Flooding, debris, and blocked waterways have turned Lake County's Cole Creek into a death trap for an endangered fish species. Meanwhile, homes and roads remain underwater for months.
We're a community of neighbors in Green Acres, Kelseyville, California. Many of us have lived here for decades, witnessing the situation worsen significantly in recent years. Floodwaters now remain on our properties for more than 6 months each year, damaging homes, roads, and severely impacting daily life and the local ecosystem.
Cole Creek was rerouted and channelized in the late 1950s. Since then, Lake County has performed almost no maintenance, allowing sediment and debris to accumulate. This negligence has turned Cole Creek into a flooded disaster, trapping residents and wildlife alike.
Cole Creek is vital for the survival of the endangered Clear Lake Hitch, yet thousands of fish still die every spring in stagnant floodwaters. Despite recognizing this crisis for years, Lake County authorities delayed crucial action. Through ongoing community collaboration (monthly meetings, detailed documentation, and consistent communication about the issues), the county published a comprehensive planning RFP in September 2025 and is now reviewing contractor proposals, marking the first concrete step toward long-term restoration.
December 16, 2025
California Conservation Corps (CCC) crews have been active across Lake County in recent weeks, and between December 9 and December 16 they spent three days on Cole Creek cutting back vegetation that had been choking the channel. Working with 15-25 people each day, they loaded and hauled away a total of 30 dump-trailer loads of cut material so it would not wash downstream and clog the creek again.
Read more →November 21, 2025
We continue the monthly Cole Creek Advisory Collaborative (CCAC) meetings with Lake County Water Resources, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), California State Parks, Big Valley Rancheria, FlowWest engineers, and community representatives.
Read more →September 15, 2025
Lake County opened bidding for the comprehensive “Fish and Wildlife Management and Planning Services; Task A, Task B, Task C” contract. Task C is focused entirely on Cole Creek planning and design, with an expected contractor cost range of $200,000–$500,000.
Read more →While long-term planning moves forward, recent cleanup efforts have made a difference. California Conservation Corps crews cleared vegetation from the channel in December 2025, and county workers separately removed vegetation and sediment upstream of Clark Drive Bridge in August 2025. Yet much of the creek remains clogged. Consistent maintenance (cutting vegetation, removing debris, and keeping the channel open) is essential to protect homes, roads, and wildlife while the multi-year restoration project develops.
