The Sacramento River level has gone up significantly this week. It’ll increase from 8,500 to 9,000 cubic feet per second Saturday. Lake Shasta is now about 5 feet from the crest of the dam.
Users of Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District water are celebrating. In fact, a celebratory luncheon was held last week at the diversion dam at Caldwell Park, where the gates were opened to once again fill the canal for the many agricultural users to the south. The canal went dry last year for the first time in it’s more-than-100-year history and the effect was dramatic on the swath of land that benefits from the canal’s 30% seepage. As far as agricultural water, typical rates have been $87 per acre and a $115 application fee. This year subsidies have driven rates down toe $1 per acre with a $24 fee.