Rarely used relief valve will divert Kern River floodwaters to California Aqueduct
The Kern River is swollen with so much runoff from the epic Sierra Nevada snowpack that officials have opened a rarely used relief valve, diverting floodwaters into the California Aqueduct to be used as drinking water in Southern California. Opening this flow relief valve, known as the Kern River Intertie, is intended to prevent floodwaters from reaching Tulare Lake, a typically dry lake bed that in recent weeks has experienced a dramatic resurgence, replenished by powerful winter storms and, now, heavy spring runoff. … Over two months, state officials said, about 75,000 acre-feet of Kern River water will pass into the aqueduct, enough to supply approximately 225,000 homes for a year.
Related articles:
- Fox Weather: California to deal with some snowmelt flooding by diverting water
- SF Gate: NASA images show the reappearance of a long-lost California lake
- Newsweek: Yosemite Photos Show Park Flooding as Sierra Nevada Snow Melts
- Ag Net West: Latest Flood-Related Executive Order Expands Diversion Flexibilities
