THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT COUNTY MAINTAINED LAUNCHES.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Clear Lake's level increased slightly on Sunday, and county officials are predicting the lake will peak Monday before it begins to decrease.
Clear Lake hit flood stage, 9 feet Rumsey, last Friday, and by early Monday morning the lake's level was at 9.38 feet Rumsey, according to the US Geological Survey's gauge on the lake.
Lake County Water Resources said Sunday that the lake is predicted to reach 9.5 feet Rumsey on Monday, at which point it's expected to begin receding.
Because of Clear Lake's high waters, Lake County remained under a flood warning issued by the National Weather Service in Sacramento early Monday.
The Cache Creek Dam has continued sizable water releases through the weekend. The US Geological Survey gauge on the dam showed releases at 3,750 cubic feet per second early Monday morning, well above the mean release level of 638 cubic feet per second.
Last Thursday, the dam's releases had climbed above the 4,000 cubic foot per second level. The dam's highest historical release, 4,830 cubic feet per second, was measured in 1983, according to US Geological Survey records.
Lake County Public Services last week closed boat launches in county parks due to the lake level, although Lake County News received reports from community members that a ramp at Holiday Harbor – which is county owned but is not a park and is not a free launch – in Nice remained open. County officials said that launch point also was being closed Monday due to conditions.