NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – State officials said emergency repairs are continuing at the Oroville Dam’s damaged spillway in an effort to restart operations at the dam’s power plant, which provides another outlet for water release at the facility.

On Tuesday, one day after the Department of Water Resources, or DWR, halted flows down the damaged flood control spillway at the dam, crews continue removing a debris pile estimated at roughly 1 million cubic yards at the base of the spillway.

Debris removal will help lower the water level in the channel that leads to Hyatt power plant, officials said.

Bringing down the water height in that channel is a key step to restoring function at the power plant, which will give DWR another means of releasing water from the reservoir.

The forecast for the coming week is relatively dry, and Lake Oroville is not expected to rise above 860 feet elevation while spillway flows are halted for up to seven days.

The lake level still would be 41 feet below the level at which the emergency spillway would be used. The current lake level is 840 feet elevation, with inflows of roughly 20,000 cubic feet per second.

If Hyatt power plant function is not restored within seven days, DWR will use the flood control spillway again to regulate reservoir levels.

In preparation for the restarting of Hyatt power plant, DWR is moving a power line in order to connect the second of three lines needed to enable reoperation of the entire plant. This work is being coordinated with Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

Once operational, the Hyatt power plant can discharge roughly 14,000 cubic feet per second, which will allow state water officials to better manage reservoir levels through the remaining spring runoff season.

On Monday, flows down the flood control spillway gradually dropped from 50,000 cubic feet per second to zero, ceasing around noon.

The cessation of flows has allowed DWR to better assess the extent of erosion on the flood control spillway that was first noticed Feb. 7.

“We’ve been monitoring this spillway closely since Feb. 7, and we knew there was significant damage before we went to zero flows,” said acting state Water Resources Director Bill Croyle. “It’s clear we have a lot of work ahead of us. Work already is underway to repair or replace the damaged spillway so that we are ready for next winter.”

The halt in flood control spillway releases gives workers safe access to the debris pile. Crews are excavating day and night. Excavators, bulldozers and several crane barges are in operation.

Flows necessary to meet fishery requirements in the Feather River downstream of the dam are being maintained at 2,500 cubic feet per second through use of water stored in the diversion pool and Thermalito Forebay and Afterbay. This complex of small reservoirs just downstream of Oroville Dam will provide enough water to maintain flows for approximately seven days.

DWR and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife together are surveying the Feather River downstream of Oroville Diversion Dam to rescue fish that may get stranded in pools as the river level falls.

Adult salmon are not expected to be in the river at this time of year, and young salmon likely have already moved downstream with recent high flows.

Since Feb. 12, Department of Water Resources has reduced water levels in Lake Oroville from 901 feet elevation to 840 feet, more than 60 feet below the top of the emergency spillway.

DWR is coordinating with Caltrans to address the impact of emergency response activities on local roads, and this will continue throughout the operation.

For information on lake conditions; including lake levels, inflows and outflows visit http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/resapp/resDetailOrig.action?resid=ORO .

This list has been updated and is current as of 4 p.m. Tuesday.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The week started out with many county roads and city streets remaining closed due to continuing flood conditions.

The major closure in the county, of the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff, remained in effect on Monday, with the Lake County Public Works Department reporting that there was not yet an estimated time of reopening for the roadway.

In Lakeport, many streets remain closed due to damage or flooding, but on Monday Giselman Street between Lakeshore Boulevard and Sayre Street was reopened. 

However, the city said Lakeshore Boulevard east of Giselman to the city limits at Beach Lane remains closed due to flooding. Through traffic is encouraged to use the Hartley Road detour via Twentieth Street.

The full list of road closures and advisories for areas around the county follows. Information was compiled from reports from Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol, the Clearlake Police Department, Lake County Department of Public Works and the Lakeport Police Department.

In the map shown on this page, areas marked with the flooding symbol and the red triangle indicate closures; the rockslide icon indicates those areas where there are slides but which remain open.

The map is subject to updating throughout the day as new information becomes available.

CLEARLAKE

All city boat launches remain closed.

Lower Lakeshore Drive at Lakeshore Drive: Closed due to flooding.

CLEARLAKE OAKS

High Valley Road: Road conditions from Brassfield Winery to Bartlett Springs Road are unknown at this time.

Island Drive: Closed from Highway 20 to the bridge due to flooding.

Keys Boulevard: Closed due to flooding.

Lake Street: Closed due to flooding.

Old Long Valley Road: Open with slide activity.

Widgeon Way: Closed from the Plaza to Shady Lane due to tree across the roadway.

COBB

Maple Shadows: Closed at the south end from Highway 175 to Parnassus due to culvert failure.

Socrates Mine Road: Road slip out at MPM 3.8. Down to one lane in this area.

LAKEPORT (CITY)

All city boat launches remain closed.

Library Park continues to be closed due to the extreme danger and flood conditions.

City parking lots at Third Street, Fourth Street and Fifth Street are closed.

