The guest dock at Caples Lake in Alpine County is in low water because of drawdowns to the lake to allow dam repairs. The dock is sitting on rocks and must be removed. The rental dock has been shortened to alleviate stress on the cable and allow boats to exit the marina area. Photo by: Courtesy to the Ledger Dispatch The normal water line at Caples Lake in Alpine County will be heavily affected by drawdowns by the El Dorado Irrigation District. The district is bringing the water levels down to allow access to the main dam, which has outlets in serious disrepair. Photo by: Courtesy to the Ledger Dispatch

An emergency dam repair at Caples Lake couldn't have come at a worse time for John Voss.

The Caples Lake resort manager of the popular recreation spot has already seen his business traffic dwindle due to a sluggish economy and dry winter. Now he will also have to contend with a lake drawdown so the El Dorado Irrigation District can replace deteriorated outlets at the main dam. Voss understands the repairs must be done, but he was hoping the work wouldn't begin until next month, when the recreation season has neared its end.

"They have to do it, but it is going to kill the business," he said. Next week the lake will lose the boat launches because of the drawdown, prompting lake staff to play "musical docks" with launches, Voss said.

Underwater inspections by divers revealed problems with two slide gates that are located in a well-type shaft inside the dam. When the lake is full, the lower gate is under approximately 64 feet of water, requiring the drawdown of the lake for repairs to proceed. EID emphasized that the dam structure itself is safe, but is warning the public of high, cold waters in Caples Creek and the Silver Fork of the American River. "There is a safety concern out there," said Deanne Kloepfer, strategic management and communications director at EID. "People who are used to being at those areas need to be aware of the warning signage."

Kloepfer said that the problems began around a year and a half ago when staff noticed the slide gates were having trouble opening. After divers videotaped the damage, EID found itself between a "rock and a hard place" on how to safely repair structures that Kloepfer described as "in total disrepair."

"These outlet structures are 90 years old and, to our knowledge, have never been replaced," she said.

A drawdown was planned for later in the year to build a new boat ramp, but EID consultants told staff that the drawdown would have to begin sooner to reach the levels needed for workers to safely descend the shaft.

"The shaft is wider at the top than the bottom," Kloepfer said. "Kind of shaped like an ice cream cone and only a two-by-four confined space to work in. It would be too risky for someone to be in there while the lake is at maximum level. We have no other choice."

Caples Lake is part of a system of waterways that EID purchased in 1999 from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and is approximately 22,300 acre feet. Caples, along with Silver Lake, holds 38 percent of the district's storage capacity and is used primarily to generate power rather than for drinking water.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort has draw rights at Caples Lake for water during the fall months. According to Kirkwood CEO David Likins, the drawdown won't impact the resort's overall operation. "Our draw rights are well below the levels the lake will be drawn to," he said. "The biggest impact will be to our homeowners and guests who like to go to the lake and fish. We look forward to seeing it back at its levels."

The trophy fishery at Caples is currently a big concern for all parties involved with the water drop. Voss said protecting the fishery once the water drops significantly is an issue the staff at Caples has no answers for yet. Kloepfer said that EID is still looking at every possible avenue for saving the fishery, but the "angry anglers" that are calling want resolution immediately.

"From our standpoint, we are not doing this for the fun of it," said Kloepfer. "We cannot operate in the current state. It equates to public safety."

Eldorado National Forest spokeswoman Kristi Schroeder said the fishery will be significantly affected by the drawdown. But as the pool shrinks, anglers will be more likely to catch fish there.

"Caples' drawdown will affect the season, but we want the public to remember that there are still plenty of recreation areas up and down the Highway 88 corridor," she added.

That's not much help to Voss, whose business was already affected by a dry winter. Due to new license agreements from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under Project 184, Caples Lake was listed as having an incomplete fill this year by five to six feet.

"It's just a double whammy," he said. "Between gas prices, the down economy and now this drawdown, it's making for a bad summer."

The EID, Eldorado National Forest and U.S. Department of Fish and Game are working to mitigate as many of the issues as possible, Schroeder said. Meanwhile, there are still hiking and other fishing activities at the lake. Kloepfer said that one option that is being considered is a "bladder dam" that can sustain the fishery, but, she added, EID "literally does not know" at this point what will happen.

"This is having huge recreation impacts and, believe me, we all have this on our minds," she said. "This was the best way for us to go for the operation of the dam and for next year's recreation."

Alpine County District 2 Supervisor Skip Veatch, whose jurisdiction includes Caples Lake, is concerned about both the fishery and his county's economy. "This is going to affect us in many ways," he said. "We are almost exclusively tourist-oriented."

While EID was seeking approval for the boat ramp, Veatch said his position at the time was for the lake to have only one drawdown. He said he didn't realize the lake would be brought to pre-dam levels. Before the dam was built in the 1920s, Veatch noted, Caples Lake was two small "mud puddles" called Twin Lakes.

Voss said the lodge and resort at Caples still has a lot of openings that are typically filled up by August. Rental sales are down and the drive-through traffic is starting to slow. "I hope this isn't the final straw that kills us," he said.