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SCSD 2012 AMBULANCE FUND DRIVE  

 

2-2-12 BLM CLOSES THE VALVES ON THE BLY TUNNEL!
The lake will take years to recover water lost thru the Bly Tunnel but it is now a step in the right direction.  As of Feb 1 both the north and middle basins were iced out.  The south basin had some skim ice this morning but a west wind busted it to smitherines and blew it to shore in a matter of about 30 minutes.  The good news is that we didn't see any dead fish pop up yet in Halfmoon Bay or Buck's Bay yet and no reports of dead fish from up north.  If there was a fish kill, it will show up soon.  But I am hoping that the intermittent nature of the ice this year allowed for oxygenation of the water. 
 

1-31-12 Middle basin was open water.  Buck's Bay and Halfmoon Bay had patches of open water but there are still large sections of ice.  Some of which piled up on shore from heavy winds that was 2 inches thick.  Pic's coming ASAP.
 

1-28-12 Warm temps, rain on the snow and moderate winds opened up quite a bit more water in the north and middle basins.  Having been out of town I haven't had the chance to get out for pics but I certainly am trying to get out today to upload some new photos.  The more open water we see in the north and middle basins, even if it ices over and thaws out several more times, the better it will be for the fish that are still residing here.  Hopefully it will prevent a fish kill by replenishing the dissolved oxygen.  So far, walks along the shoreline have not produced any dead fish that we have seen.  That's a good sign.   

 

1-24-12:  Total snowfall ended with 9 inches over two days!  Even better is that it is melting fast and only has one place to go since most of the ground is still frozen.  PAPOOSE CREEK BEGAN FLOWING BETWEEN 1-22 AND 1-24.  Most likely only draining the local melt off and rain that fell but at least it is making it's way to the lake and despite being only a dribble, Papoose Creek generally flows first and longest of all the creeks on the lake.  This will probably be intermittent unless more storms come thru.  Well, be checking it, sometimes we can see trout enter this stream early.  CDFG will be notified if there is impending trouble.

 

1-21-12:  Finally!! Snow and rain graced the basin!  Our last measurable precipitation was Thanksgiving Day so it has been a long dry spell for the lake....and everyone else in northern CA.  We received 1.02 inches of rain in the last 24 hours....more is counting as the morning snow melts off in the cup.  That brings our total up to a little over 2 inches of water including around 6 inches of snow since Oct 1, 2011.  Now, let this continue for the next 4 months and we might see a couple feet of water in the lake....but at this point, that is a long shot bet I am not willing to take on.  I'll make my call around mid to late March but I am certain you will hear  from those who don't live here about how great Eagle Lake is doing and that the lake is full...but you won't be hearing that bs here.  In the mean time see our GALLERY for the truth in photos.  Pictures always show the truth.  We'll be out later today and check on the ice sheets in the middle basin.  Heavy winds could have fractured up large sections, but we won't know till we get out and take a look for real!! I left room for one more picture when I uploaded today. 

 

1-19-12:  Two days of negative temps in the early morning hours iced up an open water in the northern basins that had been open.  First a minus 0.2, then minus 7.1 Tuesday morning...yep, below zero.  Heavy winds began pushing some of the ice sheet on the north basin to shore in heaps scattered about the shoreline along highway 139.  High temps in the 40's and 50's helped knock the small piles of ice down a bit.  The light dusting of snow we had whitened up the ice sheet on the northern basins which was clear ice before...but warmer air mass is coming in.  So far we're not impressed with this predicted storm but it is just actually getting here.  A couple of inches of snow is ok, but i would rather see a couple inches of rain at this point.  The ground in our yard is so dry we considered irrigating last week.  Massive cracks thru the frozen ground up to 10 inches deep and it isn't just the ground at my house, it's everywhere.  Be sure to check www.eaglelakeguardians.org for the latest on the Bly Tunnel Discussion.  ...and to answer the question I keep getting.  Closing the valve on the Bly Tunnel will not create the water we need overnight...nor in one year, two years....ect.  It took decades to flow out and will most likely take decades to get back.  The main point about closing the valve is to prevent Eagle Lake water from being used for irrigation which is contrary to the law.  BLM missed the entire point the state water board was getting to about public trust.  Maybe a refresher course in the English language is due?

