HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE >> A delay in collecting insurance money has forced the local Community Services District (CSD) to put off much needed flood control project repairs until mid-February.
The local flood control system was damaged in last September’s Valley Fire and the initial estimate of damages has risen from $600,000 to $750,000 which is causing in part the repair delay, said Matt Bassett, interim general manager of the Hidden Valley Lake CSD.
Bassett said he had hoped to have the repairs completed by now but the insurance delay along with problems in getting needed equipment, including a replacement generator, have pushed completion of repairs to the end of the month and the arrival of the new generator to around Valentine’s Day.
In early December, Bassett estimated about 50 percent of the repairs had been completed. That figure has not changed, he added.
The delay comes amid a strong El Niño pattern that has brought above-average rainfall to the county with regular storms expected through March although one climatologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has suggested that heavy rain could continue into April or May.
Bassett said he is “grateful” for the quiet periods that have followed most storms this season but said the Jan. 17-18 strong storm tested the limits of Putah Creek, the community’s primary flooding threat.
“If that storm had continued much longer, we would have had problems.” Bassett said, adding that the district’s flood control system can handle a rainstorm that lasts for a day or two. “The problem will be when we get three or four rainy days in a row, which we have not seen so far this season.”
To date, the community’s flood control system has held and no creek flooding has been reported, even though “a lot of water has flowed through it,” Bassett said.
One of the problems in the system in that the district’s lone pump at the Putah Creek catch basin was destroyed in the fire and the CSD has not been able to replace it. However, Bassett said the district has a hand pump at the catch basin that can be used in an emergency until a new pump is secured.
The district’s flood control catch basin, located off Hartmann Road near Gold Flat Court, is separated from Putah Creek by a dirt levee. One resident recently expressed concern about erosion at the levee but Bassett said the levee was checked and the small amount of erosion that has occurred is not of concern.
Despite the string of storms that have streamed into Lake County this winter, Putah Creek has not come close to flooding, partially due to the fact that none of the storms have been severe or prolonged.
The creek reached a high water level of 11.5 feet on Jan. 18, Bassett said, adding that he has been closely tracking the creek levels throughout the winter.
The monitor stage of the creek is 19 feet, flood stage is 21 feet with evacuations starting at 25 feet, according to data from the California-Nevada River Forecast Center.
The discharge rate of water in the creek is around 400 cubic feet per second (cfs) during the recent storms, indicating a very swift current, compared to about 25 cfs without a storm.
Bassett said three or four days in a row of heavy rain probably would overwhelm the creek’s capacity despite the flood control system. Parts of Hidden Valley Lake are in a federally-designated flood plain.
Of the district’s three water wells, two were damaged in the fire and one was destroyed. Currently, one well is operating under emergency conditions. The district has also brought in a large electricity generator on a flatbed truck to power the system while the electrical control panels undergo repair.
Despite the setback, Bassett said he is satisfied that the district will be prepared for more rain. “We’ll be good, depending on how much punishment we get.”
He also said he believes the community’s 5,500 residents are prepared for the possibility of flooding. He urged every household to have a “go bag” ready of emergency items such as food, water, flashlights, batteries and a portable radio along with important documents. He also said residents should have an exit plan of where they will go should an evacuation be needed.
Residents were under a mandatory evacuation order during the Valley Fire.
Bassett’s biggest concern is warning residents of an emergency or evacuation. Right now, the CSD relies on the county’s NIXLE telephone alert system and first responders going door to door. However, during an emergency, the county’s limited police and fire services would likely become overwhelmed, as happened during the Valley fire.
The CSD flood control work is in addition to repairing and replacing water and sewer infrastructure damaged or destroyed in the Valley Fire that swept through Cobb Mountain, Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake.
Among structures in the flood plain are the HVL Campground, CSD office and the HVL fire station. While flood waters are expected to come primarily from Putah Creek, other area creeks could also flood this winter, including Coyote and Gallagher.
Rain runoff from Cobb Mountain and Middletown, areas heavily affected by the fire, naturally channels down a system of small tributary creeks into Putah Creek that skirts the southern and southeastern edges of the community.
The runoff is made worse by the burned, barren ground that turns to a concrete-like material that allows water to flow rapidly and not get fully absorbed into the ground. This dangerous situation is compounded by the lack of grasses, brush and trees that act as natural flood and erosion controls.
Of the community’s 2,500 homes, about 300 are in low-lying areas near Putah Creek that are “most susceptible” to flooding, Bassett said.
One of the major problems is that even when fully operational, the HVL flood control system is designed for 10-year floods and the county is expecting 100-year flooding before the current El Niño ends.
