Clear Lake's waters covered a swim beach and lined the parking lot at Lucerne Harbor Park in Lucerne, Calif., on Tuesday, March 29, 2011. Photo by Ron Keas.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While Clear Lake remained in flood stage on Tuesday, its waters continued a slow and steady decrease that is anticipated will take it out of flood level by week's end.

Clear Lake has been at flood stage, 9 feet Rumsey, since last Friday, the first time it's reached that level in 13 years, according to Lake County Water Resources records.

The lake had been expected to hit 9.5 feet Rumsey Monday, but instead it topped out at 9.37 feet Rumsey before it started to recede, as Lake County News has reported.

While Lake County continued under a National Weather Service flood warning on Tuesday – the only part of the state to be under such a warning – local officials estimated flooding concerns are on the decrease.

Lake County Water Resources staff issued a Tuesday update in which they estimated that – with no rainfall forecast through the weekend – Clear Lake is projected to fall below 9 feet Rumsey by Friday or Saturday.

On Tuesday morning, the lake was at 9.36 feet Rumsey, decreasing to about 9.32 feet Rumsey by day's end, according to a US Geological Survey gauge on the lake.

A second day of no rain and spring weather appeared to aid in pushing the flood waters back, as did the Cache Creek Dam's releases, which a US Geological Survey stream gauge showed were at 3,930 cubic feet per second late Tuesday.

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