[UPDATED as of 3/2]
City staff continue to monitor the water level at Lake Poway, which rose significantly from the impact of Monday's storm. Water levels have neared the concrete spillway, which is a 100-foot wide span of concrete on the east side of the dam designed to provide a safe route for diverting excess water into the canyon below.
Since staff began monitoring the water level on Tuesday morning, the rate of watershed runoff into the lake has slowed substantially. While the water level continues to rise, the time frame for a possible spillover continues to get pushed out with each monitoring. Water continues to be drawn from the lake for treatment and distribution to the city's water system.
The dam has been inspected and it remains structurally sound.
In the event that water flows over the spillway, it enters the canyon north of the Lake Poway Dam. That area is low-lying and includes natural creek beds. The flow path of the water is into the canyon, through parts of the Blue Sky Ecological Reserve, under Old Coach Road, along Thomson Creek adjacent to Maderas Golf Course and ultimately into Lake Hodges.
Status of the lake and trails:
- Lake Poway and many of its trails are open after a brief closure to assess their conditions; some trails remain closed.
- Blue Sky Ecological Reserve remains closed.
The last time water flowed over the spillway from Lake Poway was 1997. The overflow lasted one week and there were no reported injuries to people or damage to property attributed to the high water level.
For additional information, the public may contact City of Poway Public Works at (858) 668-4700 during business hours, or (858) 668-4751 after hours.
See map.