LAKEPORT >> The lake level of Clear Lake has risen above the 3 foot mark on the Rumsey Gauge. The heavy rainfall could cause the lake level to surpass 4 feet on the Rumsey Gauge by Monday.
On this day last year the lake measured in at a parched 0.63 Rumsey.
Rain began in the early morning hours on Friday. By 7:30 a.m. Cache Creek Dam was releasing at 2.2 cfs. The National Weather Service and other forecasts call for continued showers on Saturday through the evening, followed by rain and a slight chance of thunderstorms on Sunday. The storm will begin leaving the area on Monday.
Although some models have as much as 10 inches of rain accumulating in high elevation areas by Monday, the storm has thus far been tame — though welcome — compared to mid-December’s powerful downpour. By noon on Friday the Lakeport police reported only localized flooding. Later in the afternoon they updated this, noting a decrease in flooded surfaces.
There were no road closures in Lakeport.
Some areas of Northern California experienced strong and potentially damaging wind gusts. The San Jose Mercury News reported a gust clocked at 59 miles per hour in Alemeda County.
A time-honored calculation indicates Clear Lake’s level will rise 1 foot on the Rumsey Gauge for every 4 inches of rain. Yolo County can draw water from Clear Lake when the lake level is 3.22 feet or greater on the Rumsey Gauge as of May 1.
Last year Yolo County didn’t receive any water from the lake.
When the lake level is between 3.22 and 7.54 feet the amount of water that Yolo County can take is determined by a special formula. When the lake level is 7.56 feet or greater the lake is considered full and Yolo County receives it full allotment of water which is 150,000 acre feet of water. The lake holds 1,155,000 acre feet of water when the level is at 7.56 feet on the Rumsey Gauge.
