With Clear Lake level rising to more than 8 feet on the Rumsey Gauge a number of fishermen and boaters are wondering what kind of spring and summer we will have. There is no question that a full lake will improve the bass, crappie and catfish fishing. The tules will be flooded and the fish will see ideal spawning conditions. You can bet the bass fishermen will be working the pockets back in the tules with jigs and plastic worms. For the fish the conditions will be ideal for spawning and the overall population will see an increase. A full lake will also mean an increase in new growth of tules. These plants are the natural filters in the lake and during high water years tules will sprout further from shore
The big problem is what impact the rising lake level will have on fishermen and boaters before it starts to drop this summer. The lake is currently has a lot of floating debris which could cause a danger to boaters. The high lake level could also pose a danger to lakeside homes. There are a number of homes that sit on the shores of the lake which are in danger of waves or boat wakes. Homes that were built on shores in Lakeport, Nice, Lucerne, Clearlake Oaks and the City of Clearlake are all flood prone. Boaters should also have a no Wake Zone within 2500 of shore. In other words, there is no need for a speed limit in the middle of the lake. Most bass boats produce very little wakes when they are at full speed. It’s when they go slow that they produce wakes. Hopefully the boaters will be extra careful when traveling close to the shoreline and keep their speed extra slow.
Not only will the local residents be happy with a full lake this year, Yolo County also stands to gain with a full lake because they can draw their full quota of water this spring and summer. Water is the life blood for the farmers in the Capay Valley.
All lake level measurements are based on zero Rumsey at the Grigsby Riffle, which is located on Cache Creek, about two miles from the dam. Yolo County was originally allowed to take the lake level down to zero on the Rumsey Gauge, however in 1978, eight years after Indian Valley Reservoir was built, Yolo County made an agreement with Lake County to stop taking water out of Clear Lake at the plus one-foot level on the Rumsey Gauge or November 1, whichever occurs first.
Since Yolo County can draw an unlimited amount of water from Indian Valley Reservoir, it doesn’t need as much water from Clear Lake. Evaporation takes about three feet off the lake annually and if the weather is hotter than normal, it can be even more. Adding to the water draw is that homes around the lake can legally take an unlimited amount of water from the lake for their lawns and gardens. This is called “riparian rights.”
There have been only a few years when the lake level dropped to zero or a minus reading. When the lake is full at 7.5 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, there is 1,155,000 acre-feet of water in the lake. At zero on the Rumsey, there is 842,000 acre-feet. An acre-foot equals 325,879 gallons of water. If the lake is full by May 1, Yolo County can take 150,000 acre-feet of water.
Whereas Yolo County is limited to the amount of water it can draw from Clear Lake, that’s not the case with Indian Valley Reservoir. Yolo County owns all the water in the reservoir and annually draws it down to a minimum pool. This year should also see Indian Valley Reservoir fill to its maximum.
Lake County residents have been angry with Yolo County’s rights to the water in Clear Lake for many years. But in truth Lake County never really owned the water in Clear Lake because the lake belongs to the State of California. Lake County gave up its rights to the water in Clear Lake in 1912, when the Yolo County Water and Power Company applied to the State of California for 300,000 miner’s inches of water from Cache Creek, which flows out of Clear Lake. Lake County never protested this action and Yolo County was given the water. In actuality, Yolo County has claimed the water from Clear Lake all the way back to 1873.
Hopefully the lake level will peak before it reaches the flood stage. Whereas we all want ample water but we don’t want flooding of the lakeside residents.
