Tag: Lake San Antonio

Finally, progress!

Not me y’all, Lake San Antonio!!

Wildflower was cancelled and took the rest of the TriCal season with it, which totally sucks as they have been a bulwark of the independent triathlon scene for a long time. They said that they would return to Wildflower when Lake San Antonio was once again above 20% capacity and they could hold the swim at the Lynch boat ramp.

I’ve been tracking the reservoir levels and they have been dropping, slowly, all year.  Even when the rain started, even when rain fell on the lake, still the level went down. What was going on? Was the ground that dry in the lakebed and watershed that it was all just getting absorbed? Considering how dry it has been for the past five or six years, yeah.

California is in the midst of a massive rain storm and I checked in and yes!!! Lake San Antonio got an inch of rain in one day last week (for non-Californians – that’s a lot) as well as continuing direct rainfall and rain on the watershed. It has gone from 6% full last week to 11% full as of yesterday. That includes an increase in overall depth of more than 12 feet in three days this week and an increase of 1.3 miles in length. If you have been to Lake San Antonio that will mean a lot to you, as the actual lake has been really, really far from the Transition/Finish Line/Festival Area for years.

Now we all now that this was just an elaborate ploy to keep Jesse Thomas from 7-peating but as soon as Wildflower is back, I will be there and I hope you will too.

-FH

Lake San Antonio Update – 4/7/2016

The numbers as of 4/1/16

(Water is represented in Acre-Feet)

Current level is 7.2% – 24,110

To Go to Swim at Lynch – 42,890

Increase since 1/24/16 – 13,755

Increase this week – 1,600

Days until Wildflower – 23

Average increase in acre feet required per day to meet 20% by race day – 1865 (yeah, good luck with that)

Next rainfall forecast -4/7/2016

There has been no rain for a couple of weeks and temperatures have risen, so rainfall now has to cope with increased evaporation. The good news is the water is the highest it’s been since they have started using Harris Creek, higher water = less of a climb to get to T1A.

There should be significant rain this weekend, up to a half inch, and there is a chance of rain for at least the next ten days. Unless we get a proper flood Lynch will have to wait for next year, but we will have plenty of lovely water to swim in.

(All Data from the Monterey County Water Resources Agency here.)

-fh

Lake San Antonio Update 3/10/2016

The numbers as of 3/10/16

(Water is represented in Acre-Feet)

Current level is 4.8% – 16,130

To Go to Swim at Lynch – 50,870

Increase since 1/24/16 – 5,775

Increase this week – 4,406

Days until Wildflower – 51

Average increase in acre feet required per day to meet 20% by race day – 997.45 (yeah, good luck with that)

Next rainfall forecast -3/11/2016

There was significant rainfall this week  -2.05 inches. Even on days when it has not rained, the rate of increase has gone up substantially as the upstream watershed drains into the Lake. While we probably won’t get Lynch this year, it’s a great thing that the losses due to the diversion to Nacimiento are being redressed.

(All Data from the Monterey County Water Resources Agency here.)

Lake San Antonio Update 2/19/2016

The numbers as of 2/19/16

Current level is 3.5% – 11,775

To Go to Swim at Lynch – 55,225

Increase since 1/24/16 – 1,420

Days until Wildflower – 71

Average increase in acre feet required per day to meet 20% by race day – 777.82

Next rainfall forecast -TBD

(All Data from the Monterey County Water Resources Agency here.)

Lake San Antonio Update 2/15/16

In our last Episode of “Obsessing over race venues…”

January 27th, 2016 – “If water levels in Lake San Antonio get above 20%, the Wildflower Triathlon Swim start will move back to Lynch. (No two mile run to your bike) Current level is 3%. The required storage is 70,000 Acre Feet of water. Current level is 10,659 acre feet (up from 10355 at the beginning of the week +304 acre feet). 59,341 acre feet to go!! (Yes, I check this.) ‪#‎ElNinoforPresident‬!”

 

The numbers as of 2/12/16

Update – required storage is 67,000 Acre feet, not 70,000 as written above.

Current level is 3% – 11,598

To Go to Swim at Lynch – 55,402

Increase since 1/24/16 – 1,243

Days until Wildflower – 75

Average increase in acre feet required per day to meet 20% by race day – 738.69

Next rainfall forecast – 2/17/16.

(All Data from the Monterey County Water Resources Agency here.)