The Bureau of Reclamation will open the Delta Cross Channel Gates on Thursday, Oct. 31, at approximately 9a.m., to allow for recreational boating through the weekend. The gates will be closed on Monday, Nov. 4, at 9 a.m., in order to meet Bay-Delta flow standards at Rio Vista, according to State Water Resources Control Board Decision D-1641. The gates will remain closed until further notice.

The Delta Cross Channel Gates control the diversion channel near Walnut Grove, about 30 miles south of Sacramento; that diverts water from the Sacramento River into a branch of the Mokelumne River.

When the gates are open, fresh water is drawn from the Sacramento River into the interior of the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta through Snodgrass Slough and the Mokelumne River; they also allow for boat traffic to pass. When closed, the gates prevent salmon from being diverted from their migratory route up the Sacramento River.

Boaters are advised to check the status of the gates. The gates opening and closing times are approximate, since an operator must travel to the site to perform the change. The opening and closing of the gates generally takes 30 minutes to one hour.

Information on gate operations can be accessed on Reclamation’s Central Valley Operations website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/vungvari/dcc_chng.txt or by calling 916-979-2194 or 916-979-0268. For more information, call the Public Affairs Office at 916-978-5100.