Lake Mendocino: Holding Back the Water

The muddy waters of Lake Mendocino.

The muddy waters of Lake Mendocino. [Photo by Mike Geniella]

As storms drop large amounts of rain on the region, for now, federal officials are planning to hold back releases from the rapidly filling Lake Mendocino because of continuing high water flow downstream on the Russian River.

High river flows are still threatening to flood areas at Hopland and the historically vulnerable Guerneville area in western Sonoma County.

“We are going to hold back the storm water for now,” said Nick Malasavage. He is chief of the Operations and Readiness Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers district headquarters in San Francisco.

Nick Malasavage. He is chief of the Operations and Readiness Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers district headquarters in San Francisco

Nick Malasavage, Chief of the Operations and Readiness Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers district headquarters in San Francisco.

Malasavage said Lake Mendocino, while it has reached its annual capacity for water storage, is capable of holding back significantly more runoff if needed.
“We have room available to manage it for flood control now, and help ease the threat of flooding downstream,” he explained.

More rainfall is expected this weekend, but Corps officials, who assume control of the lake’s management once water levels enter a so-called flood pool, believe the lake can handle more heavy inflow.

“The rise in the lake’s level in just the past month is dramatic (30 feet) but it is designed to hold more, and historically has before releases are made,” said Malasavage.

He pointed out that the Corps’ goal is to ‘never contribute to downstream flooding.’

Coyote Dam

Coyote Dam [Photo by Mike Geniella]

While Guerneville suffers periodic flooding from surging inflows into the Russian River downstream from Coyote Dam at Lake Mendocino, the man-made reservoir north of Ukiah is critical to limiting flood damage. Lake Mendocino is believed to hold back the equivalent of an additional one foot of water that might reach Guerneville when the Russian River floods.

Lake Mendocino was created in 1950 for flood control and water supply. It was a joint project of the Army Corps, and the Sonoma County Water Agency which secured 87 percent of the water stored in the lake for domestic, fisheries, and irrigation supplies. The agency has since constructed Lake Sonoma on Dry Creek, and now serves 600,000 customers in Sonoma and northern Marin counties.

Mendocino County declined to participate in the Coyote Dam building project. A Ukiah Valley special district ended buying rights to only 8,000 acre feet of the available water for local use.

The Russian River watershed in total, unlike most Northern California fed by Sierra Nevada snowpack, relies only on rain, and a diversion from the Eel River for hydroelectric power production.

Typically, rainfall on the North Coast is enough to replenish annual supplies and keep streams flowing healthily for fisheries. But the drought of the last three years sent water levels plunging, including in Lake Mendocino. Governor Gavin Newsom used the dry flatbeds of Lake Mendocino as a backdrop for a highly public drought emergency proclamation in April 2021.

Governor Gavin Newsom stood on the dry and cracked floor of Lake Mendocino yesterday. [Photos from the Twitter feed of Governor Newsom]

Governor Gavin Newsom stood on the dry and cracked floor of Lake Mendocino in April of 2021. [Photos from the Twitter feed of Governor Newsom]

The unexpected but steady rainfall since Christmas is replenishing lakes and reservoirs and ending fears of another summer of low lake levels and little recreation uses. Lake Mendocino and Lake Pillsbury upstream on the Eel River are popular visitor attractions during good weather months.

Malasavage and other water officials credit a more sophisticated weather forecasting system called FIRO, developed with the help of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography and first implemented at Lake Mendocino, for being able to balance the demands of water supply and flood control.

“Right now, we can sit tight and see what happens over the next several days,” said Malasavage.

Malasavage, an East Coast native who has a doctorate from Drexel University in civil/geotechnical engineering, has more than a professional interest in the Russian River, and its effects on the region.

“My family and I live in Forestville in Sonoma County. I keep an eye on things,” said Malasavage.

Innovations in forecasting methods over the past 25 years, and new ways of looking at a region’s hydrology, allows for a new federal confidence.

“We are better able to refine our management techniques. We don’t have to just build more dams to do that,” said Malasavage.

Earlier: After Three Years of Drought, Lake Mendocino Rises

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

58 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Ernie Branscomb
Guest
1 year ago

“We are better able to refine our management techniques. We don’t have to just build more dams to do that,” said Malasavage.

