From all indications California is headed for another drought year, which would have a major impact on Lake County and Clear Lake. As of Tuesday, the lake level was at 3 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. The normal level for this time of the year should be more than 5 feet.
In other words, we are down more than two feet. The lake is considered full when the lake level is 7.52 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time we were at flood stage.
It’s not only Lake County residents who are concerned about a low lake level. Yolo County uses water from Clear Lake for irrigation. If the lake level is not at least 3.22 feet on the Rumsey Gauge on May 1, Yolo County gets no water. The summer heat also contributes to the lake level dropping. Approximately three feet of the lake level is lost to evaporation each year. There are also a dozen water companies located around the lake that draw water. In addition, there are lakeside residents who have riparian rights, which means they can draw unlimited amounts of water. All told, the lake level could be down to zero, or even lower, by October.
In recent times one of the worst years 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. This year we have received only 8.59 inches of rainfall.
It takes at least six inches of rainfall over a short period of time before any significant runoff occurs from the surrounding hills and flows into the lake. The surrounding hills are dry right now.
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 4-foot depth at the ramps. The good news is the ramps at Library Park in Lakeport have at least 6 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.
A drought could result in an excessive amount of aquatic weed growth in the lake. Last year the lake was flooded and there was practically no weed growth. When a lake is shallow the sun’s rays penetrate to the bottom, which results in massive weed growth.
A low lake level could also have an impact on the fish. If the streams don’t flow into the lake the hitch won’t be able to spawn and the bass will have a harder time reaching their spawning areas.
Of course, that could all change if we have another March Miracle. The average rainfall in March in Lake County is only about 5 inches. That amount wouldn’t raise the lake level by more than a few inches. Weather forecasters say March will see a continuation of dry weather.
Of course, there is that old saying: “We can’t change the weather and just have to learn to live with it.” The world has seen droughts before and will see them again.
