Newsweek
24-05-2025
- Newsweek
Grand Canyon Flooding Move Sparks Backlash: 'We Are Failing'
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Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Agency responsible for irrigation and flood control in Middle Rio Grande looks toward its next 100 years
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MRGCD will play a role in maintaining the agricultural character of Valencia County and be an advocate for Albuquerque's agriculture by supporting policies to protect green spaces, Casuga said. "Let's make good subdivision standard decisions on how dense we're going to make the places right along the river and in the green spaces," Casuga said. Cathy Cook covers the federal government for the Albuquerque Journal. Reach her via email at ccook@
San Francisco Chronicle
04-05-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
California's biggest reservoir reaches capacity for third straight year
California's largest reservoir, Shasta Lake, reached capacity this week, marking the third straight year it has filled or nearly filled with water. The run of big water years at the reservoir reflects the unusual string of wet winters the state has experienced, and it bodes well for water supplies this year across California. The lake, which stretches across an extraordinary 35 miles in the southern Cascades north of Redding near Mount Shasta, is the cornerstone of the federally run Central Valley Project. Its supplies are sent to cities and farms hundreds of miles away, including the Bay Area. The San Joaquin Valley's booming agricultural industry is the primary beneficiary. The lake's water, collected from the Sacramento River, also generates hydroelectricity and is used to manage downriver flows for wildlife and water quality. The last time Shasta Lake hit capacity or near capacity for three consecutive years was 2010 through 2012. Early in the week, the Bureau of Reclamation announced a slight increase in the amount of water it expects to deliver this year from Shasta Lake and the nearly 20 other reservoirs in the Central Valley Project. According to the announcement, most water suppliers for farms in the San Joaquin Valley will get 50% of what they requested, up from the 40% projected in March. Water suppliers north of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta are still slotted for 100% of what they requested while municipal suppliers south of the delta remain pegged for 75%. The State Water Project, a network of reservoirs that runs in parallel to the federal project, also increased its projected deliveries from 40% to 50% this week. Its flagship reservoir, Lake Oroville, is also expected to fill. On Thursday, the state's major reservoirs cumulatively held 118% of the water they typically hold this time of year, according to the California Department of Water Resources. State and federal decisions about how much water to deliver are based largely on the amount of water held in reservoirs, much of it coming from spring snowmelt in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades. But there are other factors, too, both hydrological, such as how quickly the snow melts, and regulatory, including how much water must be released from reservoirs for rivers and fish. This year, snowpack across the state measured 96% of average on April 1, the point at which it typically peaks. Seasonal precipitation stands at 99% of average. The past two years were wetter, with snowpack at 111% of average in April 2024 and 237% of average in April 2023. With snowmelt now in full force, Shasta Lake peaked on Tuesday. The reservoir held 4,405,312 acre-feet of water, federal data shows, leaving it less than five feet from topping out, which water officials consider 'full pool.' (An acre-foot of water is equal to what two to three households use in a year.) Since Tuesday, the Bureau of Reclamation has increased water releases from the reservoir, which has dropped lake levels. 'Operation of the Central Valley Project supports food and economic development not only for California, but the nation,' said Michael Burke, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which runs the federal project, in an email. 'With a full (Shasta) reservoir we can meet the needs of the communities downstream and generate power when it is needed the most.'
