Officials warn river users of raging, frigid waters
By Cathy Locke, Sacramento Bee
With sunshine and temperatures in the 80s forecast for this weekend, the Sacramento region’s rivers and waterways beckon.
But public safety officials recommend steering clear of the water, particularly the rivers, for at least one more week.
The flow in the Sacramento River at Freeport on Wednesday was 46,000 cubic feet per second, about 2 1/2 times the historical average of 18,000 cfs for the date, said Maury Roos, chief hydrologist with the California Department of Water Resources.
“We’ve posted signs at launch points warning of cold water and high flows,” said Randy Lewis, park ranger supervisor for Sacramento County Regional Parks.
Parks officials issued an advisory Tuesday urging people to avoid recreational activities on the lower American River after the Bureau of Reclamation increased releases from Folsom Dam to 9,000 cubic feet per second. The bureau said flows are likely to increase to 15,000 cfs in coming days.
Roos said 64 percent of the expected runoff into the American River from this year’s snowpack has already occurred and much of the remaining 36 percent is likely to come down the river next week, generating some of the highest flows before tapering off for the summer.
