LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – After a month of high water conditions, Clear Lake’s elevation finally dropped below flood stage on Thursday, with an ongoing flood warning set to expire on Friday morning.

Flood stage on Clear Lake is 9 feet on the Rumsey gauge. Clear Lake’s level fell below that mark just after noon on Thursday and has continued to steadily recede, according to the United States Geological Survey gauge on the lake.

The National Weather Service’s flood warning, issued in February, will remain in effect until 10 a.m. Friday, with the agency reporting that the lake is expected to fluctuate near flood stage through Saturday.

The lake had first gone into flood stage on Feb. 8, and was closed to motorized vessels from Feb. 14 to 28 due to concerns about damage to the shoreline, as Lake County News reported.

Clear Lake remains in the “monitor stage,” which is the elevation above 8 feet Rumsey.

The California Nevada River Forecast Center predicts that the lake’s level is going to continue steadily receding, and could fall below 8 feet Rumsey late next week.

The county can look forward to lessening flood conditions thanks to a break in the weather.

The updated specific Lake County forecast from the National Weather Service shows mostly clear conditions through the middle of next week, when there are once again chances of rain.

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.

NICE, Calif. – A levee that overtopped in February due to the heavy storms and flooding is the reason behind the extended closure of the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff, with county and state officials working on a plan to reopen the road.

In February, heavy rains pushed Clear Lake’s level into flood stage, which is 9 feet and above on the Rumsey gauge. The lake’s elevation topped out at about 10.6 feet Rumsey, its highest level since the 1998 flood, on Feb. 22 and 23, according to United States Geological Survey lake gauge records.

On Feb. 22, a state-maintained levee in Maintenance Area 17-Lake County, located in the Rodman Slough area to the north of the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff, overtopped and filled the water basin, according to Lake County Water Resources Director Phil Moy.

On the same day, the Lake County Public Works Department closed the road, as Lake County News has reported.

Even before that levee overtopped and the road was closed, there was standing water on the roadway due to issues with another levee, according to Public Works Director Scott De Leon.

“We were experiencing some flooding there in the low spot because the levee between the road and the lake was leaking,” said De Leon.

He said that water on the road normally would have receded in concert with the lake level, which has steadily decreased since the severe storms ended.

However, even with the lake level receding, the water trapped in the basin due to the overtopped levee has to dry up, be drained or be otherwise removed before the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff can dry out and the road will be safe to reopen, De Leon explained.

The basin where the water is trapped covers a sizable area. De Leon said it consists of the Rodman Slough and the rice fields on the north side of the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff.

As a result, De Leon said the closure could go on for awhile, although so far he has no estimate on how long it could be.

De Leon didn’t know for sure when the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff was last closed due to flooding, adding that he presumed it was closed due to the 1998 flood, when the lake’s elevation topped 11.4 feet on the Rumsey gauge.

Moy said the California Department of Water Resources has had crews on site at the levee every day since January, when heavy storms began to hit the county.

“What they were able to do, when they saw the overtopping beginning to occur, they protected the levee so the levee itself didn’t erode and go away,” said Moy.

Moy added that the crews have not otherwise been attempting to build up the levee.

John Paasch, chief of flood operations for the California Department of Water Resources, said the MA 17-Lake County levee was maintained by the county of Lake up until 2001, at which time the county requested the state form a maintenance area to take over its management.

He said the State Department of Water Resources collects assessments from the county through the flood protection board to maintain the levees there.

“It’s a known problem area,” he said, suggesting that’s why the county wanted to turn it over to the state.

He said the State Department of Water Resources has spent a lot of time in Lake County in the last few years to address problems including a pumping plant and levee on the north side of the district that has had issues. A levee that nearly failed in 2011 and had to be sandbagged by inmate crews also is in that district.

Paasch said the county asked the state flood center to lend technical assistance in the matter. The state’s work on the levee has included shoring up its low spots and covering it with plastic.

“The maintenance area has done all it can, it’s exhausted its budget,” he said.

The maintenance district has an annual budget of $103,000, and has spent $57,000 on high water patrolling and flood emergency response this winter, Paasch said.

He said they’re waiting to see how the levee looks once the water recedes. “Until that lake comes down, there’s not a whole lot that anyone can do.”

Paasch acknowledged that the situation is a burden on the county and the community, adding that he believes closing the road is the safest thing to do right now.

“There’s a lot of things that really come to a head here,” Paasch said, noting it’s a question of land use planning – where roads and infrastructure is placed and the associated flood risk.

