Full Folsom Lake Greets Boaters For Memorial Day Weekend
FOLSOM (CBS13) — We caught Yale Moulin dumping out buckets of water from his boat. You'd think he just got back from a wet boat ride.
Not even close. The water was from Friday morning's rainstorm.
But rain or shine, it was his way of kicking off the unofficial start to summer.
"Generally on Memorial Day they have to turn people away because it just fills up so fast," he said.
He's not just talking about the crowds. Folsom Lake is so high, some park benches are underwater. The lake level is at 464 feet, just two feet under capacity.
Moulin's been boating here so many years, he's got his own way of measuring the water.
"We always gauge the number of steps that you have to walk from the parking lot down to the dock and it's three steps. And I haven't seen a three-stepper in a long long time," he said.
And a swollen lake means more space to explore.
"We're just gonna be like cliff jumping out here, boating, jet skiing," said one local.
But park rangers say safety starts now. They're warning jet skiers and boaters to watch out for debris in the lake from spring runoff and the water temperature.
"We don't really think it's that cold like yesterday; we were over by there and it was warm," the local said.
Warm may be an understatement. Officials say the lake is actually running colder than in previous years. The key—wear a life-vest.
And one more thing.
"Just have fun!" Moulin said.
