PG&E Urges Caution as North State Reservoirs Spill and Rivers Run High

January 6, 2017 – Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is cautioning those going near rivers to take precautions and be aware of higher flows as the coming rain fills many PG&E reservoirs, causing them to spill.

After years of drought conditions, people may be caught off guard by the higher water flows. At PG&E the safety of the public and our employees is our top priority.

PG&E is managing and monitoring water conditions along the Pit, North Fork Feather River and other river systems where it has hydroelectric powerhouses, dams, canals and flumes. Fortunately, the rivers can accommodate much higher flows like those that can occur during wet years.

PG&E is also managing water levels in Lake Almanor by releasing water from outlets at Canyon Dam to ensure lake levels do not go above the desired maximum.

Reservoirs spilling now or expected to spill next week include the Pit 3, Pit 4, Pit 5, Pit 6 and Pit 7 along the Pit River in Shasta County; Belden, Rock Creek, Cresta and Poe reservoirs on the North Fork Feather River in Plumas and Butte counties; Mountain Meadows Reservoir in Lassen County; the Grizzly Forebay in Plumas County; and possibly the McCloud Reservoir on the McCloud River in Siskiyou County.

It’s not unusual for PG&E ‘s reservoirs to spill during the wettest parts of normal winters, because they tend to have less storage and are located at much higher elevations than state and federal multi-year water storage reservoirs like Shasta Lake and Lake Oroville. PG&E’s reservoirs are designed to capture rain and snowmelt runoff in winter, spring and early summer to generate clean, renewable hydroelectric power.