Update: TID preparing to open Don Pedro Reservoir spillway as early as 3 p.m. Monday

The spillway gates at Don Pedro Reservoir could open as early as 3 p.m. Monday, but no earlier, authorities said.

The Turlock Irrigation District made the declaration late Sunday night due to “volatile changes in forecasts for upcoming storms,” an agency press release stated.

“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 agency stated in an 11 p.m. press statement.

Opening the spillway would provide relief for the brimming reservoir, which was at 4.39 feet from reaching its maximum as of 6:30 a.m. Monday.

A storm that’s made its way into the Central Valley and could bring up to five inches of rain in and above the Sierra foothills would likely bring the reservoir that’s about a 50-minute drive from Modesto to its maximum.

Since midnight, downtown Modesto has received 0.42 inches of rain.

The water from the spillway would flow into the Tuolumne, which runs through the eastern part of Stanislaus County, into Modesto and then to the west part of the county. It eventually runs into the San Joaquin River between Highway 132 and Grayson just east of Interstate 5.

Some residents in Modesto and west of town along the Tuolumne already have been evacuating from their homes as the river has been within inches of the 55-foot flood stage.

Late last week, Stanislaus County officials were at mobile home parks along River Road near Ninth Street to issue voluntary evacuation notices.

The American Red Cross has moved its shelter in Patterson to the Turf Club building Stanislaus County Fairground in Turlock to increase capacity.

“The fairgrounds facility is here to help shelter anyone affected with the floods,” said Matt Cranford, chief executive office of the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, in a news release.

To reach the fairgrounds’ Turf Club facility from Highway 99, take the Fulkerth exit, go left on Fulkerth, then take a right on Soderquist Road. The facility is on the left side of Soderquist. The phone number at the shelter is 1-844-236-0153.

As of 6:30 a.m. Monday, the level had reached 54.76 feet, but that will rise with the impending spillway opening and subsequent high flows into the Tuolumne. Currently, the National Weather Service’s Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service shows the river reaching 55 feet at 2 p.m. Tuesday and peaking at 60 feet Wednesday night before receding.

In preparing to open the gates, workers late Sunday night closed Bonds Flat Road, which run directly below the spillway, between Blue Oaks and Fleming Meadows recreation areas that sit to the north and south of the spillway. They were scheduled to place concrete road barriers down.

According to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, sandbags are now available at the following locations:

• City of Modesto – 501 N. Jefferson Street, Modesto (next to City Corp Yard at Washington and Elm)

• Patterson Corp Yard – 16215 Baldwin, Patterson

• Oakdale Fire Station – 325 E. G Street, Oakdale

• Stanislaus County Corp Yard – 1716 Morgan Road, Modesto

According to forecasters, rain is supposed to continue through Tuesday night and accompanied by power winds. The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning – which will bring gusts of up to 65 mph – from 4 p.m. Monday to 4 a.m. Tuesday.

The opening of the spillway gates also will effect TID electricity customers in the eastern part of the county.

In a news release early Monday morning, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department said in anticipation of the gates opening, TID will begin to “de-energize power lines along the Tuolumne River channel” at about 10 a.m. Monday. It said 978 TID electrical services along the river from La Grange to the confluence of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin Rivers will lose power.

The process will take about 18 hours, so not all of the services will lose power at one time, the sheriff’s department said.

The Stanislaus County Office of Emergeny Services has notified the affected residents through www.stanaware.com of the intended power outages.

The last week of rain, light flooding and news of the spillway possibly opening has brought back memories of January 1997, when under similar conditions thousands of residents were flooded out of their homes.

The fallout from the flood?

In the unincorporated area of Stanislaus County, 1,416 homes had to be evacuated, according to a Bee report. In addition, 65 mobile home spaces were designated below flood level. Within the Modesto City limits, 109 homes were flooded and 23 remain unoccupied more than two months later under orders from city building inspectors.

According to Bee reports a month later, damage estimates were divided almost evenly across Stanislaus County – $30 million to agriculture; $24.3 million to homes and businesses; and $20 million to repave roads, rebuild the Roberts Ferry Bridge and pay for 190,000 sandbags, hundreds of hours of overtime and debris removal.

We’ll have more on this breaking news throughout the morning.

This story was originally published February 20, 2017 at 4:13 AM with the headline "Update: TID preparing to open Don Pedro Reservoir spillway as early as 3 p.m. Monday."