Water officials hope heavy rains keep bypassing the area, taking pressure off rivers and levees.

Ducks swam circles around picnic shelters, lampposts and trees under water Tuesday along a continuously shrinking shoreline that once was a relaxing walk to the western bank of the San Joaquin River.

With dark clouds and wind-whipped water, what once was a short hike made for a treacherous swim as city officials were given an aerial view of the river with U.S. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, and state Assembly Member Juan Arambula, D-Fresno.

What they saw was a system of levees and dams feeding a river on the brink of flooding parts of this city of 9,000.

"The system is very close to its capacity," Arambula said. "Hopefully, the weather holds out and there is no more melting of the snowpack."

According to the National Weather Service, some rain is expected to fall again today in the Valley. Forecasters said about 0.10 of an inch is expected in all areas. The chance of rain was put at 60% for Merced County, 50% in Madera County, 40% in Fresno County and 30% in Tulare County.

Costa said the problems caused by rains in recent weeks prove the need for a large-scale state bond measure for additional water storage in Central California.

"It's sad that it takes a potentially catastrophic condition to wake people up," Costa said near the river's edge. "We are living off investments made in previous generations."

But there were reasons for optimism.

In the Ramirez trailer park on the north side of the city, a yardstick with a red mark on it appears to show water about an inch below its peak two days ago. To the south of town, another stick also shows a darkened area where water was lapping the day before.

Friant Dam's water releases dropped by about 1,000 cubic feet per second Tuesday, said Mario Santoyo, assistant general manager for the Friant Water Users Authority.

"I hope that if anything comes out of this it is that there is a better appreciation for the fact that Millerton was only releasing 9,000 cfs [cubic feet per second] versus 1997 when it was releasing 60,000," Santoyo said.

Rain in the foothills has not reached the worst-case levels, he said, and has given Firebaugh "a little more breathing room."

Santoyo expects that Pine Flat operators will reduce flows along the Kings River today.

But that doesn't reduce apprehension in Firebaugh.

City Manager Jose Antonio Ramirez said city leaders are worried about water cresting today from earlier releases from Pine Flat Dam. Water from Pine Flat reaches the San Joaquin River through a slough.

It takes about six days for water to get from Pine Flat to Firebaugh.

Said Ramirez: "Nobody can stop that water because it's already on the way."

He also is concerned because canal operators have been pushing the capacity of canals that divert water around Firebaugh.

"The Chowchilla Bypass has a capacity of 5,500 cfs, and we've been pushing 9,000," he said, adding that there has been evidence of leaks on the bypass.

Madera Irrigation District took some pressure off Firebaugh by diverting water from the San Joaquin River.

"It's all about being good neighbors," said Ron Pistoresi, Madera Irrigation District board president.

Pistoresi said the water is being diverted into the Fresno River through the Madera Canal just below Friant Dam and on the Madera County side.

Pistoresi said the Fresno River, which winds through the city of Madera, at this time of year would normally be getting about 150 cfs from the San Joaquin, but that in the past four days the amount of water going into the Fresno River has gradually increased.

On Monday, the rate reached 850 cfs, and Tuesday morning the figure had risen to 1,000, he said.

That is just 150 below the maximum that the system is designed to handle, he said.

At the Ramirez mobile home park in Firebaugh, California Conservation Corps workers stacked sandbags to separate residents from the river. More than 200 members of the Corps worked in Firebaugh on Tuesday along with employees of several other state agencies.

Manuel Lopez, 32, said the water is not as high as it was in 1997's historic storm.

"That year we took out everything," he said.

His neighbor, Andy Hernandez, is less concerned about flooding than he is about working.

"We are not getting that many hours," he said of the asparagus harvest. "Some days we may get in 4-5 hours and some days we don't work. They can't plant melons and I'm losing hours."

He is concerned that if there is more rain melon growers will plant on fewer acres.

"I am worried about my work, my house, my future," he said. "It's all up to the man up there."

In Madera County, there wasn't a disaster, "at least not yet," Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Erica Smith said Tuesday.

"It could have been a lot worse," she said.

Storm-triggered water releases from Buchanan Dam on Eastman Lake last week rolled into the Berenda Reservoir just east of Chowchilla. It was the scenario federal emergency planners expected and Madera County was ready, Smith said.

Madera County Agricultural Commissioner Robert Rolan told the Board of Supervisors that Tuesday was too early to assess any weather-related crop disaster. Even some of the delicate cherry crop appears to have survived.

"It's being watched," Rolan said. "It's moment to moment, the fronts moving in as they are."

Free do-it-yourself sandbags are available at the Chowchilla corporate yard, 301 N. First St., and at County Fire Station 19, John Albert Road at Road 35 in the Bonadelle Ranchos.

Supervisor Vern Moss, who represents the Chowchilla area, said thousands of rural acres were flooded but sandbagging kept most homes dry.

In Kings County, Supervisor Joe Neves, who also is the county emergency services director, declared a local state of emergency Tuesday.

Peter Moock, Kings County counsel, said crews were pumping floodwaters from several rivers and creeks into basins in the southern part of the county.

He expected supervisors to consider ratifying the declaration at a meeting next week and decide whether to ask the governor to declare a state of emergency.

Tulare County officials are waiting to hear whether the governor will include the county on his emergency declaration list. Supervisors ratified a local state of emergency Tuesday.

County Administrator Brian Haddix said damage estimates were more than $14 million and "climbing" as the county assessor's office continues receiving damage reports.

City work crews in Tulare are checking storm drains to make sure they are not plugged with leaves or debris, said Pete Licon, street superintendent. The city also is preparing to order about 3,000 filled sandbags. This year, Tulare has handed out about 2,500 sandbags and has about 1,000 remaining.

Fresno also is bracing for more rain.

Water has been pumped out of city ponding basins, and sandbags are available at a city yard in case the area receives another bout of heavy rainfall.

Three city crews began pumping water out of ponding basins late last week. A crew was added last weekend and a total of five crews were pumping water out Monday.

Sandbags are available at the city yard at E and El Dorado streets. To report clogged storm drains: (559) 621-1496.

On Tuesday, Fresno County closed Copper Avenue east of Armstrong Avenue because of flood releases from Big Dry Creek Reservoir. The road is expected to be closed for two weeks, officials said.

Bee staff writers Jim Guy, Sarah Jimenez, Charles McCarthy, Matt Leedy and Valerie Avalos contributed to this report.

The reporter can be reached at mbenjamin@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6166.