Lake County residents are nervously looking at the skies for any sign of rain. While last week there were a few brief showers, for the most part the county remains bone dry. Even the level of Clear Lake is more than 3 feet below normal for this time of the year.
For the lake level to start to rise, it would 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-foot full level. 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 -.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 one-half a mile.
So far this year we have only received about 7 inches of rainfall and the current lake level is 1.12 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. The lake level has dropped about an inch this 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possible for the lake to drop below zero Rumsey when the lake fills to less than 3 feet Rumsey, even though no water is withdrawn from the lake.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.
Of course if there was another severe drought such as 1977, the impact on the communities that border the lake would be massive. Most of the docks would high and dry. The boat ramps would be out of the water. In fact, in all likelihood it would be impossible to launch a boat anywhere 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 also 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.
It wouldn”t be only Clear Lake that would suffer from a prolonged drought, local farmers would see their ground water reduced as wells dry up. The primary farming industry in the county is going grapes and they take a lot of water. A drought year could have a major impact on the wine industry. In addition to Clear Lake, 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 at less than 20 percent of normal.
The problem at Clear Lake is that the lake isn”t fed by any major rivers or streams. Just about all the run-off 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 February and March.
Don”t forget to write!
The Clear Lake Observer*American welcomes letters responding to articles and opinions that have appeared in this newspaper, as well as on topics of general interest. Letters can be sent to ObserverAmerican@gmail.com or mailed to PO Box 6200, Clearlake, CA 95422. Please include complete name, address and telephone number. Anonymous submissions will be discarded.
