Read the transcript for this report below.
ELIZABETH ARAKELIAN, HOST: In a press conference on Friday, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni announced all river areas will be closed for recreation until the summer. As KVPR’s Kerry Klein reports, he also warned of the ongoing risk of flooding.
KERRY KLEIN: Water levels in Fresno County’s rivers are dangerously high right now, and that’s likely to continue until at least July. Zanoni advised the public not to come anywhere near riverbanks – especially in drier, sunnier weather.
JOHN ZANONI: When you see the sun, the sun's going to cause that snow to melt, which is going to cause a huge onslaught of water.
KLEIN: In fact, so much snowmelt is already flowing into Pine Flat Dam, and flood releases to the river below are so high, he said the reservoir will likely empty and fill three times before the summer.
ZANONI: So that is the level of water that we're talking about coming down through the watersheds into the lakes and down to the rivers because of the storms and the heavy snow that we’ve had this winter.
KLEIN: County officials are gathering sandbags and warning residents near rivers to have evacuation plans. They’re also installing flow meters in rivers near high flood risk areas like Firebaugh and Mendota. Meanwhile, emergency crews are ready from CalFire, state emergency services, and the National Guard. For KVPR news, I'm Kerry Klein.