Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne will lead an historic groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Jan. 11 to launch construction of the massive Folsom Dam Joint Federal Project.
When completed in 2015, the project will provide critical enhancement of dam safety, greatly reducing flood-risks. A key feature of the project will be the auxiliary spillway, which will prevent overtopping of Folsom Dam’s earthen embankments and prevent a breach during the largest possible foreseeable flood event.
The Folsom Dam project represents an unprecedented partnership among the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Central Valley Flood Protection Board and the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency.
| Who: | Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne Rep. Doris Matsui Rep. Dan Lungren Rep. John Doolittle Brigadier General John McMahon of the Corps of Engineers Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo, representing the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency |
| What: | Groundbreaking event for the Folsom Dam joint project. Remarks by the dignitaries will be followed by a photo opportunity with questions and answers. |
| When: | Friday, Jan. 11, 2008, at 11:45 a.m. |
| Where: | At the scenic Folsom Dam Overlook on Folsom Dam Road, Folsom, Calif. |
For security purposes, RSVPs are required. Please RSVP by the morning of Jan. 10 to Janet Sierzputowski, jsierzputowski@mp.usbr.gov (916-978-5112), or Lynnette Wirth, lwirth@mp.usbr.gov (916-978-5102).
Additional information on the JFP and flood control is available at: http://www.usbr.gov/mp/jfp/index.html, http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/projects/civil/folsom/index.html, http://www.recbd.ca.gov/, and http://www.safca.org/.