Kings River Archives

One Central Valley dam project gets nearly $95 million in funding; two others still in proposal phase

October 20, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Three dam expansion projects could increase water storage for use in the Central Valley by a whopping 304,000 acre feet. Each of the projects would raise existing dams, not build new ones. The project that is furthest along would raise the B.F. Sisk Dam in Merced County to expand San Luis Reservoir storage by 130,000…

Floods • Uncategorized

Fresno County agencies seeking $40 million – and counting – in federal funds to fix last winter’s flood damage and prep for upcoming El Niño

October 4, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Agencies in Fresno County, from small cities to irrigation districts, are hoping money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency arrives in time to help them fix damage from last winter’s battering storms as they scramble to get ready for another looming wet winter. Fresno County was slammed hard by storms in January and March. While…

dams • Floods

NEWS RELEASE: Pine Flat Dam releases water over spillway, but that doesn’t mean the lake is “full”

June 29, 2023

• by SJV Water

* The following news release was provided by the Kings River Conservation District: As Pine Flat Reservoir’s water storage increases and the lake level rises, it eventually reaches a point where the dam’s gated spillway, located at the highest operational point, is used. That level is approximately 85% of gross pool. Water management officials expect…

Floods

Flooding in Firebaugh has come in a slow, relentless creep as high San Joaquin River flows seep through levees into basements, ruin crops and leave land too sodden to farm

June 9, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

The surging San Joaquin River is proving to be another tough water management problem. The raging waters from this year’s historic rain and snowpack are seeping through levees, destroying crops and threatening the city of Firebaugh. The small city of Firebaugh in Fresno County, sits right up against the river. Seepage is the major problem,…

Floods

Floodplain projects are “foreign concept” for the south valley

May 26, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

One of the surest ways to corral flooding on the valley floor is floodplain restoration – letting rivers spread out over large swaths of undeveloped land to slow their flow and absorb the water. But even as cities and farms throughout the southern San Joaquin Valley brace for more flooding from an epic snowmelt after…

Floods • Uncategorized

Big melt may be less dramatic – and damaging – than initially thought

May 22, 2023

• by Lois Henry

State flood responders are still planning for the worst, but newly released inundation models are predicting a less dramatic and damaging snow melt as California heads into the summer months. On the Kern River, predictions are now showing releases from Isabella Dam can be maintained at 7,750 cubic feet per second, or less, throughout the rest…

Floods

Battle of the berms: Farmers build maze of levees to protect land as snow melt heads for Tulare Lake

May 16, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Growers and water managers in the Tulare Lake area have been moving mountains of dirt to beef up levees and build entirely new ones as they brace for snowmelt this summer. A string of storms in March battered the region, blowing out levees and overwhelming infrastructure as flood water plowed through homes, dairies and crops….

Floods • Rivers

CLOSED: Public is told to stay out of most valley rivers; closure on a portion of the Kern tries to make room for rafters

May 5, 2023

• by Jesse Vad and Lois Henry, SJV Water

This year’s epic runoff into San Joaquin Valley rivers is creating a tricky tightrope for local agencies tasked with keeping the public safe. How do you let people enjoy the bounty of water while making sure they don’t do anything lethally stupid? Upper Kern River It’s a difficult balance, as Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux…

Floods

The big melt: San Joaquin Valley eyes historic snowpack with trepidation

April 11, 2023

• by Lois Henry

It’s unlikely that all the snow looming above the San Joaquin Valley will melt and barrel toward the valley floor at the same time. If history is a guide, the melt should be staggered between the San Joaquin, Kings, Tule and Kern river watersheds starting later this month through July. “That’s good,” said California Department…

Floods • Uncategorized

Storm could “push the limits” of San Joaquin Valley’s flood response systems

March 8, 2023

• by Lois Henry

If the coming storm hits as predicted starting late Thursday, San Joaquin Valley flooding hot spots – and some new ones thanks to subsidence – could be swamped. It’s not because reservoirs above the valley floor are full. The culprits are likely to be the much smaller and typically dry “uncontrolled streams” threaded throughout the…

NEWS

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