Good luck with that…
1964 flood:
The rain was intense. It had rained over 36” in that December. From the 18th to the 23rd (5 Days!)it rained 27 ½ inches. 

Last edited 1 year ago
HotCoffee
Guest
HotCoffee
1 year ago

Ca. hasn’t added a new reservoir in 40 years.
Where did all the Bond money go?

suspence
Guest
suspence
1 year ago
Reply to  HotCoffee

I’ve heard that most of the obvious places (easiest to build) to put a dam already have a dam. That is one reason we haven’t had a new reservoir. Also, it sounds like ppl are trying to take dams out for environmental restoration, a second reason. I don’t think it has much to do with bond money.

mortos
Member
1 year ago
Reply to  suspence

Yes, most of the places where it would make sense to have a dam already have one. You just can’t build a dam just anywhere, it has to make sense from a economic, geologic and geographic point of view. The Bureau of Reclamation has been building dams in the west for almost 100 year. There is a really good book about this called “Cadillac Desert” by Marc Reisner.

Mr. BearD
Member
Mr. Bear
1 year ago
Reply to  HotCoffee

We’re about to build a huge one in the Antelope valley

MVMike
Guest
MVMike
1 year ago
Reply to  HotCoffee

Diamond Valley Lake near Hemet is just 20 yrs old since filled to 800K acre feet

kingj87D
Member
kingj87
1 year ago
Reply to  HotCoffee

Try Los Vaqueros Res in Contra Costa county and read up on Sites Res coming in the next few years

Kevin
Guest
Kevin
1 year ago
Reply to  HotCoffee

Dam removal?

Country Joe
Member
1 year ago
Reply to  HotCoffee

Since the democrat majority has run California into the ground, over the last 50 years, the money is in their pockets. Deferred maintenance, Graft, Corruption and Greed…

Last edited 1 year ago
Ken Waltz
Guest
Ken Waltz
1 year ago
Reply to  Country Joe

The republicans have run the whole country into the ground. The shouldn’t be allow to vote or run for office ever again. Treat them like the we treated the Bathe party in Iraq.

Right?
Guest
Right?
1 year ago
Reply to  HotCoffee

I will mention the pandemic held up much. Then, I am noting more dams being removed and have seen little to none being built.
So, I feel that is a fair question, especially now it has been started California is in a deficit.

I could be missing something, but definitely something worthy of answering.

ataloss
Guest
ataloss
1 year ago

Google flood of 1861-1862

lol
Guest
lol
1 year ago

I posted a link about that flood before them.

Bug on a Windshield
Guest
Bug on a Windshield
1 year ago
Reply to  lol

Sorry, didn’t see that one. If I had, I’d have given credit to you.

Dogbiter
Guest
Dogbiter
1 year ago

I lived across the river from McCann. The house had a porch shed roof about 10 ft wide. I remember standing, looking out from the porch. Couldn’t see anything through the water pouring off the porch roof.
That was some REAL rain!

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
1 year ago
Reply to  Dogbiter

A bigger storm than the ’64 flood storm is hard to fathom. Nobody that didn’t see the ’64 flood with their very own eyes still can’t imagine how hard it rained. 

Martin
Guest
Martin
1 year ago

You are 100% correct about the 1964 flood Ernie. I lived in Miranda at the time and was completely amazed as to the amount of rain. The snow melt just added more water to the Eel River. Remember helping people move in Weott. Went back after the river dropped and most of the downtown was just gone.

Jim
Guest
Jim
1 year ago
Reply to  Martin

Where is the telephone pole with the high water mark at about 30′ in the air I think on the Eel River, but also the town of Pepperwood was wiped out the railroad bridges were washed away, was this worse than the flood of 55?

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim

The ’55 flood killed more people because they didn’t expect the flood. The ’64 flood was much worse, but it was very much anticipated after the ’55.
Many people that did not see the flood will tell you a variety of reasons for the flood. After the amount of rain that fell, anything that could happen did. It was the torrential rain that cause the flood…. Any other cause was simply coincidental.

