LAKEPORT, Calif. – A steering committee appointed to look at ways to fund a healthier Clear Lake delivered to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday several formal suggestions.
George Speake, a representative of the committee – which included Kathy Fowler, Melissa Fulton, Peggie King and Jim Fetzer – returned to the board after giving an initial report last month.
Sitting alongside county Water Resources Director Scott De Leon, Speake said the goals of the effort were to increase Clear Lake's ease and quality of use for its residents and visitors, make Lake County a more desirable place to visit in order to increase tourism, and make sure that management steps don't adversely affect the lake's health and ecosystem.
He said the steering committee was recommending an enduring commitment by the board to pursue the lake's long-term health. The group's members also suggested establishing stable funding sources, and aggressive and consistent pursuit of longterm solutions as well as a commitment to flexible short-term mitigations.
The steering committee's recommendations included establishing an aquatic weed and algae steering committee, with the board's commitment to a plan to manage the lake and to direct Water Resources to implement it.
In addition, Speake suggested that the board will need to provide stable and consistent resources – money, staff and board support – to implement the plan.
Speake said the group is suggesting that the county devote about $500,000 a year or more for seven years to lake management efforts, and schedule an evaluation in five years about whether to continue, adjust or terminate the program.
In order to raise that funding, Speake said the steering committee was suggesting a countywide sales tax of approximately 0.0543 percent, which would generate an estimated $250,000 annually. Other proposed revenue streams included water consumption fees of $0.25 per account per month for commercial and residential water taken from the lake, for $51,000 annually; and a reallocation of $199,000 in existing county resources.
He said the group also proposed beginning the legal process that's associated with some of those fund increases now in order to start out with a strong summer season next year.
Other suggestions included aggressively moving forward on the Middle Creek Restoration Project.
Speake said the steering committee looked at a benefit assessment zone that would cover the entire lake, not just the lakeshore, but he said it might be difficult to develop and trace the relationship between the benefit zone and users.
Also included on the revenue list was a tribal contribution which hadn't been fully explored.
“We believe that long-term solutions are the things we must be doing,” Speake said.
In approaching the Middle Creek Restoration Project, Speake suggested that the county should work in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of engineers. That would require a skilled point person to interact with the federal agency. The county also would need to develop support and funding from federal, state, county and private sources.
Part of the long-term vision requires the county to develop and pursue a broad and integrated plan for managing Clear Lake as a total system, with that plan also reflecting the true complexity of the watershed, he said.
An example would be a Clear Lake restoration act, creek sediment basins in wetlands, an improved septic maintenance program and expanded sewer service in the watershed, and reestablishing and maximizing a strong commitment from the University of California, said Speake.
“We, however, don't wish to wait for these long-term plans,” he said.
In order to get things going now, Speake and the group proposed short-term mitigations, the primary elements of which would include two harvesters for “the season,” one in the north end of the lake for weeds and one in the south end of the lake for algae mats, along with the potential use of herbicides where and when they're needed.
Other recommendations included establishing and funding a technical advisory group to support the Water Resources Department as they develop and implement plans.
Speake suggested the group could meet twice a year to review plans and progress, provide updates on modern “best practices” on lake management and vet claims from sales representatives about new methods to use on the lake. The recommendation was for a small group of three or less that would include recognized, academic eutrophic lake experts.
A comprehensive in-county and out-of-county communication program would support the effort. Components would include an expanded aquatic plant and algae Web page, requests for constructive suggestions, information on what individuals and businesses can do in response to adverse lake conditions, and public workshops on methods and progress. Speake said the steering committee suggested instituting aggressive advertising activities coordinated with the county marketing program.
Secondary methods to investigate would include considering possible additional funding for areas like the Clear Lake Keys and Corinthian Bay, which may need additional help, as well as exploring other technologies, he said.
“The bottom line, there is no silver bullet,” Speake said. “If there were, we would jump on it.”
Speake said there is still a lot of information to gather. “There's all sorts of detailed plans that need to be done.”
He said the implementation of the lake management practices or technology needs to be flexible enough to adjust to best practices and improved technology and methods.
Board Chair Anthony Farrington said he thinks the steering committee met the objectives that the board set out.
“I still marvel at balancing this ecosystem that we have,” he said.
He pointed out that the proposed sales tax measure would come out to be about one cent on every $20, and was “substantially less than any tax proposal that's ever been presented” in the county.
Supervisor Rob Brown said he felt the county would need to take up all of the funding suggestions to get the $500,000 target for the effort. He said he felt it would be a tough sell in places like Lucerne to add additional cost to water bills.
County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox said if the board approved the proposals he plans to offer for reallocating county funds, it would mean city residents wouldn't pay toward it, and he felt they should.
Cox said he didn't think it was appropriate that just taxpayers in unincorporated areas fund most of the benefit, as much of that benefit would be enjoyed by the cities.
Supervisor Jeff Smith said he wished the county could do at least a quarter-cent sales tax to try to deal with all of the problem.
“That's probably the hardest sell but it's the most equitable for everybody,” he said, noting that with everything the county has dealt with regarding lake health over the last two years, “I truly think that's the way to go.”
De Leon said if they were going to look at a quarter-cent sales tax increase, the other issue related to the lake that hasn't been included in the proposal but needs to be is the quagga mussel prevention program.
“After visiting Lake Mead, this is a program that needs to be on the front burner,” said De Leon, noting that weed and algae problems would be an afterthought if the mussel gets into lake.
Farrington asked County Counsel Anita Grant for guidance on how the county could approach the sales tax measure. She said she would need to research it further.
Smith said the county also should look at septic systems around the lake, noting he doesn't believe there isn't a leaching problem.
Community member Betsy Cawn said she wanted to see some actual technical guidance on developing plans and a line item for fiscal accountability.
Kathy Fowler, one of the steering committee members, said the steering committee could stay on in a management capacity, helping sell the plan and running interference for De Leon, as well as assisting with marketing the passion for the lake.
The board is set to bring the matter back at its meeting on Dec. 7 for further discussion and possible action.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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