Lakeport >> Thanks to the strong El Niño pattern — and the accompanying rain — that continue to dominate Northern California’s weather, Clear Lake has made it within reach of its full mark. That’s 7.56 feet on the Rumsey gauge, historically the point where the water level at the Grigsby Riffle on Cache Creek measures that deep.
The latest milestone toward reaching that achievement happened Monday morning at around 6:15 a.m., when the lake nudged passed the 6-foot mark. This gives Clear Lake a full foot of new water in the last six days, pouring in from the many creeks and tributaries feeding into the lake.
“Scotts Creek is running two-thirds, Kelsey Creek and Adobe Creek are pretty high — we’re getting maximum runoff,” reported Terry Knight, Record-Bee outdoors writer.
Knight is optimistic the lake level will rise above 7 feet on the Rumsey gauge by Wednesday of next week, if forecasts hold true. The lake has not been listed as officially full since March of 2011.
According to forecaster Jason Clapp at the Sacramento office of the National Weather Service, from Friday, March 4 through 4 a.m. on Monday, March 7 Lake County experienced an average rainfall of 3 inches, with numbers in the northern and southernmost reaches of the county pushing closer to 5 inches. But that is just a drop compared to what may be coming.
The NWS is predicting a strong chance of rain starting Thursday and carrying over to Tuesday of next week, with the chance of precipitation topping 80 percent this Thursday and Friday. Clapp stated the weather organization is looking for an average of 7 to 10 inches of rain over that period for North County and 4 to 7.5 inches for South County.
If the weather pattern follows expectations, that amount of rainfall could easily push the lake to the full mark.
The benefits of a lake pushed to its banks are several. Tules flood, which is vital to the shoreline. Aquatic weeds receive less exposure to sunlight and thus become less active. Recreational opportunities increase, generating more tourism.
More importantly, the hitch find room to spawn in swelling streams. Along Kelsey Creek, resident Phil Murphy has been tracking a school estimated at 1,800, with smaller schools nearby.
“We’re having some of the best hitch runs in years,” Knight observed.
Clear Lake’s level as of May 1 determines how much water the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District can withdraw for irrigation. If the lake is above 3.5 on that date, Yolo County receives a monthly allocation, ending on October 1.
There are currently no plans for flood releases, according to Knight.
