ABOUT RIVERARC
Folsom Lake plays a key role in California's water delivery system. Federal water managers rely on it to balance environmental and water supply needs for the Sacramento region, Bay Delta, and farms in the Central Valley. The Lower American River, which flows from Folsom Lake, is one of the few urban waterways in the United States designated as a “Wild and Scenic River”. It is heavily used for its unique ecological resources and recreational opportunities, drawing over 8 million visitors annually.
Changes to environmental regulations, climate change impacts and a growing population, have stretched California's current water delivery system and urban waterways too thin.
These effects are dramatically visible in the Sacramento region. During drought years, demands on the American River results in perilously low water levels in Folsom Lake and the Lower American River. The American River Basin Study, led by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, concluded that climate change is expected to raise temperatures in the watershed by 4 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century. In addition, more precipitation is falling as rain instead of snow, shifting runoff earlier in the year to coincide with flood control season rather than being gradually released as snowmelt during the spring and summer. This shift reduces the size of the cold-water pool in Folsom Lake and decreases streamflow in the Lower American River, harming spawning and rearing conditions for anadromous fish species.
RiverArc originated in the 2000 Water Forum Agreement. Its mission is to preserve the Lower American River’s ecosystem and biodiversity amid rising temperatures. RiverArc will enhance water supply reliability and improve ecosystems health by moving existing water diversion points from the American River to the larger Sacramento River without adversely impacting other existing water users.
RiverArc will convey Sacramento River water, which has surplus water more frequently than the American River, through an existing diversion facility equipped with a state-of-the-art fish screen. The water will then be transported via new pipelines to a new regional water treatment plant to be treated for residential and commercial use.
A combination of existing and new transmission pipelines will deliver the treated water to communities in Sacramento and West Placer counties, north of the American River. Along the way, RiverArc will also integrate groundwater and American River supplies, creating opportunities to share water resources across the region.
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RiverArc Project receives $5.1 million Wildlife Conservation Board grant