Martin
Guest
Martin
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim

Jim, take the Weott exit from the freeway and go down the hill until the stop sign. The highwater marker is on the pole to your left. Pepperwood was about 98% wiped out along with sections of railroad. A good example of the railroad gone is on the other side of the Eel River from Rio Dell. This was a far worse flood than the one in 1955. You can find lots of interesting reading from the Humboldt Historical Society. Just drop by but check on their hours first. Nice commenting with you!

thetallone
Guest
thetallone
1 year ago
Reply to  Martin

I have heard that the snow melt contributed to the flooding. Someone told me that when she was a little girl, she saw houses floating down the Eel at Dos Rios.

Martin
Guest
Martin
1 year ago
Reply to  thetallone

That is 100% correct. A lot of homes along the Eel River did float away. It was a very sad site to see. Some folks even lost their lives during the flood. A huge number of cattle perished in the Ferndale delta area also. My grandfather’s house which was way up from the river in Shively and located by the railroad tracks had about 6 feet of water inside. It did not move but was an unbelievable muddy, silted mess.

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
1 year ago
Reply to  Martin

Another little known fact of the flood was the unbelievably smelly silt and mud left after the water went down.

Martin
Guest
Martin
1 year ago

That is for sure Ernie. We threw away all the clothing, bedding, etc. from gramps house. Mom tried washing some of his clothes, but the smell just would not go away. I can still smell it today.

North westCertain license plate out of thousands c
Guest
North westCertain license plate out of thousands c
1 year ago

The duration of the rain storm is what caused flooding where I lived.
Over a week of a steady down pour We literally watched the river rise. Snow too but the rain was torrential.

Timb0D
Member
1 year ago
Reply to  thetallone

The bridge at Dos Rios over the Eel came down in the ’64 flood. You can still see parts of the old one if you stand on the newer higher one and look into the water. When the kids were little, the wife and I were fishing below. We heard the kids yelling something. When we looked up, they were crossing the bridge on the superstructure underneath the bridge. Crazy!

Canyon oak
Guest
Canyon oak
1 year ago

This is a interesting article, juxtaposed against Klamath river dam articles.
isn’t there a local tribe that wants to remove coyote dam?
isn’t there a Pomo village site buried under the flood waters somewhere?
when regards the Klamath, there is not much chatter about flood control, only the never ending obsession with salmon and tribal identity.
the public seems to want to remove the Klamath dams, but keep lake Sonoma and lake Mendocino.?
these two unnatural reservoirs have enabled unnatural and unsustainable population density in a gentle region formerly rural and boucolic.
it’s nice to see the reservoirs filled.
let’s hope the cities don’t keep growing and that the vintners don’t keep putting vines on the ridges.
at least the counties open space district has preserved some larger ranchlands down there

Lone Ranger
Guest
Lone Ranger
1 year ago
Reply to  Canyon oak

More people equals more drought, people will not stop reproducing,so drought is inevitable. Climate change hogwash, population growth fact.

grey fox
Member
1 year ago
Reply to  Lone Ranger

How exactly does that work?

willow creeker
Member
1 year ago
Reply to  grey fox

Don’t ask! Critical thinking not strong point crack me up. Science is all fake crack me up.

Lone Ranger
Guest
Lone Ranger
1 year ago
Reply to  willow creeker

Yep, more people use less water, crack me up.

Donald
Guest
Donald
1 year ago
Reply to  Lone Ranger

Water conservation is not the same as drought

Lone Ranger
Guest
Lone Ranger
1 year ago
Reply to  grey fox

You tell me, why all the fines last summer for washing cars, watering lawns. I’m putting in a pool and a waterslide, I’m not sure why overpopulation could ever cause water shortage. Crack me up.

Tyr
Guest
Tyr
1 year ago
Reply to  Lone Ranger

Actually, statistics show that younger generations are having less children that previous generations. The population is expected to start shrinking by the end of the century.
I have no idea where you came up with more people equals more drought unless you are pointing towards more humans causing more climate change. I don’t see how more people moving to CA would cause less rain. Please entertain us with your knowledge of population spikes causing more drought.

