Water is rising again in Caples Lake after an emergency drawdown over the summer to replace damaged gates in the lake's main dam.
Jake Eymann, project engineer with El Dorado Irrigation District, reported Monday that construction was complete and, with the new gates operating, the lake has filled to about 1,100 acre-feet of it's 22,300 acre-feet capacity. The district owns and operates the lake, which is off Highway 88.
An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover an acre to the depth of 1 foot.
Eymann said construction costs totaled about $744,000.
As the lake level dropped, the district worked with the state Department of Fish and Game and volunteers to rescue more than 26,300 fish and transfer them to nearby lakes. Restocking of Caples Lake will begin next spring.
Staff members said water releases into Caples Creek will remain low throughout the winter and until the storage reaches about 10,000 acre-feet. They said the district will monitor downstream conditions, including water quality and fisheries, until minimum stream flows required under the district's federal license are met.
Caples Lake is part of the irrigation district's hydroelectric Project 184, consisting of lakes, canals and a hydroelectric plant.
– Cathy Locke
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