Calif largest reservoir - at 95% of capacity, battling to prepare for storms

[SophieRose]

[video=youtube;iQ_EL0DmzME]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ_EL0DmzME[/video]

 

[watergirl62]

Here is a picture of the New Don Pedro Dam. It's an embankment dam like the Oroville Dam. Can't see it but that's a road at the top. I've been on it but there is no overlook to see the dam, and can't stop on the road. Don Pedro is the 9th largest dam in the USA. No danger to the dam but they are going to have to release water and danger is where the Tuolumne River meets the San Joaquin River.

View attachment 110264

https://www.britannica.com/technology/earthfill-dam

Earthfill dam, also called Earth Dam, or Embankment Dam, dam built up by compacting successive layers of earth, using the most impervious materials to form a core and placing more permeable substances on the upstream and downstream sides. A facing of crushed stone prevents erosion by wind or rain, and an ample spillway, usually of concrete, protects against catastrophic washout should the water overtop the dam.

This is a good sound tried and true method for low cost dam construction. However, dams need to be monitored for integrity (seeps along the toewall below the dam) and other structural aging issues. Maintaining riprap (crushed stone) helps prevent erosion because it serves as a hydraulic brake or jump (slows the water down and prevents the fines beneath the riprap from being entrained).

 

[watergirl62]

Water is complicated in California.

http://www.cserc.org/news/don-pedro-plans-raise-concerns/

Many may not be aware of the complexities that govern our region’s water supply and the many players involved in water management.

The water that is stored in Don Pedro Reservoir (the 5th largest reservoir in the state of California) is allocated to Turlock Irrigation District and Modesto Irrigation District, who have senior water rights dating back to the 1880’s. Additionally, the City and County of San Francisco utilizes the reservoir for backup storage for its Hetch Hetchy project, thus having junior water rights and an interest in its management. The land surrounding the reservoir is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). And finally, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) administers the license that controls the dam and water releases for municipal and agricultural users downstream, for fisheries in the lower Tuolumne River, and to generate hydro-electric power.

Texas has complicated water law also, especially in the Rio Grande basin. We have prior appropriation aka senior and junior water rights also (don't want to be a junior right holder during drought, you are screwed!) The irrigation districts have senior rights (irrigation is vital, hello) and must allocate releases based on federal law PLUS international treaty with Mexico. Mexico has a huge watershed which contributes to the Rio Grande basin upstream of a fair portion of downstream users in Texas. All downstream users are subject to the treaty, no matter which side of the border they may live on. What complicates this particular treaty is that Mexico will essentially hold water within the contributing watershed because since we are subject to hurricanes and southwest monsoon season and pacific moisture trains, they place their bets that somewhere within a five year time span, there will be enough surplus to compensate for all the holding. All water law is complex because every party has a dog in the fight.

Thank you for bringing this up. I agree with you completely, SophieRose.

 

[CARIIS]

I live in the State capital and we are not in danger (at this time at least...)

If a dam itself actually goes that might not be so. IMO because of what happened at this location the world is focusing here.

From what I have learned many dams along this whole corridor are extremely fragile. They are exhausted !

It almost seems as if the lower ones (closer to there) would actually be more at risk - it's going downward .

Its kinda (I visualize) like a cities water pipes. All interconnected.

Like if the Folsum one goes down if something big happens higher up , I think that may be bad for Sacremento not sure tho

 

[CARIIS]

Here is a picture of the New Don Pedro Dam. It's an embankment dam like the Oroville Dam. Can't see it but that's a road at the top. I've been on it but there is no overlook to see the dam, and can't stop on the road. Don Pedro is the 9th largest dam in the USA. No danger to the dam but they are going to have to release water and danger is where the Tuolumne River meets the San Joaquin River.

https://www.britannica.com/technology/earthfill-dam

Earthfill dam, also called Earth Dam, or Embankment Dam, dam built up by compacting successive layers of earth, using the most impervious materials to form a core and placing more permeable substances on the upstream and downstream sides. A facing of crushed stone prevents erosion by wind or rain, and an ample spillway, usually of concrete, protects against catastrophic washout should the water overtop the dam.

