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-   -   Low reservoir pictures - Nor Cal (http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=800774)

fman 01-02-2014 1:05 PM

Low reservoir pictures - Nor Cal
 
3 Attachment(s)
Some pictures of our local reservoir, it could be a very tough year for boating in Nor-Cal if we do not see some rain soon. Folsom is 103' down, 19% of capacity. Ten day forecast shows no rain in site. They have officially declared a drought in our area, today weather is going to set a record of 68 degrees.

Does anyone else have any low water pictures of any reservoirs in California?

tyler97217 01-02-2014 1:07 PM

Nuts!! I just drove down there for the holidays and stayed by Folsom and passed over Shasta. It is crazy low. Good luck to you guys getting some rain soon!

JCat 01-02-2014 1:18 PM

Everything in Nor Cal is down. Not good.
Here is a good link to look at the water levels (and other info) of all the reservoirs in CA.
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/misc/resinfo.html

Cabledog 01-02-2014 2:06 PM

Drove down near Folsom (Fair Oaks/ Orangevale area) over the holidays too. Folsom was sad to see. I grew up near Shasta and it's pretty bad this year too. Late February & March is typically the rainy season there but if it doesn't come they will be just about giving away housboat rentals. 75 degrees wearing shorts and flip flops the day before Christmas was a nice change though...

lfadam 01-02-2014 2:16 PM

West coast lake levels are such a foreign concept to us east coasters. If our lakes go down 5 feet people s@%& a brick (mainly because we have houses on our lakes so it would enrage home owners and kill property values)

If my home lake in VA (one of the deeper ones in the region) was down 103 ft, we would have a series of disconnected puddles with a small pond near our dam.

Dmac420sj 01-02-2014 2:44 PM

Actually there's 3 days with likely precipitation next week. X your fingers we need snow more then water. If so cal would just quit stealing out water!

fman 01-02-2014 3:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lfadam (Post 1857663)
West coast lake levels are such a foreign concept to us east coasters. If our lakes go down 5 feet people s@%& a brick (mainly because we have houses on our lakes so it would enrage home owners and kill property values)

If my home lake in VA (one of the deeper ones in the region) was down 103 ft, we would have a series of disconnected puddles with a small pond near our dam.

Adam, most of the lakes in California release water to Southern California and farmers throughout the state. We have very few lakes that do not release water throughout the summer. They have not built a new reservoir in California since the 70's, and the population has exploded since then and water consumption increases yearly. Maybe this drought will start some interest in some new reservoirs in the state, along with Southern California using desalination. They have a huge ocean next to them and for some reason they cant figure out how to transport the water from the ocean to mainland which would cut back releases from the reservoirs in Nor-cal.

It is not uncommon for a reservoir in California to average a .5-1 ft drop per day from June through October. They typically hold back on releases during winter and spring months to fill back up the reservoirs with snowpack and rainfall. We are now in our third year straight of less than average rainfall/snow pack and its catching up with us. Keeping our fingers crossed for some heavy precipitation over the next few months.

fouroheight68 01-02-2014 3:24 PM

I just bought a house at Folsom Lake - walking distance to Folsom point. We need rain!

Pad1Tai 01-02-2014 8:16 PM

I remember a couple of years ago when Lake Travis was the lowest I ever seen it.. There was a guy with a Toyota pick up cruising around with the bed of his truck full of sunglasses and cell phones...

Gnargnar 01-02-2014 8:18 PM

Is desalinization still too expensive? Or why can't they go that route sooner

lionel 01-02-2014 10:03 PM

The do that in Cabo

markj 01-03-2014 12:47 AM

Just cruised over Shasta today on our way back from the PNW. The north end of the lake under I-5 was totally empty with a small creek running through it. Sad...

boardman74 01-03-2014 6:50 AM

Man, I feel for you guys. That just plain sucks. I can't imagine having the kind of money tied up we do in these boats and equipment and then wondering if there is going to be water in the lake. Our lake fluctuates maybe a foot or 18 inches spring to fall and we get nervous if it drops past that 18 inches in dry falls. Can't imagine 10's of feet!!

pprior 01-03-2014 7:41 AM

Typical lack of planning in a liberal state. No power plants being built, no reservoirs, no refineries, all the typical NIMBY stuff; meanwhile population growing - what, new people don't use water, gas and other natural resources? Enjoy the land of fruits and nuts….. Hope and change baby, hope and change.

