CCC News Story

April 14, 2006
Governor surveys sodden Valley
Schwarzenegger tours Fresno Co., sees efforts to prevent floods.

The Fresno Bee
By Mark Grossi

FIREBAUGH � The San Joaquin River looked broad and swift Thursday from the airborne Black Hawk helicopter that carried Gov. Schwarzenegger on an inspection tour of the soggy Valley.

During his brief flight, Schwarzenegger saw sandbagging and levee patching that have thus far held floodwater out of Firebaugh in west Fresno County.

Even though the flood threat had eased in the past 48 hours, the governor wanted to get a closer look at Fresno County, one of seven counties he included in a state-of-emergency declaration Monday.

"I'm a hands-on governor," he said. "I want to see first-hand that the levees are being shored up."

His visit came as the National Weather Service forecast a 60% chance of rain today from another in a series of spring storms. Officials also are bracing for a big runoff from a snowpack that is 160% of average.

From the air Thursday, the countryside along the river already looked waterlogged. The San Joaquin, which usually is dry for many miles on the west side, spread into meandering curves.

The Chowchilla Bypass near Mendota appeared to be filled to capacity. Many nearby green fields had standing water in deep swales.

Levees on the west side appeared to be holding, though seepage was widespread in neighboring farm fields and on unpaved roads.

"You can see the fixes that have been done all through here," Les Harder, deputy director of the state Department of Water Resources, told the governor during the flight.

The helicopter flew over dozens of California Conservation Corps workers packing sandbags and stacking them against the back fences of Firebaugh residences only 75 yards from the river.

The Black Hawk, which took off from Fresno Yosemite International Airport, stood out at the small Firebaugh airport where a row of cropdusters were parked. After landing, the governor was quickly taken on a walking tour at the edge of town where the river runs.

"You are doing a great job," he told workers. "You can see sunshine today."

Down by the San Joaquin, Fresno County Supervisor Phil Larson thanked Schwarzenegger for his support and quick action.

"We spoke," Larson said. "You responded. We can't tell you how much Fresno County and Firebaugh appreciates this."

The governor added Tulare and Kings counties to the state-of-emergency list Thursday. Tulare County Supervisor Connie Conway said: "It's comforting. We're grateful."

In Fresno County, the federal government's flood releases from Friant Dam have been reduced to less than 8,000 cubic feet per second, which is still enough water in one day to supply 64,000 people for a whole year.

But the releases at Friant have not been the big concern in Firebaugh. The worry was more than 4,500 cubic feet per second coming into the San Joaquin from Pine Flat on the Kings River.

The Kings flood release water comes to the San Joaquin through the Fresno Slough. Firebaugh City Manager Jose Antonio Ramirez said the immediate crisis has passed because area water districts and farmers have taken some of the water out of the river.

"I think we dodged a bullet for the moment," he said. "But we're not out of the woods yet. There's a lot of snow that's going to melt up in the mountains."