SCE’s Hydro Team Helps Deliver Water Amid Creek Fire
SCE’s Hydro Team Helps Deliver Water Amid Creek Fire
Final in a three-part series
Related Links:
Historic SCE Restoration Ongoing at Big Creek
Shaver Lake Spared From Devastating Creek Fire
Appreciation for First Responders is Definitely Their Bag
Millerton Lake in Fresno and Madera counties provides vital irrigation water for local farmers whose crops include citrus, strawberries, almonds and tomatoes. The agricultural community depends on water utility services that deliver that water, especially during the harvest season from August through October.
When the Creek Fire began Sept. 4 near Big Creek, it damaged transmission, distribution and communication lines. As a result, Southern California Edison’s hydro team also lost the ability to move water through its powerhouses so it could eventually reach the farming community.
Dan Golden, SCE principal manager of Generation, quickly recognized a potential benefit for downstream water users by releasing water out of the Mammoth Pool Reservoir manually to ensure water could be delivered to Millerton Lake.

The manual valve at Mammoth Pool Reservoir is located at the end of a 100-yard tunnel below the reservoir. SCE’s hydro team would need to enter the facilities and manually operate the valve. Unfortunately, smoke from the Creek Fire caused the oxygen monitor alarms to go off and the team had to turn back.
Over the next several days, SCE worked closely with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to gain access to the area to retest the air, but the air quality in the tunnel was not improving. SCE construction teams used compressors and fans to pump fresh air into the tunnel, but there was no significant improvement.
“We got to the point where it was clear we had to get that valve open because folks down in the valley were dependent on that water. We were starting to pull the lower reservoirs down to where they were in jeopardy of not getting the water they need,” said Golden.
The day before outside vendors with self-contained breathing apparatus were scheduled to arrive and assist, the SCE teams made another attempt to test the air. They found that the air quality had improved to permissible limits. An SCE two-man crew was able to enter, open the valve, release the water flow and exit in just under an hour.

"We can't thank SCE and the management enough for the work they did to recognize the issue and their work to spring into action to find a reasonable solution," said Johnny Amaral, chief of external affairs for Friant Water Authority, which provides water utility services to thousands of local farmers. "It was really a good demonstration of how cooperation and communication really matters and how working together can be helpful for water and energy users."
When Assembly Member Devon Mathis, 26th District, learned of the potential water inflow crisis, the needs of the local agriculture community was his primary concern.
“When this issue came to my attention, I immediately contacted SCE. I was pleased to learn that they were on top of the situation and they quickly resolved the matter to everyone’s satisfaction," said Mathis. "I am a firm believer that successful outcomes always boil down to positive community partnerships and strong relationships.”
He added, “I want to thank SCE for listening to, and partnering with myself and local leaders to bring much-needed relief to our communities in the Central Valley.”