The recently warm and balmy days may be nice, but what we really need is some rain. As of Tuesday the lake level stood at 1.19 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, which is a good 2 feet below normal for this time of the year. With no rain in the immediate forecast, people are are already using that dreaded “drought” word.
Before the lake level can begin to rise it will take a good 3- or 4-inch downpour. It would take at least 20 inches of additional rainfall for the lake level to rise to the 7.52 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, which is full. The bad news is that we”re already more than 10 inches of rainfall below last year at this time. A few years ago we were in a similar situation but then we had the “March Miracle” and the lake level rose past the full mark.
Clear Lake has seen severe droughts in past years, the worst being in 1977 when the maximum lake level was a -0.3 on the Rumsey Gauge. That year the lake level in November was -3.39 feet and the county only received a total of only 12.46 inches for the entire year. That year the shoreline extended out into the lake for more than half a mile.
So far this year we have received only 6.8 inches of rainfall. The lake level has been holding steady at 1.19 for the past month.
In the worst case scenario, if we only received 2 or 3 inches of rainfall for the rest of the winter the lake level would slowly recede as the water evaporates. Evaporation causes about a 3-foot drop per year in the lake level. With summer evaporation from the lake at approximately 3 feet, it is possible for the lake to drop below Zero Rumsey when the lake fills to less than 3 feet Rumsey, even though no water is withdrawn from the lake.
Local domestic use would also draw down the lake. The result is that Yolo County wouldn”t get any water. The lake level must be at 3.22 feet on the Rumsey Gauge as of May 1 before Yolo County is allowed to draw water from the lake. That has only occurred twice in the past 50 years (1976-77). The lake level at Clear Lake has failed to reach 5 feet or greater only 21 times since 1873.
If there were another severe drought such as 1977, the impact on the communities that border the lake would be massive. Most of the docks would be high and dry. The boat ramps would be out of the water. In fact, it would be impossible to launch a boat just about everywhere on the lake. Tourists would stay away in droves.
The impact on the fisheries would also be significant as there would be no spawning areas in the spring. The fish populations would decline as they would be crowded into smaller areas and there would be less food. It would mean the end of bass tournaments for several years.
Not only Clear Lake would suffer from a prolonged drought. Local farmers would see their ground water reduced as wells dry up and other nearby lakes would be little more than potholes. As it now stands, Lake Pillsbury, Indian Valley Reservoir and Lake Mendocino are way below normal and their lake levels continue to drop.
For example, Lake Pillsbury”s water storage is only at 20 percent of normal.
Clear Lake isn”t fed by any major rivers or streams and that”s one problem. Just about all the runoff into the lake is from small feeder streams and it takes a lot of rainfall to get those streams running. The primary streams that fill the lake are Scotts Creek, Middle Creek and Kelsey Creek. These creeks are normally dry for more than six months out of the year. This year they have been dry all winter.
The lake could still fill if we get some storms. Normally Clear Lake reaches its highest level during the months of February and March.
Of course, there is little that we can do if it doesn”t rain. We don”t control the weather.
