Warm rains caused increased snowmelt this weekend pushing the Merced River in Yosemite Valley almost to flood stage.
Merced Sun Star: The whirling water forced the evacuation of 71 campsites near the river, according to the National Park Service.
There were no injuries reported from the high water or the evacuation.The surging river also increased the level of Lake McClure by more than 23,000-acre-feet in three days, which may lessen the drought’s impact on local farmers, according to the Merced Irrigation District.
An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons, roughly the volume a Valley family would use in a year.Yosemite Valley received 1.47 inches of rain Friday and an additional 1.11 Saturday, said Yosemite National Park spokeswoman Kari Cobb.
The combination of more than two inches of rain and a heavy snowmelt swelled the Merced River to near its flood level of 10 feet.
The river rose to nine feet Friday night and Saturday morning, said Cobb.
The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the Yosemite Valley on Friday and Saturday. The agency predicted the river would rise to 12 feet.
Rains are expected to continue today and then break up into scattered showers on Wednesday leading into a warm and sunny weekend.