2011 California flow reports from utilities for streams without online gauge info.  Newest reports will be added at the top of the page.

Middle Fork American River Project gauges, June 14, 2011:

The flows are as high as they have been all spring and should continue to go up with the warm weather expected for the next several days.  The NWS reports that the warmest temps and highest flows of the snowmelt season are forecasted to occur between today and June 25.

Middle Fork American River
Blw French Meadows:  220 cfs
Duncan Creek blw Diversion: 165
Abv Middle Fork Interbay:  500 cfs
Blw Middle Fork Interbay:  525 cfs (estimate)
Abv Ralston Afterbay:  600 cfs

Rubicon River
Hell Hole Elevation: 4631.68 ft
Ellicotts:  1610 cfs
Abv Ralston Afterbay:  1990 cfs

North Fork of the Middle Fork American:   540 cfs

Placer County Water Agency

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Tuolumne River - June 14-22

The media is full of news about the melting of the snowpack, and flood warnings are being issue for spots such as the Merced in Yosemite Valley. The forecasts for a cool down next week have retreated, and after only a minor cooling Friday and Saturday, we will be back to very warm temperatures in the Valley and up in to the mountains next week.

Dreamflows is showing flow at Lumsden cycling between 11,500 and 12,000 cfs. Releases at Hetch Hetchy and Cherry will continue to be 5800 and 2000 cfs, respectively, through Friday, June 17. Eleanor will continue to spill about 1200 cfs, and the Middle and South Forks are contributing about 1400 cfs. The peak inflows to the reservoirs are likely to occur between Thursday the 16th and Tuesday the 21st. Those peaks will be absorbed by the reservoirs, and Lumsden should stay in the range between 11,000 and 12,500 cfs. Please be cautious during this final period of very high water. As inflows decrease, releases will decrease more to allow reservoir filling after about June 24. Lumsden flows will come down to the 4000 – 7000 cfs range during the last week of June.

As inflows decrease, releases will decrease more to allow reservoir filling after about June 24.  Lumsden flows will come down to the 4000 – 7000 cfs range during the last week of June. 

Next week on Wednesday, June 22, there will be some State-mandated valve testing at Cherry, and the testing will create a double-peaked surge of about 1500 cfs below Cherry.  The surge will arrive at Lumsden about 3 pm and travel down the system.  It should be reduced in magnitude and spread out as it travels down the river, but be aware that river users may experience a drop, a peak and a trough and a peak, and then the flow will come back and stabilize over a two-hour period.

 

If conditions change, another bulletin will be released on Thursday.  If no significant changes are occurring, expect to hear from me next week on Monday the 20

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Pit River  - June 8

PG&E is observing rapidly increasing inflows into Lake Britton and as a result anticipates that Pit 3 Dam will spill. PG&E has taken careful steps to manage the increasing inflow into Lake Britton by monitoring reservoir level, maintaining a low water surface elevation, and has increased water diversion through Pit 3 and Pit 4 powerhouses to maintain appropriate storage capacity. The increased water diversion at Pit 3 and Pit 4 powerhouses will result in spill conditions today in the Pit 5 bypass reach. The current flow release from Pit 5 Dam is approximately 500 cfs, which will increase over the course of today to approximately 1000 cfs to 1500 cfs. As inflow to Lake Britton continues to increase over the coming days, PG&E will increase the instream flow release at Pit 3 Dam from about 300 cfs to 540 cfs. Shortly after the instream flow in the Pit 3 reach is increased, Pit 4 dam will begin to spill approximately 50 to 150 cfs. Subsequent inflow increases into Lake Britton will spill over the Pit 3 Dam at a natural rate of increase, and will affect the downstream spill magnitude in the Pit 4 and Pit 5 reaches.

At this time PG&E is unable to accurately provide an estimate of the anticipated spill magnitude in the Pit 3 and Pit 4 reaches, as inflow to Lake Britton continues to increase daily and record snow pack remains in the Warner Mountain Rage.