Report provided by:

Matthew Meadows, Assistant Watermaster

The Army Corps of Engineers is increasing flood release targets starting Saturday, April 8, 2023, at 0400 hours from Pine Flat.  The target in the South Fork will be increased from the current 2,000 cfs to 2,500 cfs in steps of 100 cfs per day for 5 days. The target flow will be routed through a combination of Army Wier and the Crescent By-pass.  The target flow at Crescent Weir will remain at 4,750 cfs. The increases will take approximately 24-28 hours to move through the system to Army Wier. The order from Pine Flat is currently 10,500 cfs. Once this series of increases is made and any additional irrigation demand is incorporated, the release should exceed 11,000 cfs.

Releases will continue to be adjusted accordingly to meet irrigation orders, local creeks entering below Pine Flat and changing conditions.

All data is provisional and subject to revision.

We will circulate updates as conditions change.

 

Status of flows below Pine Flat Dam as of 0700 April 7, 2023.

4,200 cfs (estimated) Pre Project Piedra (Full natural flow at Piedra, 3 miles downstream of Pine Flat Dam. Includes Mill and Hughes Creek flows)

10,500 cfs Total Order at Pine Flat.  (Order includes flood release, local demands and estimated channel losses)

 

10,150 cfs Pine Flat Reservoir Release

350 cfs Mill and Hughes Creeks (Unobstructed gauge several miles below Pine Flat Reservoir)

8,720 cfs flow at Reedley Narrows (approximately three miles upstream of the City of Reedley, Capacity per ACOE Reservoir Control Manual 13,000 cfs)

8,120 cfs flow Below Peoples Weir (approximately one mile downstream of Highway 99, Capacity per ACOE Reservoir Control Manual 11,000 cfs)

 

1,220 cfs, South Fork of Kings River, release below Army Weir

600 cfs, Crescent Bypass, water diverted from the North Fork to the South Fork

4,750 cfs flow below Crescent Weir, 4750 cfs target flood release below Crescent Weir (approximately three miles downstream of Highway 41)

 

Status of Pine Flat as of 2400 hours April 6, 2023

660,736 acre-feet Pine Flat storage (Capacity 1,000,000 acre-feet)

65,214 acre-feet Upstream storage (Capacity 251,900 acre-feet)

525,950 acre-feet vacant storage space on the Kings River system

 

For More Information, Please Contact:

STEVE HAUGEN, Kings River Water Association Watermaster, (559) 217-5249

DAVID MERRITT, Kings River Conservation District General Manager, (559) 237-5567
RICK BROWN, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Sacramento District Public Affairs, (916) 557-5102
RANDY McFARLAND, KRWA Public Information Consultant, (559) 260-2775