Impact Of Folsom Dam Improvements

[Troutsource]

Dear fisheries experts:

Once the new Folsom Dam spillway is in place and increases effective holding capacity of the lake (and average depth, I assume), can we expect average outflow temps to trend downward? If so, what impact will this have on the fishery (any chance of it holding some year-round trout like other valley tailwaters)?

Driving past the dam recently it looked like the concrete was wet, and according to this toot-your-own-horn letter to the Sac Bee, it was completed in October (which makes me wonder why we're at 3500 CFS): http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article188646059.html
"
In October, I joined local, state and federal officials to celebrate the completion of the most significant single investment in our region’s flood protection infrastructure in the last quarter-century: the Folsom Dam auxiliary spillway"

There's a step-like shape to the concrete spillway part of the way down. Would be nice if a fish ladder could be incorporated.

Found this cool picture. Looks even cooler at night with the lights. 13709

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We need "minimum pool" in our Nor Cal reservoirs.........

We need to stop the AG and Southern Cal from taking our reservoirs down to nothing so our river get too hot for trout, salmon and Steelhead.

[Mark Kranhold]

Yes I wondered the same thing! Why didn't they incorporate a fish ladder along side of the spillway during construction ? For what they spent on that project I'm sure a fish passage wouldn't of broke the bank . Yes I know they'd have to put one in at Nimbus dam eventually but that's peanuts compared to the size of project the spillway was and construction cost. I was talking to a old timer up in Lotus and he remembers before the dam went up catching salmon and steelhead as a kid on his family ranch that sat along side of the south fork. That would be my dream to catch salmon & steelhead 10 minutes from home on skinner waters in the beautiful surrounding foothills! Hope to see it someday.

[winxp_man]

Mark I think it might have to do with saving a project for later for more monies.... ;) It seems how it works with this state. Only fix the minimum, and let the other stuff for a security job. I really do wonder if it will ever be done. Or maybe it will when fish numbers go down so bad they will have no choice but to install a fish ladder..... *facepalm*

[hwchubb]

I always wondered about the viability of a trout fishery if the dam adjustments allowed for colder water in the river. I would assume that the stripered bass in the river would probably keep that to a minimum, as the Lower Sac and Yuba fisheries exist mainly above dams that limit the upstream progress of the strippers (or did, until the dam in Anderson was removed). Feather and American trout fisheries seem to exist, but in small numbers. I assume there are better minds than mine on this board that could better answer that.

[Troutsource]

With the amount of caddis alone, I think there's enough food for the fish. Combine that with lower temps -- say around the Yuba level -- and we could have a nice trout stream in our backyard. Might be hard to fish in higher summer flows, but still, the trout would be in there.

Dam controllers could skim off the "warmer" surface water in winter, which I assume would still be cold enough for the salmon and steelhead. Then in summer revert to colder bottom release. But I'm no fisheries biologist.

Where is STEELIES/26c3 when you need his weighty verdict?

[Finsane]

When I was a kid, 80-84, the American held Steelhead all year round and youre absolutely correct on the amount of caddis for a food supply

My dad and I would go down to Sailor Bar 5 nights a week and throw drys all summer long. Typically we'd access via Toyon
off Winding Way. I remember a decent sized Willow tree maybe 30 feet out and the small steelies(15-20 in) were abundant. A blond Goofus bug was my fly of choice back then, it floated really well. I can remember learning a life lesson at that spot one evening; a 17-18 in fish came 3 feet out of the water and I really didn't think he or she took my fly, I remember telling myself, Ill set the hook just in case and wouldn't ya know, that fish was there. There were 100's of eels in the river at that time also. So yes the water temp can be kept down to support a summer trout fishery. There is plenty of food, and With a bit of management it could be really nice

[Troutsource]

Finsane, that would be really great if we could return to that glory -- year-round trout/steelhead in our backyard. I just don't know by how much the water temp would have to drop and if the new spillway can make it possible. But now I have grounds enough to start fantasizing.