Friant Dam water releases increasing. Why there’s concern on San Joaquin River
With a major warming trend in the forecast and temperatures in Fresno reaching the 80s on Sunday, the Bureau of Reclamation is alerting the public to monitor flow conditions and to exercise caution when on the San Joaquin River due to increased releases from Friant Dam.
The bureau started releases into the river on Friday to help meet contractual obligations to deliver Central Valley Project water to the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors on the west side of the Valley.
Releases from Friant Dam were increased from about 680 cubic-feet-per-second to 930 cfs, and will increase throughout the spring with sustained releases over the summer of more than 1,700 cfs, depending on system conditions and downstream structural safety requirements.
Flows of this planned magnitude on the San Joaquin River have not occurred since 2019.
The San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors, who have senior water rights, receive their water supply primarily from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta via the Delta-Mendota Canal. Due to drought conditions and limited supply from the Delta, releases from Friant Dam are planned this year pursuant to the contract to supplement water deliveries. Similar operations occurred during droughts in 2014 and 2015.
High temperatures in Valley
Temperatures in the San Joaquin Valley are expected to hit the low to mid 90s toward the end of the week, around 18 to 23 degrees higher than normal for this time of year, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford.
Fresno has a 70% chance of hitting a record high on Thursday, and a 61% chance on Friday, and it is significantly higher elsewhere in the Valley. Hanford has a 75% chance and a 79% chance of setting a record high on Thursday and Friday and it is 73% and 78% in Madera.
