Report provided by:

Matthew Meadows, Assistant Watermaster

Effective immediately, July 14, 2023, the Army Corps of Engineers flood release target from Pine Flat is being reduced by 1500 cfs. This will be made in three 500 cfs reductions tonight, Saturday night, and Sunday night at 24:00 hours. This morning the Pine Flat order was 10,000 cfs. By Monday, the decreases will make the order at Pine Flat approximately 8,500 cfs for a flood release target of 1,400 cfs at Crescent Weir. Outflow from Pine Flat might fluctuate based on irrigation demand, with anticipated releases of approximately 9,500 cfs on Saturday, 9,000 cfs on Sunday, and 8,500 cfs on Monday.

The target flood release in the South Fork Kings River remains at zero, only irrigation orders are being diverted into the South Fork at Army Weir.

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 July 14, 2023.

10,500 cfs (estimated) Pre Project Piedra (Full natural flow at Piedra, 3 miles downstream of Pine Flat Dam. Includes Mill and Hughes Creek flows)

10,000 cfs Total Order at Pine Flat.  (Order includes flood release, local demands and estimated channel losses)

10,000 cfs Pine Flat Reservoir Release

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

5,970 cfs flow at Reedley Narrows (approximately three miles upstream of the City of Reedley, Capacity per ACOE Reservoir Control Manual 13,000 cfs)

5,610 cfs flow Below Peoples Weir (approximately one mile downstream of Highway 99, Capacity per ACOE Reservoir Control Manual 11,000 cfs)

120 cfs, South Fork of Kings River, release below Army Weir

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

3,570 cfs flow below Crescent Weir, 3400 cfs target flood release below Crescent Weir (approximately three miles downstream of Highway 41)

Status of Pine Flat as of 2400 hours July 13, 2023

936,591 acre-feet Pine Flat storage (Capacity 1,000,000 acre-feet)

235,405 acre-feet Upstream storage (Capacity 251,900 acre-feet)

79,904 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