(KRON) California officials opened a Sacramento dam for the first time in more than a decade and thousands of people remained under evacuation advisories in Sonoma County as another storm swept into Northern California and Nevada on Tuesday after a torrential weekend drenching.
Snow was falling heavily in the Sierra Nevada with more expected through Thursday. A blizzard warning was in effect through Wednesday.
KRON4’S Sacramento affiliate KTXL reports State officials opened the Sacramento Weir gates for the first time in more than a decade.
Department of Water Resources engineers opened a number of the dam’s gates early Tuesday to direct water through the Sacramento and Yolo bypasses.
The Sacramento Weir has been in operation for 100 years. It is nearly 2,000 feet in length and consists of 48 gates that are removed manually to allow water to spill from the Sacramento River.
The weir is opened after the Sacramento River hits 29.87 feet. It was last opened in December 2005.