LAKEPORT, Calif. – The conditions of a hillside where several homes in a north Lakeport subdivision are located have continued to rapidly worsen, with the ground level sinking several more feet since last week.
Since late March four structures have been red-tagged in the Lakeside Heights subdivision, which was created in the early 1980s and now has more than two dozen homes, according to county records.
On Monday, the hillside showed a worsening condition, with a section of ground running under the homes and through an empty lot appearing to have dropped several more feet.
The situation possibly was exacerbated by weekend rain, adding to the moisture in the already saturated hillside.
One of the subdivision’s Tudor-style homes looked like it was slipping into the hole, with the large crack up one side of the home’s exterior widening and its driveway cement buckling and separating from the house.
Another of the homes continued to pull further from its foundation, and the decks on both of those homes, which are perched on the hillside, were pulling off of the structures.
So far, the Community Development Department has not ordered abatement of the most severely damaged of the homes.
A temporary pumping station remains in place nearby, and the county put up temporary fencing around the sinking area.
Last week, Special Districts released a leak report conducted to try to locate the problem plaguing the hillside, as Lake County News has reported.
Specialized Utility Services Program, a subsidiary of California Rural Water Association, completed the leak testing. A copy of the leak report can be seen below.
The report suggests that the source of the leak is a 2-inch irrigation pipe belonging to the Lakeside Heights Homeowners Association. Special Districts reported that it disconnected the irrigation line pending further inspection and repair.
A more in-depth geotechnical investigation is being carried out by RGH Consultants, hired by the county late last month. Special Districts said it’s hoped that the geotechnical report will reveal the cause and how much the hillside can be expected to slip.
Special Districts Administrator Mark Dellinger is expected to update the board on the situation at its Tuesday meeting, according to Mireya Turner, the assistant clerk of the board.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Lake County Special Districts Leak Detection Support by LakeCoNews