Ewok01 01-03-2014 9:01 AM

Up here in the PNW they release water in the lakes in the fall so they can absorb the snow melt in the spring, but we are having below average snow this year so far so the snowmelt may not fill them up as much this summer.

kx250frider617 01-03-2014 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boardman74 (Post 1857739)
Man, I feel for you guys. That just plain sucks. I can't imagine having the kind of money tied up we do in these boats and equipment and then wondering if there is going to be water in the lake. Our lake fluctuates maybe a foot or 18 inches spring to fall and we get nervous if it drops past that 18 inches in dry falls. Can't imagine 10's of feet!!

That's why I use my boat in salt water. No shortage of water there, except low tide. Yes, it eats up our fresh water boat, but someday we will have a Salt Series and will be golden.

What scares me, is the colorado river drying up. It would be crazy to see Havasu back to being a river.

01-03-2014 1:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pprior (Post 1857745)
Typical lack of planning in a liberal state. No power plants being built, no reservoirs, no refineries, all the typical NIMBY stuff; meanwhile population growing - what, new people don't use water, gas and other natural resources? Enjoy the land of fruits and nuts….. Hope and change baby, hope and change.

Hah, that's funny. Seen Lake Travis in TX lately? Or read about the traffic problems in Austin?

wakedaveup 01-03-2014 1:21 PM

I guess the lack of rain in CA is better than when they actually had it but the state restricted the flow of water from the delta becuase of an endangered fish. I mean who cares about farming and all the agriculture out there, they had fish to save!!

peter19u 01-03-2014 7:39 PM

Yeah but growing crops that require a lot of water like cotton and alfalfa iin the desert aka Central Valley isn't smart either

bftskir 01-03-2014 9:40 PM

Every time you eat a pizza chances are the tomato paste is from the delta which is a huge farming area growing everything. We need the fish too. Leave the water in the delta where it belongs.

Pad1Tai 01-03-2014 9:57 PM

Lake Travis, Texas

Pretty sad.............

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...psc41e4075.jpg
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...psaa592d96.jpg

bass10after 01-04-2014 7:58 AM

Just curious but if it wasn't for a man made resivior being able to store water and release it, how much water do you think would be flowing to the delta at this point? There would be a giant influx of water during the snow melt and then have zero water from June or July til about December or January when it starts to rain some. Water storage is a valuable thing to have. Mimicking nature would probably leave the delta completely dry 5 months out of the year. Have you ever seen the amount of water flowing into don Pedro around late June or July? Calling it a trickle is generous and its now January and still not much better than it was 6 months ago. Fish also need water year round and late summer just like the Ag does. Capacity and downfall are as valuable to a fish as it is a farmer.

Dmac420sj 01-04-2014 8:09 AM

Let there be snow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gti2lo 01-04-2014 2:28 PM

We have record snow thus far in Muskoka Ontario (North of Toronto) and record cold... I wouldn't be surprised for snow melt flooding in the spring if it melts too quick! d
We have had over 3.5'-4' of snow fall and another 10" forecaster for tomorrow and monday.

SangerTom 01-04-2014 5:59 PM

Lake San Antonio & Nacimiento
 
Lake Naci is at 24% and San Antonio is at 5% capacity. Its going to take a few years of rain to get it back up to usable levels.

Bam6961 01-04-2014 6:10 PM

Lake berryessa is still at 94 percent (98 last year, this time).

grkero 01-04-2014 9:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gti2lo (Post 1857933)
We have record snow thus far in Muskoka Ontario (North of Toronto) and record cold... I wouldn't be surprised for snow melt flooding in the spring if it melts too quick! d
We have had over 3.5'-4' of snow fall and another 10" forecaster for tomorrow and monday.

Maybe we can start trucking it to our mountains...

fman 01-04-2014 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bam6961 (Post 1857953)
Lake berryessa is still at 94 percent (98 last year, this time).

That is great, they must not release water all year???

I have heard rumor Folsom lake was drained down this year to perform work on the dam. They have been doing some massive retrofits over the past three years. in June the lake was only 23-25' down, seems odd now its about empty. Never have seen it drop this much in the past 18 years I have lived in this area.

greg2 01-05-2014 8:50 AM

Sanger Tom,

Do you have any pics of SA and where the water currently is?

