The Fishery Foundation of California's Past Projects

 

 

Cosumnes Flow Augmentation Pilot Program

The Cosumnes River watershed is relatively low in elevation and depends on early fall precipitation in order to connect to tide water.  In many years this doesn’t occur until late November or early December due to a heavily depleted aquifer.  The FFC conducted pilot study to determine how much flow would be required to connect the river to tidewater earlier in the fall in the hopes that out of basin water would be secured from the American River via the Folsom South Canal.  A critical riffle analysis was conducted below the canal and recommendations were made to the appropriate agencies.  Ultimately, water from the canal was used to pre-wet the channel to facilitate an earlier natural connection.