– Esplanade Street.
– K Street.
– Konocti Avenue.
– Lupoyoma Avenue.
– Helena Avenue.
– Lily Cove Avenue.
– Oak Knoll Avenue.
– E Street.

Lakeshore Boulevard: Closed to all traffic east of Giselman to the north city limit boundary at Beach Lane. Through traffic is encouraged to use the Hartley Road detour via 20th Street. Lakeshore Boulevard across from Jones Street appears to be undermined and may be structurally unsafe. Avoid the area.

Royale Avenue: Closed to all vehicles at Pike Drive.

LAKEPORT

Hill Road: Closed between Sutter Lakeside Hospital entrance and Lakeshore Boulevard due to mudslides across the roadway.

Lakeshore Boulevard: Closed from Park Way to Alterra Drive due to flooding.

Lakeshore Boulevard: Closed from Park Way to 2,500 feet north due to flooding and a power pole leaning into the roadway.

LOWER LAKE

Morgan Valley Road: Closed at the Lake/Napa line due to numerous trees and mud slides on the Napa County side.

LUCERNE

Bartlett Springs Road: Closed at MPM 18.0 due to mudslide.

Twin Valley Road: Closed due to mudslide.

NICE

Lakeshore Boulevard: Closed from Stokes Avenue to Carson Street due to flooding.

Nice-Lucerne Cutoff: Closed due to flooding.

Stokes Avenue: Closed from Stokes Court to Nice-Lucerne Cutoff due to flooding.

UPPER LAKE

Elk Mountain Road: Roadway closed at MPM 29.6 due to road washout. No estimate of when road will be reopened.

Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday released annual applicant and appointee data for the administration's judicial appointments across California.

From 2011 through 2016, Gov. Brown appointed 356 judges – including 45 in 2016 – from a pool of more than 2,000 applicants.

Over those six years, nearly 40 percent of Gov. Brown's appointees identified themselves as American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; Black or African-American; Hispanic; Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; or other/unknown.

Last year, Hispanic appointees accounted for more than one in five judicial appointments.

From 2011 through 2016, Gov. Brown's judicial appointees included a number of notable firsts:

– Yvette Durant, the first woman judge ever appointed to the Sierra County Superior Court.
– Richard T. Fields, the first black man appointed to the Fourth District Court of Appeal.
– Marco D. Nunez, the first openly gay judge ever appointed to the Imperial County Superior Court.
– Sonia Cortés, the first Latino judge ever appointed to the Yolo County Superior Court.
– Marsha G. Slough, the first openly gay justice in the history of the Fourth District Court of Appeal.
– Luis A. Lavin, the first openly gay justice to serve on the Second District Court of Appeal.
– Therese M. Stewart, the first openly lesbian justice to serve on the California Court of Appeal.
– Ferdinand P. Inumerable, the first Asian-American judge ever appointed to the Ventura County Superior Court.
– M. Bruce Smith, the first black judge to serve on the Fifth District Court of Appeal.
– Paul Lo, the first Hmong American judge ever appointed in the country.
– Sunshine Sykes, the first American Indian judge ever appointed to the Riverside County Superior Court.
– Sunil Kulkarni, the first South Asian American judge ever appointed in Northern California.
– Rupa Goswami, the first South Asian American woman judge ever appointed in California.
– Halim Dhanidina, the first American-Muslim judge ever appointed in California.
– Jim Humes, the first openly gay justice ever appointed to the California Court of Appeal.
– Miguel Marquez, the first Latino justice ever appointed to the Sixth District Court of Appeal.
– Rosendo Peña, the first Latino justice ever appointed to the Fifth District Court of Appeal.
– Chris Doehle, the first female judge ever appointed to the Del Norte County Superior Court.
– Kimberly Colwell, the first openly lesbian judge ever appointed to the Alameda County Superior Court.
– Mark Andrew Talamantes, the first Latino judge ever appointed to the Marin County Superior Court.
– Kathleen O'Leary, the first female presiding justice ever appointed to the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three.
– Raquel Marquez, the first Latina judge ever appointed to the Riverside County Superior Court.

Under SB 56 and SB 182, the governor is required to disclose aggregate statewide demographic data provided by all judicial applicants by March 1.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall gathered earlier this month to hear an update on building codes and the local museum.

During the Feb. 9 meeting at the Middletown Community Center Lake County Community Development Director Bob Massarelli gave an update on new building codes and his department’s operations.

Voris Brumfield also gave an update on the transfer of the Gibson Museum from the Lake County Historical Society to Lake County Museum System and museum activities.

The MATH Board includes Chair Claude Brown, Vice Chair Linda Diehl-Darms, Secretary Fletcher Thornton, and members Lisa Kaplan and Gregg Van Oss.

Diehl-Darms chaired the meeting; Brown and Van Oss both were absent.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Clearlake man has been sentenced to jail time, probation and possible restitution in a case involving the possession of American Indian artifacts that authorities say were looted from local archaeological sites.