Jrod 01-05-2014 10:00 AM

lake San Antonio 9/1/13:

.https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I...901_104109.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-l...901_104130.jpg

this is coming down the hill towards south shore launch ramp.

SangerTom 01-05-2014 10:00 AM

I don't have any pics. I wish I was close enough just to see what it looks like.

greg2 01-05-2014 2:05 PM

That was my primary lake a few years ago! Never seen it that bad before...guess its a bad time to be in boat sales along the central coast!

wakedaveup 01-06-2014 7:39 AM

Javier, what does Naci look like?

fouroheight68 01-06-2014 12:53 PM

http://www.fishwithjd.com/2014/01/05...-bone-dry-wtf/

Dmac420sj 01-06-2014 12:55 PM

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Mine has plenty of butter

Jrod 01-08-2014 2:17 AM

this was naci on 9/1/13. i only go across the dam. i haven't ever actually boated there.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-K...901_101254.jpg

probably looks different now.

wakedaveup 01-08-2014 5:07 AM

Wow, sadly I'm glad I'm not in CA. Thanks for the pic

lifetimewarranty 01-08-2014 8:35 AM

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Sounds like most of you guys don't understand Folsom lake (to be honest, I don't either). This is a lake that gets drained and filled every year.



Notice how in 2009 it is within 6 feet of where it is right now...yet it was full by summer.
...

Dmac420sj 01-08-2014 8:54 AM

Sadly your not here?its 70• and our reservoirs always get drained and refilled and we don't have that mud water I see in alot of the country. California is lively believe me!! Go niners!!

wakedaveup 01-08-2014 9:23 AM

Bud I lived in CA my whole life with the exception of 2 years ago moving to FL. I lived in the Central Valley where we rely strictly on snow fall and rain to fill our river (Kings River) and lakes. If there's no snow or rain, we can't ride in that area of CA (river is too shallow to weight boats and most lakes have rocks EVERYWHERE during drought years). At least not very much at all. I was not saying that's the case for the rest of CA, simply the Central Valley area and surrounding areas that do get effected by lack of rain and snow. GO CHARGERS!!

Dmac420sj 01-08-2014 9:41 AM

Lol id move too. Chargers are a good bet this week.

fman 01-08-2014 4:18 PM

Dave, you are correct, all of Nor-Cal relies on good rainfall and snowpack every year to fill up the reservoirs. The system becomes broken quickly when we start to have consecutive dry years, which is what we are experiencing right now. 2011 and 2012 were below normal, 2013 was a record dry year, and 2014 is starting off dry, there is no rain anywhere in the 10 day forecast. Infact, it is supposed to be 71 degress next Thursday which is absolutely out of the norm for this area in January.

We are hoping for a change in the weather pattern to allow storms to start funneling into the west coast, with the high pressure system building everything off the Pacific ocean is going north missing us.

If we do not get some significant rain over the next couple months we truly will be in a very bad situation. I am not sure how the Sacramento River or California Delta would be affected by this. The water has to come from somewhere.

grant_west 01-08-2014 4:50 PM

California is Pretty crazy how water works. I'm all about not wasting water. I took out my grass lawn and installed synthetic lawn installed low flow toilets ect and I cut my water usage in 1/2. My water usage was something like 5500 cubic feet or yards of water to 2500 feet of yards or water every other month (our water is billed in 2 month cycles) and my water bill went down like $10-$15 dollars. That's right I spent like $6 grand to use less water so I could save $5 a month. What a joke. I guess when your on a Minimum like I am there is no benefit to saving. That's so stupid. IMO they should charge you for what you use, just like everything else. What's in it for people to cut back if you don't get any advantage!

ottog1979 01-08-2014 4:57 PM

^Grant, You should write this up, complete with bills and cost of re-landscaping and sent it to your water local authority, state agencies and then the press. That's the only chance that something may be done pricing and the incentive to cut back.

