needs of about 47,000 households. The dam and reservoir serve the primary purpose of flood control, so its flood-control reservation is large at , nearly half of the reservoir's capacity. The dam provides flood protection to about of land and is operated to maintain a maximum downstream discharge of at Crescent Weir, a water diversion structure on the Kings River about northwest of Lemoore. Due to the limited capacity of the reservoir, dam operators are often forced to release flows that exceed this limit in high runoff years, including in 1969, 1978, and 1986. In the 1969 floods, of water – greater than the entire capacity of Pine Flat Lake – poured over the dam's spillway. An average of of water is spilled each year, reducing valuable irrigation water supplies and causing flooding, because Pine Flat Dam is unable to contain it. This has prompted plans to raise the dam, which would increase the storage capacity by up to , all of which would be added to the flood-control pool. Increasing the height of the dam would also allow for development of more water resources for irrigation and greater power generation. The dam is also operated to maintain base flows in the Kings River during low water summers for wildlife conservation purposes. On September 11, 1964, the California Department of Fish and Game and the KRWA signed an agreement that established a minimum release of , which can be reduced to if inflows from downstream tributaries exceed that amount. See also Pine Flat Lake Kings River (California) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers List of dams and reservoirs in California List of largest reservoirs of California List of power stations in California List of the tallest dams in the United States References Works cited External links U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pine Flat Lake and Dam Kings River Conservation District Past month flow report for Pine Flat reservoir Dams in California Dams in the Tulare Basin Kings River (California) San Joaquin Valley Buildings and structures in Fresno County, California Gravity dams United States Army Corps of Engineers dams Hydroelectric power plants in California Dams completed in 1954 Energy infrastructure completed in 1954