PG&E water release creates fast flows on portion of San Joaquin River

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A popular Fresno County recreation spot looked a lot different on Sunday.

A stretch of the San Joaquin River was moving much faster than usual.

This was after PG&E released more water from the Kerckhoff Dam.

Starting early Sunday morning, PG&E gradually increased flows from 40 cubic feet per second to 1,500 feet per second, part of a study for the Kerckhoff Hydroelectric Project relicensing.

It didn't take long for Jacob Johnson and his girlfriend to notice the high flows while hiking in the San Joaquin River Gorge.

They also saw the signs advising the public to stay out of the water in the high flow area - a nine-mile stretch between Kerckhoff Dam and Millerton Lake.

Leading up to the planned release, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office also put out a word of caution.

Water flows were reduced to 40 cubic feet per second by around 5 o' clock.