WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS: DON PEDRO CONTROLLED SPILLWAY GATES ARE NOW OPEN, FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS!

 Update as of 2/20/17 at 1630

DON PEDRO CONTROLLED SPILLWAY GATES ARE NOW OPEN

Turlock Irrigation District opened one of three Controlled Spillway Gates at Don Pedro Reservoir today at 3 p.m. This was a result of the size and magnitude of the current storm, which forecasted Don Pedro Reservoir to exceed its maximum capacity of 830 feet.

The Controlled Spillway Gate is operating as designed and onsite technical experts continue to monitor operations. The Dam and spillway structures undergo regular inspections and testing and the structural integrity of the project remains sound.

Landowners, growers and those living along the Tuolumne River, out of an abundance of caution, should undertake necessary steps to protect their property and livestock as Tuolumne River levels will rise quickly.

The initial water releases to the Tuolumne River are expected to be approximately 18,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) which equates to about 60 feet as measured at the 9th Street Bridge at Modesto. However, the releases could increase due to the amount of inflow entering the reservoir.

It takes approximately 23 hours for the releases from Don Pedro to reach the 9th Street Bridge at Modesto. Please note that those in closer proximity to Don Pedro Reservoir will see increased flows earlier. These releases will continue for a minimum of four days.

TID will provide frequent updates through the duration of the event. TID is partnering with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office, which is also providing regular updates via their website at www.scsdonline.com/info/press-releases-via-nixle.html.

Scheduled Electrical Outages: In the interest of electrical safety near the River, TID and Modesto Irrigation District began de-energizing power lines along the Tuolumne River channel earlier today. Power will be restored when safe.

Bonds Flat Road Closure: Bonds Flat Road is closed beyond Fleming Meadows and Blue Oaks campgrounds to public access to ensure the safety of the public and spillway operations.

Don Pedro Recreation Agency: The Lake will be closed for boaters during the use of the spillway gates. For more information about lake operations visit www.donpedrolake.com

Register for Emergency Alerts: Those in Stanislaus and Merced counties are encouraged to register for emergency notifications from their respective county; Stanislaus County residents at StanAware.com and Merced County residents at CountyofMerced.com/alert.

Additional Information: TID will continue to provide updates as necessary. Please visit tid.org/flows for more information. You can also view Don Pedro levels and Tuolumne River releases at tid.org/water/hydrological-data. For information about River water level and flows at 9th Street in

Modesto, visit the National Weather Service page at http://www.c6y7y7566y7nrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MDSC1.

 Register for Emergency Alerts from your County

o Stanislaus County: StanAware.com

o Merced County: CountyofMerced.com/alert

 General Emergency Information:

o http://www.stanemergency.com/

 How to obtain sandbags:

o In Stanislaus County: http://www.stanemergency.com/naturalDisasters/weather.shtm

o In Merced County: http://www.co.merced.ca.us/DocumentCenter/Home/View/2680

Established in 1887, Turlock Irrigation District serves reliable and affordable water and power to much of California's Central Valley.

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Don Pedro Reservoir

TID is proud to serve the local community by maintaining the Don Pedro Reservoir. The reservoir provides irrigation water storage for local growers, as well as power generation, flood control and recreation for other local citizens.

The First Don Pedro Reservoir

In 1923, Turlock and Modesto Irrigation Districts joined forces to build the first Don Pedro Dam, which had a storage capacity of 289,000 acre feet. The dam held barely enough water to accommodate growers' irrigation needs for a single growing season.

The New Don Pedro Reservoir

New Don Pedro Dam construction began in 1967 and was completed in 1971 at a cost of $105 million. The reservoir has a capacity of 2,030,000 acre feet, substantially increasing TID's water storage capacity on the Tuolumne River.

Dam statistics:

• 580 Feet high
• 855 Feet above sea level at the crest
• 1900 Feet at crest length
• 40 Feet wide at crest
• 2800 Feet wide at its base

Irrigation

TID uses water stored in Don Pedro to irrigate approximately 5,800 farms within our 307 square-mile irrigation service area.

Power

TID has been delivering power to retail customers since 1923. As an operating partner, TID operates the powerhouse at the reservoir, which can generate up to 203 megawatts of electric power from its four generators.

Flood Control

Don Pedro Lake also provides flood protection for the valley below. Don Pedro's immense capacity is able to absorb surges from Sierra storms to protect property, farmland and industry.

Recreation

With 160 miles of shoreline and nearly 13,000 acres of surface area (at maximum lake level), visitors can enjoy boating, fishing, water sports, swimming and camping. One of the highlights of the year is the annual Fourth of July fireworks show.

For more information, call the Don Pedro Recreation Area at (209) 852-2396 or visit the Don Pedro Lake website.

Relicensing

The Reservoir is licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and jointly held by TID and the Modesto Irrigation District (MID). By virtue of their historic sharing agreement based on acreage served within each district, TID's share and interest in the dam amounts to 68.46 percent while the MID's share is 31.54 percent. The current license will expire in 2016. Learn more about the relicensing by visiting the Don Pedro Relicensing website.

The Reservoir is crucial to our water system and TID is taking every step to ensure the relicensing process will be successful. This is a long, arduous and expensive process that will focus, in large part, on instream flow releases and fisheries habitat below Don Pedro Reservoir.