Pine Flat Dam slowing releases amid Kings River flooding

TULARE COUNTY (KFSN) -- Flooding in Kings County is still posing a threat to residents and businesses as water is being released from Pine Flat Dam.

The Kings River Water Association says the US Army Corps of Engineers just reduced the water release amount for a third time Sunday, and Kingsburg should see a noticeable difference by the morning.

Flooding near the Kings River Golf and Country Club has caused residents to be evacuated since Friday night as water released from the Pine Flat Dam caused the Kings River to overflow.

Tulare County Fire says the floods have affected everywhere from Fresno County, Tulare County to the Kings County line along the Kings River.

"We are continuing to work on the levee break," Capt. Joe Rosa with the Tulare County Fire Department said. "We've slowed the water down substantially, so, at this point, it's just a matter of resecuring those breaks and reinforcing everything."

Water flow from the dam was decreased by about 1,000 cubic feet per second, and officials say residents should be able to notice a difference by Monday morning.

Firefighters say although they're seeing the flooding get a little better, the area is still very dangerous.

"The water in the river is moving extremely fast," Rosa said. "It's cold, another thing is the mosquitos are already starting because the water that's been flooding into the golf course is stagnant, and it's not moving."

Black Hawk helicopters have been seen flying over the golf course Sunday afternoon, dropping thousand pound bags of rocks. Firefighters say they're trying to build up a hole of another breach down the river, but that breach is not threatening any structures.

Firefighters say almost 300 residents have been evacuated from the flooding and are still under mandatory evacuations, but crews have been able to turn the power back on at some homes.