 

1-16-12: Single digit temps extended the ice sheets this week.  On Sunday we saw the wind pick up with gusts to 30.2 mph which I can only assume, broke up quite a bit of it from the Youth Camp area north.  We hope to get out today to check it out.  Most of the ice that resisted melting off during a warm spell remained 4 to 6 inches thick from what I could tell....it didn't budge much, but the recent ice over of prematurely open water was relatively thin and some couldn't withstand the warm day time temps that soared into the mid to high 50's.  Things are going to change this week.  A big storm system is on its way.  Also, the jet stream is dropping and looking to be in our favor.  This week is going to be a week of extremes.... from high temps in the high 50's to low temps below zero....from light winds to gusts 25 to 30 mph....from rain to snow to rain back to snow...and that's only in the next four days!! Rain baby rain!! We will be counting every inch of moisture to the hundredths of an inch and every inch of freshly fallen snow!!! Bring it on!!

 

1-12-12  Ice reclaimed large sections of the middle basin and Bucks Bay  this week as single digit temps took their toll.  The lake was flat calm when it froze over leaving behind a clear (but relatively thin) and flat surface.  There are open pockets of water scattered about but they open and close by the direction of the wind and floe of the ice.  One thing that single digit temperatures do is freeze that layer of ice to a very hard state. Once gases coming up from the lake bottom form a layer between the ice and the water it forms a sound chamber of sorts and the colder it is at sunrise, the louder it sings.  The firm ice transmit harmonics as plates shift, fissures break and when the water "rolls" beneath the ice from either of those, we hear a wave of music which can go on for several minutes. This generally goes on for a couple hours unless the high temperature of the day remains below freezing.   It's difficult to explain, but an interesting audio you have to be near to appreciate.  It sounds like it should be part of a soundtrack in an Alfred Hitchcock movie at times.  Eery no doubt.  The north basin had some pockets of open water form up last week, but the ice has had a very tight grip on the north basin and it barely budged during a warming period.  The south basin remains mostly open water.  The ice moved back into the Circus Grounds and at most extends a couple hundred feet out from shore and further towards Merrill Camp.  Also now just below Christie Day Use Area. 

 

1-5-12 More open water off Rocky Pt and Spalding.  The ice sheet is north of the Spalding ramp but the ramp itself remains iced in.  We're hoping that at some point our high ambient temps (which have reached the mid to high 50's) will open the ramp for a boat ride.  Note: that fishing season is closed however, anyone can go for a boat ride or picnic.  Just don't have any fishing gear or nets in your boat.  The locals are great for turning in what they may consider poachers this time of year and the weather has been great for getting out.  Normally we're all snow bound or at least experiencing our coldest temperatures of the year in January.  Our low temps have managed to remain higher too and running between 12 and 18 degrees F overnight.  Humidity not good around 17% to 18% during the day.  This along with more open water will keep evaporation a significant part of the lake level equation over winter.
 

1-2-12 We ended the season with significantly more open water not only in the south basin, but in the northern basins as well.  We didn't see a total ice out just yet up north and doubtful if we will by spring.  But anything can happen.  If it does, we'll be on it.  The south basin water temp ended December between 39F and 42F.  The further north you went, the colder the water temps.  Heavy winds on Dec 29 and 30 broke up a lot of the ice sheets that were inundating some areas of the south basin.  The very last day of the fishing season ended up being perfect.  Winds had opened up nearly all the water along the shoreline of the south basin and winds were just light enough to give the lake a little ripple. 

 

We will update this page periodically.  Lake elevations are critical and we need to see some water over the off season....whether it comes in winter or spring.  Either way, we will know by April what we will be looking at for the fishing season.  Every so often, check out this page.