LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With Clear Lake approaching its full mark, officials on Wednesday began releasing water from the Cache Creek Dam.

The California-Nevada River Forecast Center is forecasting Clear Lake to reach the full level – 7.56 feet Rumsey – this weekend, due to continuing storms.

The National Weather Service is forecasting several inches of rain will fall on Lake County from Thursday into next week.

With continued high flow levels anticipated to continue through next week, early releases will help keep Clear Lake levels closer to full level and reduce potential flood impacts, Lake County Water Resources reported.

Water Resources reported that at approximately 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District – which holds the main water rights to Clear Lake – began releasing water from Cache Creek Dam.

Releases will be gradually increased depending on actual lake levels and forecasts. It is possible that full flood releases will occur by this weekend, Water Resources said.

Because of the limited flow capacity of the Cache Creek Outlet Channel, full flood releases when Clear Lake is full is only 2,500 cubic feet per second, which will reduce the rise in Clear Lake by approximately 1.5 inches per day, officials said.

Yolo Flood is in contact with Lake County Water Resources and is coordinating operation of the dam with county staff, according to Water Resources staff.

As a result of the Gopcevic Decree of 1920, operating criteria were developed that require flows be released from Clear Lake when the level exceeds certain levels which vary by the time of the year.

The operating criteria mandatory release level is 7.46 feet Rumsey for March 9. There is a 6-inch exception to allow for early releases for forecasted storms, Water Resources reported.

On Wednesday morning, Clear Lake was at 6.15 feet Rumsey, more than 1.3 – or 16 inches – below the operating criteria. While this is outside the normal limits of the operating criteria, Water Resources said Yolo Flood and county staff agreed that, with the current forecasts, beginning flood releases at this time will help reduce potential flooding around Clear Lake and is in the best interests of the public.

Additional information regarding the operating criteria and Clear Lake is available at the Lake County Water Resources Web site at http://watershed.co.lake.ca.us ; click on the “Clear Lake Information” link
on the left.