For the first time in a decade, Kachuuma Lake releases water into spillways

The Rehabilitation Authority will release water into the Kachuma Lake spillway as it rains for the first time in nearly a decade since Friday.

A discharge of 2,000 cubic feet per second is intended to limit the threat of flooding on the lower Santa Ynez River. Michael Jackson, Area Manager of the Southern Central California Office of the Reclamation Bureau, said:^st This year, the lake has over 100,000 acre feet and gained 50 feet in elevation. The water flowing downstream contains debris, which he said has moved rapidly over the course of a week.

“A cubic foot is roughly the size of a basketball. What we’ve experienced at 20,000 cubic feet per second is 20,000 basketballs coming at you every second. For the next few days, we’re throwing in 2,000 cubic feet per second. We’re considering doing it, so you still have 2,000 basketballs coming your way every second,” Jackson said.

The Reclamation Authority provides water service from Lake Cachuma to parts of Santa Barbara County, including Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Montecito. Jackson said the amount of water that will be released into the spillway in the future will depend on how much rain continues to fall in the area.