Rainfall Overwhelms Fresno Ponding Basins

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A broken standpipe slowed efforts to lower the level of this ponding basin, causing water to spill onto the street. Inconvenient for drivers passing through, and the folks in the neighborhood like Suriya Muro; "Actually they need to do something about it because it's pretty high, it's really high and so it's just nerve wracking just to drive through it."

Bob Wyk, Director of The Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District has been working on the problems caused by the weekend downpour. "The basin sites, many of them just filled up almost to capacity. We have three of the basin sites where we had water actually going into the streets."

The ponding basin at Barstow and Locan in Clovis also overflowed, but the water is going down quickly. While water is being pumped out of other basins, Wyk said the anticipated dry spell should be a big help.

"We'll be working over the next 7 or 8 days to very aggressively get the basin sites pumped down so we have room for future storms," he said.

The ponding basins are just part of the regional flood control system. Most of the water flowing out of the foothills toward Fresno and Clovis was trapped by Dry Creek Dam.

Harland Ranch Residents Dave and Marla James hiked to the top of the dam. "Just amazing, the first reaction is Wow! Can't imagine it could get this high," Marla said.

The 50-foot high earthen structure is 7-miles long but many residents of the adjacent Harland Ranch neighborhood, didn't realize they were living right next to a dam.

Dave James said," It's kind of frightening, but it's nice to know they have a good dam here and good flood control. "

But as resident Suriya Muro notes, the intersection of Chestnut and Alluvial shows, the flood control system isn't perfect. "It's just been really bad, it's just been hard to get through with the traffic and the water."

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flooding, fresno, fresno county, local, gene haagenson

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