The water level in San Diego County’s Lake Hodges is coming down as city officials try to keep water pressure from putting the dam at risk.
San Diego officials began lowering water levels at Lake Hodge Monday, as they worked to bring down the elevation to 275 feet above sea level.
Rains this past weekend pushed the level above that.
“There is a state mandate for Hodges right now, that it has to be at 275 feet,” said Arian Collins, a spokesman for the city of San Diego. “And it cannot exceed that. And right now, it has exceeded it because of recent rains.”
The lake collects water from a 248-square-mile watershed.
The maximum capacity of the 104-year-old dam is at 313 feet of elevation, but city officials were keeping the level at 295 feet.
That level was lowered to 275 feet so the aging structure could be repaired.
Collins said engineers opened valves on Monday to start letting water flow into the San Dieguito riverbed.
“The only place that’s easily accessible would be the Hodges Dam trail head,” Collins said. “It’s just maybe about a mile west of the dam. Cause you only see the water coming from that side of the dam.”
The lake level should fall about two feet by mid-week.
City officials say more releases may be needed if rain continues falls over the region.
