Updated: October 15, 2024
Access this section for up-to-date information regarding lake levels and forecasts, water releases and the status of the hydroelectric power plant at Indian Valley reservoir.
Useful Links
The links to the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Weather Service below provide real-time information on lake elevation and water storage, and the latest forecasts for rainfall and runoff.
- Clear Lake Elevation at Lakeport
- Indian Valley Reservoir
- California Nevada River Forecast Center (CNRFC) Reservoir Forecast
Clear Lake Water Information
| Change from Previous | Change from Previous | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/14/24 | 10/14/23 | 9/14/24 | Year | Month | ||
| Level: | 2.05 | 2.26 | 2.64 | -0.21 | -0.59 | Ft. Rumsey Gauge @ Lakeport |
| Available1: | 17,984 | 0.00 | 26,253 | 17,984 | -8,269 | Acre-Feet |
| Releasing2,3: | 5.39 | 3.17 | 297.00 | 2.22 | -291.61 | Cubic Ft./Second |
| Precip (YTD4): | 0.00 | 0.06 | 27.69 | -0.06 | -27.69 | Inches |
Indian Valley Reservoir
| Change from Previous | Change from Previous | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/14/24 | 10/14/23 | 9/14/24 | Year | Month | ||
| Elevation: | 1464.25 | 1440.95 | 1464.84 | 23.30 | -0.59 | Ft. MSL |
| Storage: | 222,850 | 148,360 | 224,856 | 74,490 | -2,006 | Acre-Feet |
| Releasing2 | 10.50 | 9.07 | 10.80 | 1.43 | -0.30 | Cubic Ft./ Second |
| Precip (YTD3) | 0.00 | 0.05 | 31.26 | -0.05 | -31.26 | Inches |
Rediversions at Capay Dam
For October 15, 2024 at 0700
| Ratings Curve (cfs) | Flowmeter (cfs) | Difference (cfs) | Difference (%) | |
| Winters Canal | 19.06 | 0.00 | 19.06 | 100.00 |
| West Adams Canal | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Total | 19.06 | 0.00 |
1 Water available for release from Clear Lake per Solano Decree during irrigation season
2 Daily Mean Release
3 Cache Creek Dam Leakage
Measurements in this column include leakage from the Cache Creek Dam. The Cache Creek Dam is a concrete, gravity- fed dam built in 1914. The dam has fifteen 6-foot-wide by 7-foot-high, concrete, low-level bay openings for releasing water for irrigation and flood control. Each low-level opening consists of a heavily reinforced cast iron sluice gate with bronze sealing face paired with a concrete embedded, cast iron gate frame with a bronze sealing face. The 108-year-old sluice gate/frame assemblies have developed slight imperfections between the bronze sealing faces due to years of operational wear, cavitation, and erosion from sediment-laden flows. These imperfections on the sealing faces have resulted in water leakage finding its way around, and through, the gate/frame assemblies when the gates are in their complete 100% closed position. Leakage rates from the individual gates vary widely depending on the water level of Clear Lake, the water level directly upstream of the Dam, and the current siltation load experienced on the front of the gates.
Siltation load on the upstream side of the sluice gates is a major contributor to the reduction of leakage around the gates at Cache Creek Dam. Accumulation of silt, sand, mud, and organic material coupled with weeks-to-months of not operating the sluice gates has resulted in previous years’ very low leakage rates. Due to the extremely low lake levels of Clear Lake experienced late last year, it afforded the District a very rare opportunity to perform a complete inspection of the sluice gates and concrete structure in early December (as part of compliance with the State’s dam regulatory inspection process). In preparation for that inspection, a complete cleaning of all accumulated silt was performed to enable a close, detailed inspection. The current higher-than-normal leakage rates that we are experiencing at Cache Creek Dam are in part due to the removal of all accumulated silt in front of the gates during the December inspections.
4 YTD (year to date: water year is October 1 through September 30)
For additional information or inquiries, please contact us at 530.662.0265 or info@ycfcwcd.org.