I've been thinking for a couple years about doing the same thing to my yard and this is my fear. I'll end up doing it anyway just for the good of it, but the public would be much faster at this if there was monetary incentive. That said, water authorities are all about saving water, but not saving revenue so much.

grant_west 01-08-2014 6:44 PM

Andy: After I told my story here on W/W of what happen another Guy told a equally suck-tastic story of getting hozed over watter here in California. Guy says he is in a Gated community. He says he is part of a task force in the hood to get people to reduce water usage threw out the hood. He say's the Hood does low flow drip systems and people rip out lawns and replace Grass with Artificial Grass people spend thousands in their yards to reduce water usage. He said that the community cut their water usage in 1/2. He said that after they cut their water bill in 1/2 the City doubled the rates of water to cover the lost revenue they were used to getting from the community!!!!

scott 01-08-2014 6:57 PM

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Lake Don Pedro.

fman 01-08-2014 11:20 PM

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Grant we all appreciate anyone who is trying to save water. I would have a hard time spending $6k to save $5-10 a month, kudos to you. Our household did install low flow shower heads, toilets, etc in our house to help reduce consumption. I did hear that residential water use is only about 2-3% of what is being released from the reservoirs? Does anyone have any facts on this?

I still believe California has poor water management. The years we exceed 100% of rain and snowfall really do not matter because they will release more water throughout the year in fear of flooding putting the reservoirs near the same level at the end of the fall months. We never really get a good chance to build up some solid reserves to battle some dry years like we are experiencing right now. Folsom lake is about 18% of capacity, just today they finally reduced flow out of the dam on the river to approx 700 CFS which is really slow. They could have done this a couple months ago and we would have had substantially more water right now,

Lake Oroville...

ktm525 01-09-2014 6:38 AM

I am rolling to Shasta this weekend to see what it looks like there, I will take pictures.

wakedaveup 01-09-2014 7:13 AM

I completely agree Travis, CA really needs to invest in water management. It would flourish the economy and probably enrich a lot of lives. I can only speak for where I lived, but when the farmers dont have water out there and can't farm or produce crops, it's a trickle effect that affects the whole state and probably the Nation. I don't know what the raw numbers are but I know CA produces a lot of corn, alfalfa, cotton, grapes, etc. We probably provide the nation with the majority of those crops (correct me if I'm wrong). So on bad water years, groceries are more expenses, farmers aren't spending money, and the overall economy seems to go into a recession. It's sad how much water dictates the economy in the Central Valley of CA.

fouroheight68 01-09-2014 8:58 AM

Farmers are the backbone of California's economy. We need to support farmer's water rights over the rights of consumers' desires for pools/green lawns in the middle of the desert. However, I also believe farmers need to be more diligent with water usage. Employing modern irrigation techniques such as subsurface drip systems (versus flooding their fields) would help immensely. Residential usage is not the drain on the reservoirs as much as industrial and agricultural usage. Give these industries incentives for modernization, and we could see a huge improvement.

fouroheight68 01-09-2014 9:28 AM

Does this seem familiar anyone? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZXeEktMYLM

wakedaveup 01-09-2014 10:46 AM

Wow didn't know any of that in the video, but couldn't agree more in regards to water management. If the resources are scarce to begin with, there's no reason to be careless.

Dmac420sj 01-09-2014 12:36 PM

Dave how you like Florida? My girl wanted to move out there but I told her nnnnnope! No Tahoe !

Walt 01-09-2014 3:19 PM

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Lake Pillsbury was at 12% last week. Mendocino is in bad shape too.

bftskir 01-09-2014 8:33 PM

1 good storm can and has filled Folsom in a week.

Omg! The delta is getting low....oh wait...it's just lowtide.

Hopefully this drought scuttles their plans to put the Sacramento river in two big pipes and sending it south to Los Angeles...to save the fish and conserve the delta.....you know all that fresh water is baaaadddd for fish...sure.

Gnargnar 01-10-2014 2:00 PM

We need 40 days of straight rain/snow to catch up Folsom

dp513 01-17-2014 7:03 AM

Looking like little to no rain for 90 days. Delta is gonna be a zoo this year. Glad I
Live 5 minutes from it. Could be the only place to ride!!

Dmac420sj 01-17-2014 8:53 AM

5 minutes!!

fouroheight68 01-17-2014 9:11 AM

http://www.news10.net/news/local/sto...storyid=268835

wakedaveup 01-17-2014 9:49 AM

Hey Chris, I love it out here, there's so much to do and my riding season was extended about 7 months haha. There are trade offs of course. I didn't really think about the fact that FL doesn't have a single mountain (some may say so, but it's not a mountain compared to CA). The weather and storms are pretty bad ass though I have to admit but packing up and moving to a place like this on a hunch isn't for everyone. It took almost a full year to get on my feet so if you ever decide to do it I would just say prepare a little more than I did haha! Are you in the Lake Tahoe, CA area? You may only have 3 months of riding at that lake, but it's one of the most scenic lakes in CA and of course you have all the ski resorts in the Winter, lucky!