Moy said the county is working with the state to find a solution to the flooding that led to the road closure, with the leading option now being to pump the water out of the basin and into the lake.

Pumping the water out would take at least a week, with Moy explaining that otherwise it could take months to evaporate.

He said the area doesn’t need to be completely pumped dry. Rather, the water has to be taken down low enough so that there is no water on the road or underneath, in the road bed.

Now, the main question is where the money will come from, Moy said.

Moy said the state and county are working through a series of steps to look at all the possible sources of funding to pay for a pump, fuel and a person to check the equipment daily, as well as how much it would cost.

“We’re interested in getting the road open just as soon as possible,” Moy said.

In addition to the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff, De Leon said the county is looking at serious road damage issues countywide because of the flooding.

Countywide, damage assessments are still in the early stages for the county roads system, due to many roads still being underwater, he said.

However, a ballpark estimate the county is using now, without the full assessment completed, is between $5 million and $7 million, De Leon said.

“We continue to find things,” he said.

He said the storm impacts include a second slide that’s developed on Socrates Mine Road near Middletown, about a mile away from another slide that first appeared in January.

“With the ground as saturated as it is, it doesn’t take a whole lot and the ground gives way,” he said.

Similar issues are developing on the county’s mountains roads, including Bartlett Springs Road, where De Leon said crews are discovering impacts from the storms.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Red Cross is will be operating a Flood Survivors' Service Center open to all Lake County residents affected by recent flooding.

The service center will be operating in the Lakeport area on Sunday, March 12, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Monday, March 13, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Lakeport Fire Station No. 52 at the intersection of Hill Road East and Park Way (3600 Hill Road East) in north Lakeport.

Available services include but are not limited to: Financial and housing assistance information, food and relief supplies, and health and emotional support.

City of Lakeport staff and county representatives from Environmental Health and Social Services will be available at the Service Center on Sunday between 1 and 6 p.m.

For additional information contact the Red Cross at 707-438-7059.
 

Centro de Flood Survivor operar este domingo y lunes en la zona de Lakeport

LAKEPORT, Calif. – La Cruz Roja se estará operando un Centro de Servicio de Superviviente de la inundación abierto a todos los residentes del Condado de Lake afectadas por las recientes inundaciones.

El centro de servicio estará operando en el área de Lakeport el domingo, 12 de marzo de 9 a.m. a 6 p.m. y el lunes, 13 de Marzo de 10 a.m. a 7 p.m. en el parque de bomberos Lakeport #52 en la intersección de camino de la colina del este y Park Way (3600 Hill Road Este) en Lakeport norte.

Los servicios disponibles incluyen pero no se limitan a: La información financiera y la asistencia de vivienda, los suministros de alimentos y de socorro y de la salud y apoyo emocional.

Ciudad del personal Lakeport y el condado de representantes de Salud Ambiental y Servicios Sociales estarán disponibles en el Centro de servicio en domingo entre 1 p y 6 p.

Para obtener información adicional póngase en contacto con la Cruz Roja al 707-438-7059. 

LUCERNE, Calif. – A small area of the water system owned and operated by California Water Service has been placed under a boil water notice, officials said Thursday.

California Water Service and the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Drinking Water have issued a precautionary boil water advisory for about 140 customers residing in the area bordered by Fifth Avenue on the north, Country Club Drive on the east, 11th Avenue on the south and the frontage road on the west.

Impacted customers are advised to boil all tap water for drinking, preparing food and brushing teeth until further notice.

The boil water advisory was prompted by a water main repair and temporary service interruption for some customers, Cal Water said.

Any time water pressure drops below the threshold set by the Division of Drinking Water, water quality tests are required to ensure that water quality was not impacted.

Affected customers should boil water rapidly for at least one minute or use bottled water for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and preparing food until further notice. Customers should also discard ice cubes made from tap water or their refrigerator’s water line.

If customers have pets and are unsure about providing water to them during this advisory, they are advised to consult their veterinarian. Tap water is safe for showering, bathing and other household uses.

Customers in the advisory zone are being notified door-to-door. Customers with working phone numbers and email addresses on file with the utility also are being notified by phone and email. The company will inform customers when they no longer need to boil their water.

“We apologize for this inconvenience to our customers,” said Cal Water Local Manager Darin McCosker. “We’re issuing this precautionary advisory out of an abundance of caution, because protecting our customers’ health and safety is our highest priority.”

