Clear Lake was on track to reach flood level Wednesday evening, potentially bringing serious flooding to low-lying areas along the shoreline.
By 5:15 p.m., the lake was at 8.96 feet on the Rumsey gauge. Nine feet is considered flood level. The Rumsey gauge is a shoreline water mark based on a rock formation.
There already was some minor flooding in Lakeport, where ducks were spotted paddling along lake shore streets, but area residents did not appear to be panicking or making mad dashes for sand bags.
“People are just kind of interested. They stop and look,” said Jacinda Franusich, office manager at the Lake County Vector Control offices, located on a flood-prone lake-front street.
“It’s part of living here,” she said.
The lake last week also reached flood stage, but then receded without reports of serious damage, said Philip Moy, director of the water resources department. To reduce flood damage potential, county supervisors have implemented a 5 mph boating speed limit near the shore, a measure aimed at limiting waves that could inundate shoreline homes and minimizing boating danger from debris.
While it’s causing some localized flooding, the lake is still several feet from interfering with Highway 20 as it winds along the north shore, Moy said. That doesn’t occur until about 11 feet on the Rumsey gauge, he said.
But back-to-back rain storms already have wreaked havoc on county roads, with swollen streams, mudslides and fallen trees forcing multiple closures.
Hill Road north of Lakeport is closed by a chronic mudslide and Scotts Valley Road west of the city has been blocked off and on for weeks by flooding. Other roads that were partially or wholly closed Wednesday included Twin Valley Road, Anderson Springs Road, Socrates Mine Road, Lakeshore Boulevard, and Laurel Dell Road.
You can reach Staff Writer Glenda Anderson at 462-6473 or glenda.anderson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MendoReporter
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