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UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Efforts are under way to contain the water escaping from a leaking levee in the Middle Creek area while officials assess how to repair the damage.
The 1950s-era levee is located off of Reclamation Road – between Nice and Upper Lake – and along a section of Rodman Slough on Clear Lake.
Lake County Water Resources Director Scott De Leon said he received a report at around 9:30 a.m. Monday that the levee was leaking.
The leak is located at the site of two large pipes that stretch from a nearby pump station through the levee and into the Rodman Slough. De Leon said the leak was next to the larger pipe.
“The water's gotten in alongside of the pipe,” and formed a channel for the leak, said De Leon.
When he arrived on scene at around 10 a.m., De Leon estimated that about 100 gallons of water a minute was escaping the hole that had developed in the levee.
The Lake County Office of Emergency Services had arranged the help of two California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation hand crews, which were on scene and working to fill an estimated 3,000 sandbags.
Working with the crews were three local residents who volunteered their help, among them Philip Rooney and son Matthew, both nearly waist-deep in cold water, placing the sandbags.
The levee is maintained by the California Department of Water Resources. An advance team of three Department of Water Resources officials arrived shortly before 2 p.m., and said a flood fight specialist with the department was en route to assess the damage.
Although the National Weather Service in Sacramento issued a flash flood warning that was in effect until Tuesday morning, officials at the scene were not expecting widespread flooding.
However, voluntary evacuations were in effect for six homes in the area based on the recommendation of the Office of Emergency Services, De Leon said.
In addition to Lake County Water Resources and Lake County Office of Emergency Services, Northshore Supervisor Denise Rushing, Northshore Fire Chief Jim Robbins and Deputy Chief Pat Brown, Lakeport Fire Chief Ken Wells, and Robinson Rancheria Tribal Police were on scene to monitor the situation.
More state and local officials continued to arrive throughout the afternoon, bringing with them more sandbags and equipment.
De Leon sent Water Resources Engineer Tom Smythe to get a pump to help take some of the pressure off of the leak.
Rushing, who left the site at about 3 p.m., was concerned about the amount of water still escaping the levee.
Water also was coming through the sandbags. “There is a risk that they might not hold,” she said, noting that the teams of emergency responders were continuing to work on the levee.
Lt. Dave Perry of the Office of Emergency Services said area residents with questions about the levee break can call the sheriff's main office at 707-262-4200.
Lake County News will continue to follow the situation as it develops. Watch this site, Facebook and Twitter for updates.
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