LAKE COUNTY >> Multiple water systems overseen by Lake County Special Districts are still under strict conservation orders. The Paradise Valley, Spring Valley, Mount Hannah, Bonanza Springs and Starview water systems all remain in urgency ordinances with mandatory conservation measures.
“Looking at conditions of these wells, I don’t see us lifting those urgency ordinances anytime soon,” Lake County Special Districts Compliance Coordinator Jan Coppinger said.
Paradise Valley Water System saw the greatest decrease, with a drop of 17 percent over last year, when combining all three of the system’s wells. When compared to 2013, the system has seen a 21 percent reduction. Water systems in Kono Tayee, North Lakeport and Soda Bay remain under voluntary conservation measures.
Yet the heavy rains of mid-December and the accumulation recorded in February eased some of the orders around the county. In December, two of the districts 10 water systems were reduced from stage four of the county’s drought management plan to stage one. Stage one of the plan calls for voluntary conservation.
Urgency ordinances for the Finley and Kelseyville water systems were lifted with conservation encouraged, because “analysis of the production, consumption and conditions of the wells indicates that it is not necessary,” Coppinger said shortly after the December storm.
The Indian Valley Reservoir was between 1,356 and 1,358 feet on Feb. 28 last year, but had increased to 1,405 feet on the same date this year. The greatest increase can be seen in the Mount Hannah water system’s old well, which improved 10 percent over last years totals has been seen, but is still down by 38 percent from 2013’s totals. The district completed a new well in August. The new well’s level have remained unchanged since December, which is 111 feet.
The well in the Kono Tayee water system has seen a improvement of 1 percent over last year, but a decrease of 2 percent when compared to 2013. Bonanza Springs Water System’s two wells have also improved by 1 percent over last year, but is still 15 percent lower than 2013’s totals.
Starview Water System’s single well is 2 percent less than last year, and 15 percent lower than it was in 2013.
With improvement to water levels in Clear Lake and the Indian Valley Reservoir, Coppinger said she thinks this summer won’t be worse than last.
On Feb. 28 last year, Clear Lake was floated between 1.30 and 1.41 on the Rumsey Gauge according to the U. S. Geological Survey. However, on the same date this year, the lake was between 4.5 and 4.54 on the Rumsey Gauge.
“I think where we are at today … it is not quite as bleak,” Coppinger said. “We are in a little better shape than last year.”
Data collected as of Feb. 28 regarding the status of each systems wells showed the ratio of improvements and decreases over last year’s numbers are relatively even. However, when compared to well levels in 2013, most systems have seen a decrease.
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
