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View Full Version : Want to know why they increased the flows from Shasta Dam from 5000 cfs to 20,000 cfs



jerry from sac
03-19-2016, 02:32 PM
They had a spill from Spring Creek Reservoir and they have to dilute the spill and they are not telling the public.
Here's some info about why they created Spring Creek Reservoir in the first place.
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Spring Creek Debris Dam is an earthfill dam on Spring Creek, a tributary of the Sacramento River, in Shasta County in the U.S. state of California. Completed in 1963, the dam, maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, serves primarily to collect severe acid mine drainage stemming from the Iron Mountain Mine.[1] The dam forms the Spring Creek Reservoir, less than 1 mile (1.6 km) long. Spring Creek and South Fork Spring Creek flow into the reservoir from a 16-square-mile (41 km2) watershed.[2] The dam is directly upstream from the city of Keswick, California and the Keswick Reservoir.[3] The operation is part of the Trinity River Division of the Central Valley Project.[1]

The primary purpose of the Spring Creek Dam was to collect acid mine drainage from the old Iron Mountain Mine, which was heavily polluting Spring Creek and its tributaries. The dam was built in response to these pollutants that were contaminating the Sacramento River, the primary water supply for millions of Californians. Although the watershed is small in comparison to that of the Sacramento River, the stream is among the most polluted and acidic in the world.[4][5]

The dam and reservoir, along with other treatment structures built at and below the mine, have successfully reduced the dry weather pollution of Spring Creek by up to ninety-five percent. Problems, though, still occur mainly in the form of large uncontrolled spills from the reservoir. Several concerns about the structural integrity and safety of the dam, both physically and biologically, arose in the 1990s. Emergency releases from Shasta Lake, often in the value of thousands of acre feet of water, have occurred from time to time to dilute massive acid spills from the Spring Creek drainage

Randy Lee
03-19-2016, 02:39 PM
Comforting!

KJE
03-19-2016, 02:40 PM
Jerry, where'd you hear that? My understanding is that this is a three day-ish pulse to clean gravel beds that haven't seen high flows in years, and also that Shasta is so likely to fill that we may see more high flows this spring.

jerry from sac
03-19-2016, 03:06 PM
I was scheduled to fish Wed, Thru and Friday. Fishing on Wednesday the river continued to get more colored as the day went by without an increase in flows and my guide was wondering why. Went back Thursday and the river was worse without any increase in flows, certainly unfishable. My guide and some guide buddies decided to investigate and came up with above info.They did not increase the flows until 2:00 am Friday morning.

jerry from sac
03-19-2016, 08:24 PM
Did you know you can fish Spring Creek Reservoir. One of the the most polluted pieces of water in the world.

SeanO
03-20-2016, 09:26 AM
Wow! Would be interesting to know more about the potential spill.

Thanks,

Awood
03-20-2016, 07:16 PM
Looks like this is coming from the Kennedy Brothers here:
https://fishkennedybrothers.wordpress.com

SeanO
03-20-2016, 07:16 PM
Bump it up for any updates.

I don't see any news about this so far, anything else?

Awood
03-20-2016, 07:31 PM
This was indexed by Google
March 9,2016:
https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/OSPR/NRDA/Iron-Mountain-Mine-CERCLA

The issue was also reported in the Redding Searchlight December 14,2015:
http://www.redding.com/news/local/lamalfa-questions-iron-mountain-mine-safety-26e3cb40-4bf5-3c82-e053-0100007f4dc6-362077931.html

James W
03-21-2016, 07:17 AM
It's a normal release of water from Spring Cr Res (after it had been treated to remove heavy metals and its ph raised) to correspond with winter flows in the main river for additional dilution. There has not been an uncontrolled spill here in decades.
Yes the water looks bad, but it's not a Gold King Mine incident.

Bill Kiene semi-retired
03-21-2016, 07:34 AM
When something is changed in our water distribution, the people who control California's water will tell the public a story that is not necessarily true.

It has to do with the big money.....

Mark Kranhold
03-21-2016, 08:06 AM
Like all political stuff and politicians .... Liars ,crooked and corrupt!

jerry from sac
03-21-2016, 11:23 AM
Anyone remember the movie Erin Brockovich? I would like anyone attacking or belittling this report to step up and drink that nice glass of water flowing down from Redding. How many cities take there drinking from the Sacramento River? Yuck !!
I'm sure our government and the water powers would not lie to us, ever hear of Flint?

winxp_man
03-21-2016, 04:05 PM
Like all political stuff and politicians .... Liars ,crooked and corrupt!

And the truth shall set you free.................... :D It about sums it up. :\

gitt
03-21-2016, 07:56 PM
I thought I read recently the increase in flows were due to the winter time capacity which was set at 60% for flood control later in the year. Shasta was at 86% capacity prior to the increased flows. None the less, it is interesting to read others' take on the situation for the increased flows. The water has to go somewhere sooner or later. Reducing capacity now to prevent flooding at a future date seems reasonable to me. How soon we forget when low rain/snowfall years skew our thought process.

http://www.spk-wc.usace.army.mil/fcgi-bin/midnight.py?days=0&report=FCR

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/reservoirs/RES

Bazz
03-24-2016, 11:34 PM
It very simple, Shasta lake is within 20 ft of the spillway. The inflows have been as much as 110,000 cfs. If it continued filling at that rate it would be over the spillway in no time at all. Remember the primary purpose of Shasta Lake is not to provide water or power, it is for flood control of the valley down to Sacramento. This is what's happening right now. Given the forecast it is lowering to 5,000cfs over the next few days. A benefit to the increased flows, these are the highest they have been in five years, is some scouring of the gravels in the Redding/Cottonwood areas to clean and improve fish habitat and spawning redds. What is forgotten it the trout fishery benefits greatly from this recent weather, not because the trout/steelhead spawn in the river, but these fish prefer to spawn in all the feeder creeks that have been dry for many years. After the last El Niņo of 87-88 the trout fishing was the best I've ever seen it. I've been guiding here exclusively for the last 22 years. I hope next year will be the same, I might be tempted to end my semi retirement.
Oh, the color of the water at the moment is like hot chocolate, so unless you know exactly what you are doing don't expect to many fish if you make the trip.

gitt
03-25-2016, 04:23 PM
Shasta releases- http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-reservoir-too-full-el-nino-20160325-story.html

Here is the Oroville release- http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20160324/oroville-dam-spillway-gates-open-for-first-time-in-years