sentences:  Even before the dam was complete, it demonstrated its effectiveness as a flood control facility during the record storms of December 1955, which completely filled Folsom Lake in a matter of weeks, and preventing $20 million of property damage.The dam was officially dedicated on May 5, 1956, and operation was transferred to the Bureau of Reclamation on May 14.On the morning of July 17, 1995, the Folsom Dam power plant was shut down and Spillway Gate 3 was opened to maintain flows in the American River.