Brian Gene Smith, 41, pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing ancient American Indian artifacts during a Feb. 21 court appearance, according to District Attorney Don Anderson.

Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Richard Kreutzer arrested Smith on Aug. 22, 2015. Kreutzer originally contacted Smith regarding allegations that he had left an inappropriate letter for a 14-year-old girl, authorities said.

When Kreutzer found Smith, he was behind a business in Lower Lake, appearing to be under the influence of drugs, with his van filled with a number of artifacts – Indian bone fragments, arrowheads, clay pottery bowls, pieces of obsidian and other rocks which were shaped into points, and other items, according to law enforcement reports.

Some of the objects had index cards explaining where they had been located, which the original sheriff’s report said were areas around Clear Lake that had been exposed due to the ongoing drought conditions at the time.

There also was a flash drive that Kreutzer found that had pictures of Smith and another male subject holding obsidian points from an unknown location, authorities said.

Kreutzer knew he had an archaeological crime case on his hands. Two days beforehand, he had finished a training on such crimes which was co-presented by tribal groups and the sheriff’s office, as Lake County News has reported.

Anderson said Smith failed to show at a Nov. 8 court appearance. On his next court appearance on Jan. 6, he said he was autistic and needed the court to explain a jury trial.

Anderson said his office reached an agreement with Smith in which he pleaded on Jan. 10 to the felony charge of unlawfully possessing ancient American Indian artifacts.

As a result of the agreement, a number of other charges Smith originally had been facing – including vandalism and removing or injuring any object of archaeological or historical interest, and drug charges – were not pursued, Anderson said.

On Feb. 21, retired Lake County Superior Court Judge Arthur Mann sentenced Smith to felony probation and 109 days in the county jail plus other terms of probation which include possible restitution to the local American Indian community, according to Anderson.

“We’re elated. We’re happy,” said Dino Beltran, tribal administrator and treasurer of the Koi Nation of Lower Lake.

It was Beltran who had first proposed to Sheriff Brian Martin in early 2015 that the trainings on archaeological crimes be held locally for law enforcement.

The Koi Nation, Robinson Rancheria and the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake form a tribal consortium called Ancestors 1, which entered into a memorandum of understanding with the county of Lake in 2015 to increase protections for cultural resources.

In October the California Office of Historic Preservation awarded the Governor's Historic Preservation Award for 2016 to Ancestors 1 and the county for the agreement, as Lake County News has reported.

Beltrans praised Sheriff Martin for hosting the archaeological crimes class, Kreutzer for his work and Anderson for following through on the prosecution and “saying that this does mean something.”

There have been other busts previous to the one involving Smith, but they didn’t go anywhere or, in one case, were dismissed as lesser charges in a stabbing case, Beltran said.

While this case has come to its conclusion, Beltran said it’s important to keep up the efforts to stop similar crimes. “These are happening often,” he said.

In a 2015 interview, Martin McAllister of Archaeological Damage Investigation & Assessment – who led the archaeological crimes class held in Lake County – told Lake County news that archaeological looting is a very serious problem, and one that’s “much more serious than the American public realizes.”

McAllister said stolen artifacts form a multimillion dollar black market industry in the United States, and cited Interpol numbers that estimates the illicit artifacts trade is a $7 billion annual industry worldwide.

Anderson said the District Attorney's Office will work closely with law enforcement and the American Indian community to help preserve their culture and heritage.

He said his agency is still doing followup on where the artifacts Smith had in possession came from originally in order to return them to the tribe to whom they belong.

As for similar cases, Anderson said his department doesn’t have any others they’re now working on.

Smith’s case, he said, can serve as a deterrent, but he’s also concerned that it could make some people more interested in attempting to seek out such artifacts.

To that second group, he said, “I wouldn’t take a chance.”

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport Emergency Operations Center will host a community meeting to discuss the latest information on the ongoing flood event.

The meeting will take place beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

City officials said the meeting is open to the public but is mainly intended for Lakeport residents in flood-affected areas. A translator also will be available for Spanish speakers.

Four city neighborhoods along the lakeshore were ordered to evacuate on Feb. 20, with city officials reporting that 225 people were evacuated.

Those city residents remain under a mandatory evacuation order, with evacuation shelters set up at the Lakeport Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1111 Park Way, and the National Guard Armory, 1431 Hoyt Ave. in Lakeport.

City officials said Monday that Verizon has installed a temporary “cell on wheels” at the church to improve wireless communications for emergency workers and the close to 100 evacuees sheltering there.

The city said the Verizon Crisis Response Team outfitted the Lakeport Emergency Operations Center last week with enhanced wireless data connectivity allowing for better coordination among emergency workers and city officials.

Verizon also provided a portable wireless hotspot and Internet-connected laptops to the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s evacuation center for a homework room for schoolchildren, as Lake County News has reported.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.