Casitas noon 1/9 updated 1/10

[Kelly Ripa]

This is the five year anniversary of Montecito being wiped out and that was from 3 inches. As of now I have had 4.5 inches on my front deck and I'm 3 miles from the lake. I drove over and watched all the water that's going straight to the ocean. Cruel and unusual punishment to see all that water go to waste. Anyway San Antonio creek is over the road to Station Canyon, the diverter is running full tilt,Coyote creek is bombing along. I was out just 3 days ago and we were up about 3 feet...old data on the California site shows us at 31% and Cachuma at 37%. Cachuma will be the big winner from all of this. I was out on Casitas on Friday and there was dry as a bone pieces of wood in abundance in areas but the water temps blew my mind. 56.5 to start and 59 when I left....That will change. The Station Canyon area was the most messed arm as far as silt was going. I assume it's because of all the culverts under the Hwy hydro mining the hills sides below. Plus the two creeks are raging in but but they are hard to see through all of the brush that grew in the absense of water over the last 15 years. If the lake shot up to full pool here we would have to launch through the trees and brush that have been allowed to takeover right up to the cement.I Caught 1 fish 4 pounds 6 ounces shallow. I just heard there is a mandatory evacuation notice for ALL of Montecito as of 12:45. Be safe out there...wear a vest and err on the side of caution is my advice.

Ripa

[Kelly Ripa]

over 6 1/2" last time I looked at 5:00. The Ventura river has never looked nastier...I don't know that Casitas Springs isn't going to get some flooding. Highways 33,101,150 closed... I'm on an island apparently. 10 p.m. and 9 1/4". I hope the hell wind doesn't tear out all the trees before I get up.

[Pete G]

Always good posts from Kelly.

[Kelly Ripa]

I rode my bike out to the lake. From what I could see from the wadeleigh arm the lake might have gone up 3-4 feet. It's what happens when you use a garden hose to fill a lake. Certainly could have used some of that ventura river water that was bank to bank 2 feet from cresting in my lake.Lots of wild numbers for rain up in the canyons. Everything calmed down to 1/3 the flow going to the ocean this morning. Slow and steady is all we are going to get. I had 11 inches total this morning from that storm so I know the lake went up that much

[pd]

Extremely disappointing. One of the best bass lakes in not just CA but the world. I just don’t get it. There’s is so much water just passing by into the muddy ocean that could be filling up a reservoir. Right now it can’t be the steelhead downstream. Nothing swims up through the stuff that is coming down this week. What’s the deal?

[WRB]

Robles Diversion dam canal is the water supply from the Ventura river, when used.
The answer is the environmentalists who control Lake Casitas are nut cases. Same storms a decade ago would have filled Casitas
Thank you Kelly for your excellent reports
Tom

[Wrknap]

Kelly
Please consider sending your Jan 9th post to the VC Star, letters to the editor. I wonder if the tax paying citizens in Ventura County are aware of the way Lake Casitas is operated.
As a resident of Ventura, I see water costs continuing to rise along with increased water restrictions. Change is needed and awareness is the first step.

[pd]

Yep thanks for the confirmation. I thought it was something ridiculous like that. Should some of us who care about the lake and common sense take a stand against this bs?

[Kelly Ripa]

I figure with my now famous name I should run for the water board.... 50% of the voters will be thinking they are voting for some blonde from their morning talk show. Seriously I get calls on my home phone wanting to talk with HER and it's not about bass fishing. The last one was P.O.'d about her Kelly Ripa Signature cosmetics or some such nonsense. Yes the water board is deaf/dumb and blind...Did you hear about our new water park???? Sadly PD I will have to spend a month or 2 trying to beat the 4. 6 I caught the other day as over 5 pounds is pretty much a tough act to follow now days here. The whole ecosystem was crashed and burned by these a holes and Ranger Rob isn't looking out for us anymore.... When my insulin pen froze and cracked in it's case 3 weeks ago the gate staff would not let my wife drive in and give me an insulin pen( type 1 diabetic ) she had to pay ten dollars or walk in. I don't think there was anybody unreamed when I left. Frick'n clueless at the lake now.

Rip

I wonder every time this happens how many millions of dollars that water is worth?