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Earlier visits and photos showed heavy sediment buildup here, leaving very little room for water in the channel. Water had spread into the surrounding forest and found a path around the blockage.

The county cleared two debris blockages along Clark Drive in September 2026. We still need to confirm whether that work included this spot and take an updated look at how much sediment remains. This stretch needs to be considered in the larger restoration plan.

Clark Drive Bridge was replaced in 2013 after the old bridge was found to be in poor condition.

The creek is narrow around this reach, and sediment buildup has contributed to water backing up onto Clark Drive and nearby properties. County crews cleared a short stretch just upstream in August 2025. The restoration plan needs to look at how water moves through this area and where it gets held up.

This pipe lets water drain from Green Acres into Cole Creek. A flap on the creek side is meant to let water out and keep high creek water from flowing back into the neighborhood.

Sediment has blocked the outlet before, including a blockage cleared under emergency permission from CDFW in May 2023. The culvert was reported flowing in March 2026.

Neighbors have also reported damage to the pipe and raised concerns about whether it's large enough. Those questions need to be looked at as part of the long-term solution. Keeping the outlet clear helps water drain. The pipe's condition and size also need to be checked.

Floodwater has collected on these properties and, in past years, stayed for months after the rain stopped. Standing water can also become a breeding place for mosquitoes.

The sensors at one Pharo Place pasture showed much less standing water in early 2026. Those measurements describe one pasture, not the whole neighborhood.

Our older photos also show Clear Lake hitch stranded outside the creek. When those pools dry out, the fish are at risk. A long-term solution needs to help water drain and keep fish in the creek where they belong.

Cole Creek was moved and straightened in the late 1950s, likely to help control flooding. The creek now follows a narrow, straight channel instead of its old winding route.

Sediment buildup and blockages downstream have contributed to water spilling over the banks and flooding nearby properties. Lake County has chosen FlowWest to plan restoration of 1.55 miles of the creek. We're asking the county and its partners to carry those plans through to lasting improvements for the creek and the neighborhood.

Before it was rerouted, Cole Creek wound through this area along the base of the mountain. This marks the old route, not the main channel the creek follows today.

USGS station 11449820 at Sylar Lane measures creek levels upstream of the neighborhood's flooding. It helps us understand what's happening in the creek. The water standing on our properties is measured separately by standing-water and groundwater sensors at Pharo Place. See the monitoring results linked below for what those sensors recorded.