Director Doug Grider gave an update on the situation to the Lakeport City Council at its Tuesday night meeting.
Grider said there was a particular concern on Tuesday, when a strong wind came out of the east, causing the same kind of intense wave action that undermined the city’s seawall two winters ago.
He called the east wind “our worst nightmare here,” adding that the wind is expected to continue through Wednesday.
The waves battering the lakeshore between Third Street and the Yacht Club have resulted in the loss of more of the bank, which he said was not well armored.
Grider said the water walls at Library Park – closed since last week – were holding up, although water was going over them earlier in the day. “I'm just very thankful that we have those walls,” he said. “They seem to be holding their own.”
He said Lakeshore Boulevard remains closed, with the winds pushing debris across the flooded roadway.
Once the wind event is over, Grider said his staff will do an assessment of Lakeshore Boulevard and work to reopen the northbound lane.
Grider also reported that there had been a headwall failure on a box culvert that Forbes Creek flows through, located between Savings Bank and the Chevron station and across from the Soper Reese Theatre on Main Street.
A large portion of the headwall collapsed. “We lost a pretty good chunk of ground under the sidewalk area,” Grider said.
After the meeting, Grider told Lake County News that he believes water got underneath the culvert, leading to the failure. He said the sidewalk in that area also is destroyed.
Grider told the council that he’s been in contact with Caltrans and found that the culvert is part of the federal highway system. He has authorization to proceed with emergency repairs, and plans to install riprap in the area to protect the northbound lane of the road.
The city has a clearance from Fish and Game for emergency repairs. Grider said his staff is scheduled to work overtime on Friday to complete the repairs by the end of the day.
After that, Grider said staff will begin the long and arduous process of going through federal and state environmental requirements and design of a permanent repair. He said it will probably be a year and a half until it’s fixed.
“You guys are amazing. You're doing a great job out there,” Mayor Tim Barnes told city Public Works and police staff.
Elsewhere in the city, Esplanade Street remains flooded, with city officials reporting that some residents remain in their homes despite the floodwaters.
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