Valley City  (CSi)  Minimal flooding may occur in Valley City, as storm sewer drains were closed Sunday to draw down Lake Ashtabula.  Scott Tichy, Park Ranger at Lake Ashtabula says, the action may cause some minimal flooding in Valley City, including City Park, and Chatauqua Park.

Authorities are to start making storage space from the water in the upper basin, stemming from recent significant rainfall and snow melt from last weekends, wet snow.

Tichy says  the river height should be  less than 13 feet in Valley City, adding most of the levies in Valley City are built to 20-21 feet.

On Monday morning the release at Baldhill Dam was stepped up from 2400 cfs to 2800 cfs, with possible peak inflows of close to 5000 cfs.

It hope the peak discharge rate can be held to 3000 to 3100 cfs.

The lake level will likely go up to almost four feet above the normal pool level.

Tichy adds, that anyone with boat docks still on the lake should take them off, now.