Lopez Lake spilled for the first time in more than two decades last week, thanks to a burst of rain during the latest storm that swept across California. The man-made reservoir — which acts as a water source for southern San Luis Obispo County as well as a popular recreational destination for boating, fishing, camping and swimming — reached 100% capacity at 4:21 a.m on March 23., according to the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department’s live water monitors.
The lake was spilling 35.2 cubic feet of water per second as of about 8 a.m., the Public Works live water monitors showed. The water topped the dam into the lake’s spillway, where it was directed into Arroyo Grande Creek. It was one of the last local reservoirs to reach full capacity after a winter with heavier-than-usual storms filled most all to capacity in recent weeks.
This is the first time in 25 years that the South County lake has spilled. According to officials, the lake last overflowed in 1998.
That day, a handful of people gathered at the lake’s spillway off Lopez Drive to witness the historic moment. One of those was Patrick Rebstock, who said he likes to “wing-ding” — a combination of windsurfing and kitesurfing — out on the lake. “We’re really excited it’s not the puddle anymore,” he said.
Rebstock said he was a little worried about how long it took for the lake to fill up, especially in comparison to other local reservoirs, saying he felt it showed how at-risk the popular destination is during drought. “It definitely shows how vulnerable we are to the future,” he said.
Lopez Lake started the year at a mere 24% of capacity on January 1, but successive storms helped to raise the level exponentially in the weeks following. Ahead of the lake reaching full capacity, officials said they planned to keep a wary eye on potential flooding downstream once Lopez Lake spilled, since the water would go into the already flood-prone Arroyo Grande Creek.
On Monday, March 20, residents in Oceano were warned of potential evacuations if the creek’s water levels rose drastically once again during the storm.
The evacuation warning was lifted Thursday morning after officials observed how much water was being discharged into the creek. The San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services said based on that info, “the risk to residents near the Arroyo Grande Creek levee has subsided.”
“We remind residents near Arroyo Grande Creek to remain vigilant as another storm is expected to move in early next week,” Emergency Services Manager Scott Jalbert said in the release. “The risk for flooding will continue through spring.”
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