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Local News

Clear Lake Reopens, But Flood-Damaged Campgrounds Off Limits

Clear Lake State Park reopened its gates on Wednesday after being closed for more than a month due to flooding. 

The Lake County News reported that the park is open to day use and boating from sunrise to sunset. However, the historic flooding of Clear Lake has damaged a good portion of the area, keeping the campgrounds and cabins closed.

Park Superintendent Bill Salata told the news site the cabins will be shut down indefinitely because park officials still haven’t evaluated the erosion damage as some portions of it remain underwater. 

The Cole Creek, Upper Bayview, and Lower Bayview Campgrounds will remain closed until June 1 and Kelsey Creek campground will be closed until 2018. Crews will need to dig up the roadway, the paper said. 

On those sites construction work has begun. Park staff have begun to cut down trees and clean other facilities.  They expect to receive more help from the California Conservation Corps and CAL FIRE’s inmate crews soon.

Salata estimated the damage to the park at more than $100,000, which he expects will double in the near future.

“We still have picnic tables floating, and we have about 50 trees down," he said. "The amount of work right now is overwhelming.” 

Local News