Lopez Lake is almost at capacity, but hasn't spilled yet 

With fresh memories of last year's winter storm damage, many are looking to Lopez Lake and the possibility of it spilling over the dam so early in winter to determine how this season might go.

San Luis Obispo County Public Works Utilities Engineer David Spiegel told New Times that Lopez Lake is currently 95 percent full. Contrary to rumors, he added, the dam didn't spill over on Dec. 23 and hasn't spilled in almost a year.

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• File Photo Courtesy Of Lopez Lake Marina Facebook Page
• POSSIBLE FLOOD ALERT Public Works Utilities Engineer, David Spiegel told New Times that although the reservoir hasn't spilled over, there are heavy storms forecasted and community members should keep an eye out for potential evacuation orders.

"We have a contractor repairing a riprap at the base of the spillway due to last season's storms, so that could be why some believe it spilled," Spiegel said. "It did spill back in January 2023, which was the first time it had spilled in over 20 years."

Spiegel said with the lake almost at capacity, the county's worried about the potential for future downstream flooding on Arroyo Grande Creek, especially through the lower parts of Arroyo Grande and Oceano, which could have long-lasting and devastating effects.

"We don't have the facilities to pipe it anywhere or have storage locations like they do in the Central Valley, where it floods agricultural lands and lets it percolate the ground," Spiegel has told New Times in the past.

However, Spiegel said that flooding wasn't a concern for the county in the wake of recent rains.

"We would anticipate flooding if the reservoir spills, and we get large rain events," he said. "If the season is more average in nature and not like last season, then the flooding could be minimal."

To help ease the minds of some Arroyo Grande and Oceano residents, Spiegel said that the amount of rain we recently had didn't push the reservoir past its capacity, so community members don't currently need to worry over potential loss or damage to their properties. However, he added a caveat.

"There are no evacuation orders currently, but I would suspect upper management would issue evacuation orders if or when it spills," he said. "There are some big storms forecasted."

Those looking to plan ahead can visit readyslo.org, he said, for information on how to effectively plan for storms, receive updates on current emergency information, and resources on how to recover if a resident has faced storm related damage. The county-run website also includes locations for local sandbag pickups. Δ