Customers who prefer to use bottled water during the advisory can pick up bottled water from the Cal Water Customer Center in Lucerne, located at 6125 East Highway 20, or save their receipts for reimbursement.

To be reimbursed, customers should bring their receipts to Cal Water’s Customer Center, or mail them to P.O. Box 1133, Lucerne, CA 95458 to the attention of Darin McCosker.

Questions may be directed to the Cal Water Customer Center at 707-274-6624, and information is available online at www.calwater.com .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County’s state senator joined local officials on Wednesday night to give an update on the assistance available to dozens of community members who remain out of their homes due to the flooding.

Sen. Mike McGuire, Sheriff Brian Martin, District 4 Supervisor Tina Scott, District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown, Lakeport Mayor Stacey Mattina, Lakeport City Manager Margaret Silveira, Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen, Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg, Lakeport Community Development Director Kevin Ingram and Lakeport Finance Director Nick Walker were on hand for the meeting with residents at the evacuation center at the Lakeport Seventh-day Adventist Church.

More than 80 Lakeport residents displaced by the floods last month – many of them from the Will-O-Point Resort – are residing at the evacuation shelter, now run jointly by the Red Cross and the church. The shelter is scheduled to close at the end of this month.

McGuire told Lake County News that $90,000 has been committed – from the California Community Services Department, the city of Lakeport and other sources – to help the displaced residents with temporary housing, with as much as another $30,000 still to come.

Those funds, said McGuire, are believed to be enough to help the displaced residents for about four months.

He said California Human Development will administer the funds to evacuees, and will be in charge of signing them up for temporary housing and assistance.

The point of the meeting was to give evacuees information about assistance that is being made available to them, in particular, help with finding a temporary place to live.

In the case of Will-O-Point, the California Department of Housing and Community Development – which has jurisdiction over mobile home parks – has red-tagged all 41 trailers in the resort, where the sewer, water and electrical infrastructure has been damaged, according to city officials.

That means that, even while the mandatory evacuation orders for other neighborhoods that were originally issued on Feb. 20 are being lifted, Will-O-Point residents could be looking at weeks or months before they can return home.

McGuire – with the assistance of a Spanish interpreter – told the group that he couldn’t imagine having to be away from his home in such circumstances. He said the goal was to help transition them into a more permanent living situation.

He told evacuees that there is still too much water in Will-O-Point for the park to be repopulated, along with the damage to homes and infrastructure. State officials must inspect the homes and the water and sewer lines before residents can return home.

Due to the damage, McGuire said some of the homes may be permanently red-tagged.

Silveira said the city has put together a plan for temporary housing at Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa, which also has provided temporary housing for fire survivors.

She said 22 units – that sleep up to 6 people each – are available, with rent at $1,000 a month per unit.

McGuire told Lake County News that residents at Will-O-Point currently are spending an average of about $500 per month on rent.

The temporary housing funds will be used to pay the difference along with utilities, Silveira said. They also will pay for deposits to help families and individuals get into permanent housing situations.

Additionally, Brown said he’s working with the city as well as local vineyard and orchard owners to find long-term housing solutions.

Rasmussen said he’s arranged for Will-O-Point residents to be escorted into the resort on Thursday in order to remove important personal items that they weren’t able to take previously.

He said what they can take this trip will be limited to what they can store under their beds at the shelter, adding that he will arrange for more trips into the resort on different days for those who couldn’t make it Thursday. Rasmussen said there also will be opportunities to retrieve more items as conditions improve.

Police on Thursday will have gloves, hand sanitizer and other items to help individuals going into their homes to get items, he said.

Falkenberg said the local schools want to make sure children continue to come to class, and so he said they are developing a busing plan to get the children from Konocti Harbor to Lakeport Unified.

Sheriff Martin spoke to the group directly in Spanish, addressing concerns from some of them about their status in the country. He said he has no desire to separate families.

“I have other jobs to do. That is not my job,” Martin said of acting on immigration-related issues, adding that he was more concerned about getting people into their homes.

Officials also fielded a number of questions from Will-O-Point residents concerned about whether their homes are being protected. Rasmussen said his staff is patrolling the resort to secure the residences.

McGuire lauded the local officials for their efforts to respond to the needs of the displaced residents. He said the California Department of Housing and Community Development also has been working in Lake County and is busy in the current situation.

McGuire has been a staunch advocate of Lake County and worked to get its residents assistance in previous disasters and emergencies, in particular, the Rocky, Jerusalem, Valley and Clayton fires.

Of this latest emergency, he said, “We’ll be here throughout this one as well.”

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.