Residents can pick up sand and bags at two self-serve City of Folsom locations. Shovels are also available to use onsite to fill the bags.

Location 1
50 Natoma Street
(Next to City Hall, behind the Folsom Senior & Art Center)
Get Directions

Location 2
9700 Oak Avenue Parkway
(West of Fire Station 36 along the Hinkle Creek bike trail)
Get Directions

• A partner.
• Shovel.
• Gloves.
• Flashlight.
• Wear bright, layered clothing.
• Always use gloves to protect your hands during the filling operation.
• Safety goggles should be used on dry and windy days.

The video at the top of this page offers a step-by-step guide to filling and placing sandbags. Follow these steps to properly fill a sandbag:

• Grab one sandbag.
• Get a partner.
• Place three large shovelfuls of sand in each bag. Fill each sandbag one-half to two-thirds of the way full.
• Tie the bag at the top so that bag will lay flat when put in place. A properly filled sand bag should weigh between 35-40 pounds.
• Remember not to overfill the bag or tie it too low. Overfilled bags and bags tied too low leave gaps in sandbag levee allowing water to seep through. An overfilled sandbag can weigh 70-75 pounds.
• After handling treated bags, avoid contact with your eyes and mouth.

• Sandbags should be placed flat on the ground, overlapped, tamped into place, and stair-stepped.
• Remove any debris from the areas where bags are to be placed.
• Place the bags lengthwise and parallel to the direction of flow with the untied open ends of the bags facing upstream.
• Fill the low spots first before placing bags the full length of the area to be raised.
• Start at the downstream end of the sandbag operation about one foot landward from the river or levee's edge and continue upstream.
• Fold the open end of the bag under the filled portion.
• Place succeeding bags with the bottom of the bag tightly and partially overlapping the previous bag.
• Offset adjacent rows or layers by one-half bag length to avoid continuous joints.
• To eliminate voids and form a tight seal, compact and shape each bag by walking on it and continue the process as each layer is placed. This flattens the top of the bag and prevents slippage between succeeding layers.

Estimated Number of Sandbags per Lineal Foot of Wall

Polyethylene (plastic) comes in rolls 20 feet wide by 100 feet long. It is used to wrap sandbag levees to prevent seepage. Plastic should be placed on the downstream portion of levee first, then worked upstream with a two- to- three-foot overlap. Plastic is held in place with sandbags.