Rich
Guest
Rich
1 year ago
Reply to  Tyr

The world population has doubled since 1974. 4 billion more people, more water use, hello…

Tyr
Guest
Tyr
1 year ago
Reply to  Rich

Re-read my comment about the coming generations. I am not talking about the boomers, I am talking about the millennials and zoomers.

Tyr
Guest
Tyr
1 year ago
Reply to  Rich

Drought is defined by lack of precipitation, not usage.

Last edited 1 year ago
lol
Guest
lol
1 year ago
Reply to  Tyr

Not true. There are multiple defintion of drought.

Donald
Guest
Donald
1 year ago
Reply to  lol

Please provide three examples, crack me up

lol
Guest
lol
1 year ago
Reply to  Tyr

Yes, human population is projected to contract but only back down to around where we are currently. And there are currently FAR too many people to live sustainably (unless some sort of miraculous technology comes about).

Thatguyinarcata
Guest
Thatguyinarcata
1 year ago
Reply to  lol

We could live sustainably with our current population, but not with the level of decadence that many people are accustomed to. It would also require massive changes to modern culture in the developed world. We can’t sustain this many people living off of processed foods and factory meat

Lone Ranger
Guest
Lone Ranger
1 year ago
Reply to  Tyr

I got a pool bud, I wash my fifty rigs everyday, my waterslide rollin strong, and keeping my 100 acres green with good ole irrigation. Crack me up, critical thinking is sometimes hard. More people use less water.

suspence
Guest
suspence
1 year ago
Reply to  Lone Ranger

Well, the daily temperatures have been recorded for something like 180 years now and based on that data set it is getting warmer. Based on knowledge of geology and ice core data we theorize (based on data) the climate changes in a somewhat rhythmic cycle and the rhythm of this warming period appears off track starting shortly after the industrial revolution. Why do you think you know more than climate scientists and geologists who devote their careers to understanding complex systems? You sound like you’ve been duped by disinformation. Of course, ignorance is bliss, carry on.

1crazymfD
Member
1crazymf
1 year ago
Reply to  suspence

180 years of data from a planet that is~4.5 billion years old?
Ice core samples show large fluctuations in climate approximately every 12,000 years.
The “science” is not settled

yesmeagain
Guest
yesmeagain
1 year ago
Reply to  1crazymf

Actually, it doesn’t matter how many natural cycles of extreme heat and cold, dry and wet, there are. The earth is a much different place than it was even 200,000 years ago. But assuming the deniers are correct (a big leap for me!) and the current extreme fluctuations are just “natural” — doesn’t that mean we humans need to be even more careful about whatever we add to the mix? The majority of recent catastrophic fires in California, for example, were human-caused: falling power lines and the heat and sparks generated by vehicles and careless use of tools, the product of our so-far insatiable quest for more energy to maintain our relatively luxurious lifestyles (mine, too!). And all the crap we’re spewing into our atmosphere can only aid and abet whatever damage is generated by “natural cycles.”

Thatguyinarcata
Guest
Thatguyinarcata
1 year ago
Reply to  yesmeagain

Definitely. I think the biggest problem with contemporary climate change talk is that “carbon ” has become the dominant point of discussion when we could be focused on the dozens and dozens of known toxins and destructive land use practices that are well nigh impossible to argue for. Instead we’re engaged in a tedious debate about the impact of carbon when we could be taking action on all kinds of disruptive chemicals.

Korina42D
Member
1 year ago
Reply to  1crazymf

The science is not settled because that’s not how science works. Science is more like “this is the best explanation we have to fit the evidence, until we find evidence that says otherwise.” HTH.