01-17-2014 9:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fouroheight68 (Post 1857673)
I just bought a house at Folsom Lake - walking distance to Folsom point. We need rain!

Briggs Ranch? I'm in Folsom too.

Bam6961 01-17-2014 10:25 AM

Thats pretty informative boarder85

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZXeEktMYLM

01-17-2014 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lifetimewarranty (Post 1858577)
Sounds like most of you guys don't understand Folsom lake (to be honest, I don't either). This is a lake that gets drained and filled every year.



Notice how in 2009 it is within 6 feet of where it is right now...yet it was full by summer.
...

The critical distinction is snowpack. In 2009 - snowpack in January (and moisture content) was much better. So - there wasn't a real threat that Folsom wouldn't recover.

Currently - there is very little snow and what snow is there has very little water content.

Our current snowpack is 8% of normal. January 2009 we were at 55%.

You can contrast and compare snowpack years here: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/sno...wcchart.action

Unless we get "dozens" of feet of snow in the next couple of months - we are in very serious trouble.

fouroheight68 01-17-2014 1:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheesesteak (Post 1860388)
Briggs Ranch? I'm in Folsom too.

Yes, Briggs Ranch, where are you?

01-17-2014 1:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fouroheight68 (Post 1860436)
Yes, Briggs Ranch, where are you?

Right near Vista del Lago HS. Launch all the time at Folsom Point - although maybe not this coming year. Can't even see the water from the ramp.

bftskir 01-17-2014 6:08 PM

Calero was my lake, not buttery very often. I also barefooted in Lexington. I'll never forget the fist fight in the water at the ramp at Calero. Glad I have access to real big water now. Butter all the time.

larry1167 01-24-2014 3:36 PM

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We're gonna pay for it but this has been the best winter for riding in a long time.

Sac River in Sac Town today at noon....

bftskir 01-25-2014 9:44 AM

Imagine that river getting sucked into two forty foot diameter tunnels built under the delta to bypass it directly to the California aquaduct...the huge canal already sending too much water south.

WakeDirt 01-25-2014 9:58 AM

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Lake Mendocino's north launch today

kx250frider617 01-25-2014 11:05 AM

You guys should post before and after pics for those of us who have never been to these places. It's crazy seeing lake bottom.

fence_sence 01-25-2014 11:15 AM

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I just saw this shot of my home lake (Lahontan) in Northern Nevada on the news last night.

MIKEnNC 01-25-2014 11:48 AM

Probably a lot of items to be recovered in these dry lake beds. Unfortunately the dried lake is the reason though

detonate69 01-25-2014 7:12 PM

1 Attachment(s)
Rode up to Don Pedro last weekend. Water is way down. Waaaaay down.Attachment 33794
That peninsula is normally not there and the house boats across the lake are normally on this side.

Of course I'm at the delta right now and the water is butter and normal depth. ;)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

Pad1Tai 01-26-2014 10:09 AM

Folsom Lake

http://www.weather.com/news/stunning...74e58447bb6f65

dp513 01-31-2014 8:57 AM

How far up will the salt water go up the delta if we get no rain?

Dmac420sj 01-31-2014 9:18 AM

Who wants to ride???

ryanw209 01-31-2014 9:31 AM

Someone told me around 78 they had to build temporary dams in the delta to keep the salt water from going upstream

migs 01-31-2014 9:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dp513 (Post 1862846)
How far up will the salt water go up the delta if we get no rain?

Could this be possible? Is there any data on the possibility?

Dmac420sj 01-31-2014 9:50 AM

Have no fear it will rain. I've been doing the dance and shaved my massive beard!and waddaya know it started raining!!just pretend this is November and were just starting off.

dp513 01-31-2014 9:55 AM

I mean from what I've been told the fresh water pushes against the salt water. Varies with low tide high tide. But if there is less fresh water to fill the delta won't the salt water push farther up to compensate.


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