Lower Sac Pulse Flows

[ricards]

Anyone planning on fishing the Lower Sac should be aware that the Bureau of Reclamation is doing pulse releases from Shasta Dam.

https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/news-release/4494

I had a trip planned for Monday and had to cancel at the last minute when the flows went from 4,500 to 9,000 CFS.

[WLREDBAND]

Saw 10 trailers at Bonnyview when I went to CostCo this morning. The guides are still pounding it.

[Sonoman]

My son and I fished there over the weekend with flows ~4500, up from 3150 April 21. Water was off-color, but viz was still 4ft or so. The pulse-flows could dump mud into the river from the lake or previously dry banks, and changing flows often puts the fish off for a few days. Higher water will spread the fish so they are not all seeing the same bugs from the parade of drift boats.

[WLREDBAND]

The river was at 8500 when I crossed it yesterday. About as clear as it was at 4500, and just as many guides boats as usual. It looked very fishable. Unfortunately, I won't get the chance to fish it until next week, but guides I know are doing just as well at 8500 as they were at 4500, meaning pretty good.

[NCL]

The flows were bumped to 10K CFS today

[gwris]

So these are pulse flows to help flush the juvenile salmon downriver, except water users can suck up as much of the flows as they want? Interesting.

[NCL]

I was a day ahead of myself flows went up to 10 today (4/30). The river is at 13k at the Bend Bridge and yesterday afternoon it was muddy color, Cottonwood Creek was flowing very muddy water