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WEBVTT THAT ONE GATE.THE RELEASES ARE MUCH MORECONTROL.THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE ASCREWS WITH THE TURLOCKIRRIGATION DISTRICT OPENED THEGATES OF THE CONTROLLED SPILLWAYAT DON PEDRO RESERVOIR FOR THEFIRST TIME SINCE 1997.>> IT'S JUST INTERESTING TO SEEBECAUSE IT'S NOT SOMETHING THATHAPPENS ALL THE TIME.LINDA: DOZENS OF PEOPLE PARKEDTHEIR CARS ALONG THE HILLSIDEACROSS FROM THE SPILLWAY.AND GRABBED THEIR CELL PHONESAND BINOCULARS TO CATCH AGLIMPSE OF THE WATER RUSHINGTHROUGH.>> WE WERE JUST GOING TO COMEDOWN, CHECK IT OUT AND GO BACKHOME WHERE IT'S WARM.LINDA: THE PROCESS STARTED TRULYTHE AFTER 3:00 THIS AFTERNOON.>> YOU HAVE TO OPEN ONE, THENYOU CAN OPEN THE OTHER TWO ANDTHEN YOU CAN THROTTLE THE AMOUNTOF WATER YOU'RE GOING TO BERELEASING.LINDA: TID OPENED THE MIDDLEGATE ABOUT HALFWAY.BARELY VISIBLE FROM THIS VANTAGEPOINT, BUT TID SPOKESPERSONCALVIN CURTIN EXPLAINS THE ROUTETHE WATER WILL TAKE.>> THE NORMAL PATHWAY IS HERE.THE NORMAL PATHWAY IS HERE.THE POWERHOUSE SO WE RELEASEINTO THE WATER, AND IT FOLLOWSALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE SANJOAQUIN.>TODAY WHEN WE RELEASE OUT OFTHE SPILLWAY HERE, IT WILL GOACROSS WHAT USED TO BE BONDSFLAT ROAD, MAKE A HARD LEFT TURNAND THEN FOLLOW THE NATURALCHANNEL DOWN TO JOIN THE RIVERIN AN AREA CALLED TWIN GULCH.LINDA: BACKOUT HERE, THAT AREAIS ABOUT A MILE DOWNSTREAM FROMHERE.FOR THE TIME BEING, ONE GATEREMAINS OPEN HERE AT THESPILLWAY.EDIE:JUST LOOKING AT THE TIMINGOF EVERYTHING, THE OFFICIALSTHERE FROM THAT DISTRICT TALK TOYOU ABOUT OPENING THOSE OTHERTWO DATES.WHEN DID THEY EXPECT THAT TOHAPPEN?LINDA:TID SAYS THEY HAVE NOPLANS TO OPEN UP THE TWO OTHERGATES HEARD HOWEVER, THAT WILLDEPEND ON THE AMOUNT OF RAINFALLAND INFLOW INTO DON PEDRORESERVOIR.

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For the first time in 20 years, the controlled spillway gates at the Don Pedro Reservoir opened Monday afternoon. The outflows from Don Pedro Reservoir were between 18,000 and 20,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), as of 3 p.m. Monday, according to the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District. The Turlock Irrigation District said the spillway will be open for at least four days. It takes approximately 23 hours for the releases from Don Pedro to reach the Ninth Street Bridge at Modesto. The Tuloumne River is expected to peak at 62.9 feet late Tuesday. When the releases began, the reservoir was at 825 feet in elevation, 5 feet below maximum capacity, according to the California Department of Water Resources. After flowing from the reservoir, the water will go down the spillway, take a hard left and follow a channel that was cut out in 1997. It will then rejoin the Tuolumne River about a mile downstream. The controlled spillway hasn’t been used since 1997. The structural integrity of Don Pedro Dam and its controlled spillways aren’t in question and aren’t a factor in the early release, according to TID. Residents living downstream of the Don Pedro Reservoir are preparing for flooding as water levels on the Tuolumne River are expected to rise. Mandatory evacuations haven’t been issued, but authorities are starting to advise some people to seek shelter and move to higher ground. Stanislaus County Road Closures Eastin Road (since January 2017)Jorgenson Road (since January 2017)Grayson Road from Cox Road to Shiloh RoadOak Flat Road between Ward Avenue and Diablo Grande ParkwayOrestimba Creek at Bell Road (since January 2017)Pelican Road between River Road and Center RoadRiver Road from Hills Ferry Road to Villa Manucha RoadVivian Road between Keyes Road and Monte Vista Avenue Residents in Stanislaus and Merced counties are encouraged to register for emergency notifications from their respective county. Download the KCRA 3 app for alerts on the Don Pedro Reservoir and the storm. IOS: Download the app here. Android: Download the app here.