-April 18,2024-
From Sequoia Park to the old Tulare Lake bed, local authorities recount the same story. A deluge of biblical proportions including heavy rain and storm runoff in the past year in our basin has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to the region’s road and bridge infrastructure.
A series of atmospheric rivers, particularly in March 2023 sent floodwaters from the foothills streaming down to the valley floor, gushing through the streets of small communities in Tulare and Kings County and into the western part of the basin, re-creating historic Tulare lake. At its peak last summer the lake sprawled over 111,000 acres, still a fraction of its historical size of nearly 512,000 acres (800 square miles), and five to seven feet deep.
One source remarked “We all prayed for rain. We just all prayed a little too hard.”
Today prayers, shovels and hot weather have brought the lake level down to about 1000 acres after it submerged farmland, roads and bridges for months.
Tulare County damage
Damage in Tulare County included repairs to 3000 miles of rural roads and washed out bridges even as the floodwaters receded. The county reported they had identified 225 locations in need of critical emergency repairs as a result of the storms. Damage was estimated at $46 million by Resource Management Agency Director Reed Schenke. The county hopes that FEMA will reimburse for many of these repairs, mostly complete or scheduled.
Still a year later, government agencies continue to struggle to repair the extensive damage requiring federal funding to make it happen. Much has been done but there are ongoing efforts. Visitors still can’t travel up Highway 190 to the top with Caltrans spending $27 million to repair the damage mile by mile hopefully before Memorial Day – the start of the busy tourist season.
As of April 4 CalTrans says Hwy 190 Is closed from Camp Nelson Rd in Camp Nelson to Quaking Aspen Camp (Tulare Co) – due to emergency repairs.
Road work inn Sequoia/Kings Canyon
In Sequoia National Park repairs to the major roads are complete or underway with some roads still closed due to the damage.The North Fork Bridge is closed. The road to Crystal Cave will still be closed until further notice. The General Highway between the two parks is already open with 21 sites repaired. After months of closure at the Wuksachi Lodge, the park’s main hotel is now open for the season. At the entrance to Kings Canyon, Grant Grove accommodations are open.
For those who love the alpine beauty of the Mineral King Valley, there is more good news. The national park with federal funding plans to make repairs to the 25 mile road that has been closed for the past year and allow the remote valley to open for visitors after Memorial Day this year. Already 18 sites along the road have been repaired.Campgrounds along the road are expected to open as well as the Silver City Resort, says park spokesperson Sintia Kawasaki-Yee. Early in the summer season there may be construction delays on the road.
The second more extensive repair of the road is scheduled for the next few years.
After being closed last year, Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon will open for visitors and the park hopes to open sections of Redwood Canyon as well. With a beautiful stand of sequoia trees in this area, damage from flooding was minor compared to the damage from horrific wildfires that destroyed thousands of mature sequoias in the past year. Hazardous tree removal will be happening at various sites around the Parks
This month there is one major construction project on the General’s Highway to be aware of. The construction project is estimated to take eight weeks and will include closure for the first four weeks between April 15 and May-10 and and delays for the second four weeks.
Mineral King Valley in Sequoia National Park: Wikipedia