Stay out of this part of the San Joaquin River, PG&E warns

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – Although autumn has fallen, some Valley residents are still cooling off in the San Joaquin River; however, PG&E warns that visitors should stay out of certain areas as they plan to release dam water.

The utility company says they will be increasing flows along the 9-mile-long section of river between the Kerckhoff Dam and Millerton Lake in Fresno County starting Tuesday. The water releases will increase from about 25 to 500 cubic feet per second (cfs) until Nov. 22, when the releases will be gradually reduced back to 25 cfs.

Due to the often challenging passage out of the San Joaquin River Gorge, PG&E advises the public to avoid entering the water during the high-flow event.

PG&E says the release is necessary for them to be able to perform their annual maintenance work at the Kerckhoff 2 Powerhouse. Usually, the water is diverted from the Kerckhoff Reservoir to the powerhouse via a tunnel and pipe system; however, because the powerhouse is not operating, all flows will be released to the San Joaquin River to maintain appropriate water levels in the reservoir.

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