I just dont like that one after seeing this pic. !! Ha! It looks like children put it together. Thanx a lot my dear Sophie - that one is 98% full!! Its the fullest in the system.

But with this whole mess my real deal is with the media. Come on TV folks - there is some logic here (I think) correct me if I am not processing this right pls!

Their focus is on how far the lake has dropped after more than 72 hours of fabulous perfectly dry weather, have been spewing water out the spillway for days - and they just got done lowering the lake by 4.2 trillion gallons with the overflow !!!

WIth the modeling I do not understand weather people on TV how your focus is on how much it dropped after the abovementioned.

Yes if it remained like it was awesome - but knock knock Mr Weatherman look at what is going on the last two months and Monday _Tues is gonna clobber the other two in terms of severity -

Its kinda like a boxer who has been knocked out twice and the third knockout seems as if it might result in more injury than the first two!!

I am having trouble following the medias logic --here-- and their primary responsibility is to keep the public informed .

I would love to know how many TV meteorologists family have not been flown to Canada!!

Am I nuts?

 

[CARIIS]

I love him (humm humm!) he is great - first honest report I have seen today. I forgot about him - I am gonna check out some of his other reporting !

He is ABC heavy weight weather guy. It looks like they just flew him out to cover this - the reports he has filed recently are from the northeast snowstorm. The one linked below is the first from here on this mess

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/powerful-storm-pelts-california-bring-risk-flooding-45560406


Can you imagine? -- he lived ! That is what i call "dropping" in for a visit !!

video scroll a bit

http://q13fox.com/2017/02/16/heavy-rain-washes-out-eastern-washington-road-sending-suv-into-creek/

 

[SophieRose]

http://www.modbee.com/news/article133505849.html

The Turlock Irrigation District said the spillway on Don Pedro Dam will be opened early next week if the forecasted rain from a large storm occurs.
TID spokesman Brandon McMillan said it’s all a matter of how much rain comes with the storm due Monday and Tuesday, which could drop close to 5 inches of rain in the watershed above the dam in western Tuolumne County.
“We are required to open the spillway when Don Pedro is at 830 elevation,” the spokesman said Friday. “With the current forecast, it shows it will be reaching 830 feet.”

===
Picture of the spillway. Spillway was damaged in 1997 when water was released.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nat...689/ALTERNATES/FREE_640/FLOODS DON PEDRO 1497

 

[watergirl62]

Just dropping this here for quick reference.

https://cdec.water.ca.gov/misc/hourly_res.html

And this:
https://ca.water.usgs.gov/data/waterconditionsmap.html

And this:
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/queryDaily?dnp

And this:
https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/shed/lund/dams/Don Pedro/donpedro.htm

And this:
http://www.yamasun.net/CAMaps.html

 

[watergirl62]

Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Tuolumne River gages. Station locations titled on graphs.

Keswick reservoir below Lake Shasta.

Sent from my LG-H740 using Tapatalk

 

[SophieRose]

Article from 2015 about California's need for water. I remember one year reading an article where someone suggested going to another state, which had an abundance of snow, with refrigerated trucks. Imagine that - hundreds of thousands of trucks crossing the landscape with snow and ice and then dumping it in our reservoirs. Brainstorms don't cost money.

http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-cap-drought-20150427-column.html

If it only were this simple: Build a pipeline to Seattle and solve California's water problems.

Better yet: Lay pipe to the Great Lakes.

Or sink pipe on the ocean floor and siphon water from Alaska.

While we're at it, tow an iceberg down from the Arctic.

All these ideas and more have been suggested over the decades.

Let's get right to the point: They're all nutty. Politically and financially unfeasible.

But hardly a day passes without some emailer wondering why our political leaders don't possess enough ingenuity and foresight to go out and grab another state's water.

