BASS LAKE — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is cautioning that flows from the Crane Valley Dam spillway have reached 800 cubic feet per second and will likely increase as rain continues to fall in the area.
PG&E says the dam is functioning as designed, and PG&E activated the emergency action plan for the area once flows exceed 750 cubic feet per second through the spillway. That plan involves coordination with all area emergency services, and PG&E has practiced that plan during a full drill in October and implemented the plan during storms last month.
As these rains continue, flows into Bass Lake and over the Crane Valley Dam spillway are expected to increase and will remain well above the normal seasonal flows for this time of year.
PG&E recommends those going near rivers and streams to be aware of the higher flows and take precautions.
“At PG&E the safety of the public and our employees is our top priority,” says PG&E spokesman Denny Boyles. “It’s not unusual for PG&E ‘s reservoirs to fill in normal winters as they tend to be smaller and at much higher elevations than the state and federal multi-year water storage reservoirs like Shasta Lake and Lake Oroville. PG&E’s reservoirs are designed to capture rain and snow melt runoff in winter, spring and early summer to generate clean, renewable hydroelectric power.”
