As the drought continues, the big worry among many Lake County residents is the water level of Clear Lake. The lake level as of Monday was .59 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Earlier this fall most of the water experts predicted that the lake level would be at zero or even lower by December. Other experts have predicted that an El Nino would hit the West Coast and that Clear Lake could see flood conditions by next spring. From all indications there is no El Nino on the horizon and unless we get a lot of rainfall soon the lake level will be at its lowest in more than a decade.
Clear Lake”s level has dropped to zero or lower only seven times since 1873. It dropped to a minus-1.53 feet in 1924, a minus-.1 in 1932, a minus-.36 in 1939, a minus-.135 in 1950, a minus-.12 in 1955, and a minus-3.39 feet in 1977. The lake also reached zero Rumsey in 1947.
The worst year was in 1977 when the county received only 12.46 inches of rainfall and the lake level rose to a high of minus-.3 feet. The lowest that year was a minus-3.39 feet. Just about all the boat ramps were left high and dry and people were walking under the Rodman Slough bridge.
In recent times the worst year was in 1990 when the lake level dropped to .32 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. The highest the lake reached that year was only 3.39 feet. The county only received 18.55 inches of rainfall in 1990. That was followed by another drought year in 1991 when the lake level receded to .43 feet and peaked at only 3.98 feet.
Clear Lake is unique in comparison to other lakes in Northern California. Take Lake Shasta where the lake level routinely drops more than 100 feet every year. If the lake level drops seven feet in a year at Clear Lake it”s major news and a cause for concern.
It will take at least six inches of rainfall over a short period of time before any runoff from the surrounding hills flows into the lake. To date the county has received a little more than three inches of rain and that was two weeks ago. The land around the lake is once again becoming dry and none of the streams that flow into the lake are holding any water.
Launching boats could be a problem if the drought continues. Of the public ramps, the ones that will be affected first are at Redbud Park, the public ramp in Lucerne, and the State Park. Presently these docks have only about a 2-foot depth at the ramps. The good news is that the ramps at Library Park in Lakeport have at least 4 feet of water at the end of the docks. The same applies to the ramp at Clearlake Oaks and the ramp at Lakeside County Park.
If the drought continues until next spring it could have a major impact on the fish in the lake. The bass wouldn”t be able to get back into the tules to spawn, which means the eggs and nests would be exposed to waves and predators. There also would be more weeds. Low water conditions and clear water are the ideal ingredients for massive weed growth.
The current drought has already had a major impact on other lakes in the area. Indian Valley Lake is a good example. The reservoir is down more than 130 feet and the ramps are out of the water. The same applies to Lake Pillsbury. The lake is currently down to only 36 percent of its carrying capacity and it will take a series of wet storms to fill it back up.
Of course, things could change in a hurry. Normally the months of January and February are the wettest months and it”s too early to be concerned. A few years ago the conditions were similar and the “March Miracle” occurred and the lake was full within a matter of two weeks.
All is not gloom and doom. Clear Lake has survived hundreds of droughts during its long history and another one would be just a part of nature. Besides, there is little we can do to control the weather.
