LAKE COUNTY – Lush greenery, crisp air and sparkling water are all wonders that will be even more accessible now that the Konocti Regional Trails Plan is under way.
Board members, property owners and recreational trails users all joined together Jan. 23 in a collaborative effort to reveal Lake County’s stunning vistas, cultural values and historic significance via both land and water routes.
The Konocti Regional Trails' second public workshop was hosted in Lower Lake at the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse Museum and attracted nearly 100 participants.
Once inside, participants had a plethora of vendors and educational stations to visit, including the Sierra Club Lake Group, the Lake County City/Area Planning Council, the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, Friends of Boggs Mountain and the Equestrian Women of the Toll Road, who were there promoting volunteerism on the Highland Springs area’s trails.
The trail systems are not only focused on attracting local enthusiasts, but international nature lovers as well.
Several participants said they’ve seen people come to Lake County from around the world just to enjoy the breathtaking views.
During a short PowerPoint presentation about the outline of the workshop, Kim Clymire, the director of Lake County’s Department of Public Services, explained that the county purchased 1,500 acres on Mt. Konocti from a private owner.
“The vision and goal of this workshop is to set the framework for this trails plan. It will form connections between cities and beautiful points of interest,” he said.
The map in the slide show outlined several interest points including Cow Mountain, the Indian Valley Reservoir, Lake Pillsbury and the wilderness surrounding Cache Creek.
“I think many residents of Lake County have dreamed of a trail encircling the lake. But with Mt. Konocti in private hands for so long, it was not believed to be a near-future reality,” said Holly Harris, a dedicated volunteer on the project and personal cartographer of some of the routes. “The acquisition of Mt. Konocti this past year made the dream more feasible.”
The Konocti Regional Trails plan began with a group of citizens who had a common desire to have access to local trails. They met with county officials, applied for and got a National Park Service Rivers Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, which offers technical support to develop trails, said Harris.
The grant offered the professional guidance and expertise of Barbara Rice, who has years of experience in trail implementation and design, Clymire told Lake County News.
After the presentation, participants split into three breakout sessions to cover three important aspects of the project – policies, planning and design.
Community members didn’t hold back their concerns or questions, and every idea was listed on a large sheet of paper for everyone to see and comment about.
The groups also discussed the pros and cons of the operation.
For example, some major concerns property owners have is the potential for dumping and trespassing.
Recreational users expressed the need for proper signage on the trails to keep people from getting lost.
County officials said trail routes on private property only will be considered with complete and full cooperation from property owners. Eminent domain is not a consideration of the trails plan.
Safety is a main concern for the Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit. Vallen Cooper, secretary of the Search and Rescue Unit, reported 14 “activities” out off of Highland Springs alone.
“We’re promoting trails in the entire county with the creation of signage and a formal map,” said Cooper, who is also is a member of the Back Country Horsemen of America. “Planning for emergencies like search and rescue are health and safety concerns so we are very involved at the ground level to help make these trails conducive to assisting in search and rescue incidents.”
Safety also was one of the main concerns of 652 respondents to a survey conducted last year, through www.surveymonkey.com, which represented 1 percent of Lake County’s population.
Eighty seven percent of respondents listed walking or hiking as the major activity they do in Lake County.
The survey was developed to identify existing destinations, desired modes of trail use, key issues and concerns and desired amenities. Additionally, the survey was designed to determine the level of support for a Konocti Regional Trail system and garner potential volunteers, said Harris.
Harris reported that 30 people attended the first workshop, compared to 100 at the second.
The lake has been divided into five separate study areas for potential trails. The first is the Northshore area which extends from Nice to Clearlake Oaks. The Northshore ridgeline is what originally inspired citizens to band together and ask for accessible trails for local use, officials reported.
The eastshore study area runs from about Honeymoon Island, through Clearlake and all the way to Lower Lake. The westshore study area covers the land and water from Upper Lake to Lakeport. The Konocti study area includes the areas surrounding Finley, Kelseyville, Soda Bay and the Riviera.
Finally, the south county study area consists of Loch Lomond, Cobb Mountain, Hidden Valley, Anderson Springs and Middletown.
Covering all of this landscape is a feat. One recurring issue about the trails project was signage. Many users complained that the trails are not marked adequately.
One couple experienced the lack of signage when they ended up lost after starting out on a trip from Bartlett Springs Road.
Ron and Irma Rivera moved to Lake County about four years ago and decided to go for a drive off of Bartlett Springs Road. They came to a fork in the road along the way and turned the wrong direction because there weren’t any signs.
They realized they were lost shortly before they witnessed an odd sight – a BMW had driven up the dirt roads and told the Riveras just where they were. To their surprise, they ended up popping out on Highway 16.
Harris is excited about the third workshop, set to be held this spring. She said a draft of the master plan will be presented and open for comment by any stakeholder. The plan will be submitted to the county’s Board of Supervisors for approval this summer.
To get involved please visit www.KonoctiTrails.com to register and receive biannual updates.
E-mail Tera deVroede at
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