Al L Ivesmtr
Guest
Al L Ivesmtr
1 year ago
Reply to  suspence

It rains too much, man caused it, drought, man caused it, fires, man caused it. Ice age yes. no. Global warming, yes, nope. Man caused climate change, yep. What’s next, the asteroid that is going to kill us all? It is coming you know, hence the scramble for off planet colonies. Do you think the government is ever going to tell you that? I have a zoo to sell you. They will tell you a mere 5 minutes before humans are vaporized in order to avoid societal breakdown and complete anarchy.This means you will never know until you see a giant ball of fire hitting beyond the horizon and then poof, gone. No more humans, just cockroaches and rats.
Wherever you got the idea of ice cores showing a difference with the industrial revolution is just plain wrong. There is no statistically significant difference from before or after. Wikipedia is not your friend. The Vladivostok ice cores are the baseline and they show no such thing. I suggest curtailing listening to grant funded government and college scientists. They have no idea what they are talking about except for the fact that they conclusively know that if they don’t toe the line, no more moolah for them and their little buddies. The ignorance of the Obama/Biden followers being pulled by the brass ring in their nostrils by their diabolical leaders is amazing. Natural Selection will take care of that problem, right quick. Thank you Charles! Got Tonga?
PS whenever a democrat makes the disinformation claim, do exactly the opposite of what they claim. It is a catchphrase like nazi, racist, and bigot to prevent further discussion to massage their weak arguments. Critical thinking 101. I suggest everyone take that class, it’s Philosophy!

Steelhead
Guest
Steelhead
1 year ago
Reply to  Al L Ivesmtr

Wow, That was a waste of a read.

Lone Ranger
Guest
Lone Ranger
1 year ago
Reply to  suspence

Population has out paced so called climate change so bad that it’s not worth the time. But reducing populace doesn’t bring votes, or grants or donations. Sometimes the hard truth is hard to swallow.

LetFreedomRing
Guest
LetFreedomRing
1 year ago
Reply to  Lone Ranger

Hard for some to comprehend it’s just weather, ain’t it?

Grandpas Weather Station Instructions:

Stick yer head out the door

Iffen yer hair gits messed up, it’s windy

Iffen yer hair gits wet, it’s rainin’

Iffen yer head gits hot, it’s sunny

Iffen yer head don’t feel nuffin’, it’s cloudy

Iffen yer head gits cold ‘n feels like grit is peltin’ ya, its hailin’

If sumfin’ warm and wet hits yer head, a bird probably backed one out on ya

Iffen sumfin’ cold ‘n wet hits yer head it’s snowin’

If ya kin see yer shadow, it’s daytime or a full moon or yer granny left the porch light on

If ya cain’t see yer shadow, it’s night time or there’s onadem ‘clipses

Actually
Guest
Actually
1 year ago
Reply to  LetFreedomRing

Lol that’s cute but uhh… oh man never mind what’s the point of explaining anything really.

Well slap me silly and call me Shirley! Heehaw! Crack me up!

dgale
Guest
dgale
1 year ago
Reply to  Canyon oak

There’s no chatter on the Klamath about flood control because none of the Klamath dams have the capacity to meaningfully affect flood control. They are small and were put in for hydroelectric purposes, as well as Iron Gate dam, which was put in to meter out the flow downstream of the hydrolectric facilities, which result in substantial flow fluctuations during operation.

Cindy Bettinelli
Guest
Cindy Bettinelli
1 year ago

I’m glad to see somebody is finally thinking instead of just randomly letting all the water out so there’s no water sport here none of the campgrounds are being used ridiculous a curiosity is why is there no spillway I would think that would be the way to go for natural water flow

yesmeagain
Guest
yesmeagain
1 year ago

According to Sonoma County Water Agency’s website, the capacity of Lake Mendocino 118,000 acre-feet, with a water supply pool of 70,000 af. (The remaining capacity is managed for flood control by the Corps of Engineers.) According to the local newspaper, as of yesterday, the lake was at 78,985 af. (I don’t know what time the measurement was taken.) Here’s a link to a chart from the Press Democrat website showing current lake level close to the “target level” for April of 86,400 af. I often drive by Lake M, and have seen it at well above this target level following the recent wet winters of 2016/17 and 2018/19. (The P-D also shows a potential capacity of over 120,000 af, but what’s a couple thousand af more or less?) And I have also seen it well below that — it sank down to about 35,000 af recently. There’s a lot more to climate change than average temperature, and there’s a lot more to coping with extreme drought and extreme flooding than building more dams. Looking for simple “obvious” reasons and solutions is a mistake we’ve all been guilty of.

yesmeagain
Guest
yesmeagain
1 year ago
Reply to  yesmeagain
joe wagner
Member
joe wagner
1 year ago

All that time when our leaders could have easily added. Shitload of capacity while the lake was dry… psh… what is it like three feet deep? One hot summer and poof! It’s gone.