 

[CARIIS]

https://twitter.com/NWSSacramento

 

[CARIIS]

Is that not funny (not really) but...........

https://twitter.com/MyAmerica120/with_replies

 

[SophieRose]

http://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/284537/don-pedro-reservoir-spillway-may-open-after-3pm.html

As of this morning, the Don Pedro Recreation Agency staff have closed the launch ramps at the reservoir, and there will be no recreational boating on the lake until further notice.

The Turlock Irrigation District says that the controlled spillway may be used after 3pm today.*We’ll pass along further information as it becomes available.

 

[SophieRose]

Modesto is at risk now.
http://www.kcra.com/article/heavy-rain-strong-winds-likely-to-cause-issues-in-norcal/8955666

Lake Don Pedro
Many residents living near Lake Don Pedro are preparing to evacuate as the Stanislaus County reservoir creeps up to near capacity.
As of 7 a.m. Monday, Lake Don Pedro was less than 5 feet below capacity of 830 feet. The lake is expected to spill over Tuesday, prompting water officials to open the flood control spillway for the first time in 20 years, allowing water to fill up the Tuolumne River.


Tuolumne River
The Tuolumne River in Modesto was barely below flood stage Monday morning at 54.7 feet. However, it is expected to reach flood stage at 55 feet at about 2 a.m. Tuesday.
The river will continue rising through Wednesday, at which point it will crest at 60 feet at 10 p.m.
Water levels are expected to go back down with a few dry days on tap later in the week.

 

[CARIIS]

Guy on Periscope has been awesome - it is it illegal to tell you so you can see for yourself? He has been up close everywhere and I shall tell you what MSM is doing is a farce a total farce.

 

[watergirl62]

These are the large watersheds jumping out at me this morning... I see many small watersheds peaking but here are the majors based on USGS stations. These are the same basins I was looking at yesterday. Sacramento, San Joaquin and Toulumne.

 

[CARIIS]

His footage has been incredible - its so scary to see MSM vs reality and there is a world of diff - he is addictive!

https://www.periscope.tv/MyAmerica120/1YqKDXMYdyVKV?

 

[SophieRose]

http://www.modbee.com/news/article133939549.html

The spillway gates opened at Don Pedro Reservoir at 3 p.m. Monday, and over the next four or more days could nearly triple the flow of the Tuolumne River as it comes through Stanislaus County and Modesto.

The amount released will vary from 18,000 to 30,000 cubic feet per second, said officials with the Turlock Irrigation District, which manages the dam’s operations. The first of the increased flow should reach the Tuolumne at Ninth Street in Modesto 23 hours after the gates opened – which means 2 p.m. Tuesday.

At the highest flow, the Tuolumne as measured at Ninth Street should reach 65 feet – 10 feet above flood stage, officials said.

For comparison, the river was at 54.96 feet at 2:30 p.m. Monday, and flow was 10,800 cfs. Flood stage of the Tuolumne is 55 feet.

 

[CARIIS]

http://www.modbee.com/news/article133939549.html

The spillway gates opened at Don Pedro Reservoir at 3 p.m. Monday, and over the next four or more days could nearly triple the flow of the Tuolumne River as it comes through Stanislaus County and Modesto.

The amount released will vary from 18,000 to 30,000 cubic feet per second, said officials with the Turlock Irrigation District, which manages the dam’s operations. The first of the increased flow should reach the Tuolumne at Ninth Street in Modesto 23 hours after the gates opened – which means 2 p.m. Tuesday.

At the highest flow, the Tuolumne as measured at Ninth Street should reach 65 feet – 10 feet above flood stage, officials said.

For comparison, the river was at 54.96 feet at 2:30 p.m. Monday, and flow was 10,800 cfs. Flood stage of the Tuolumne is 55 feet.

Its all so crazy!!

Totally zoned out on MSM I can see what is really going on on that periscope thing and just wow

I would take a hurricaneany day of the week. The announce their apporach, come do theirthing, and leave. Over

To put up with all this for 5 months a year I could not cope. Serious - too much stress!!

 

[CARIIS]

[h=1]Evacuations ordered following levee breach along San Joaquin River[/h]
http://www.abc10.com/news/local/eva...evee-breach-along-san-joaquin-river/410337850