CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council recently got an update regarding the Clear Lake Cyanotoxin Monitoring Program and its efforts to track lake health.

Environmental specialists Sarah Ryan of the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians and Karola Kennedy of the Elem Indian Colony outlined the program and provided recommendations to the city at a council meeting late last month.

The primary goal of the program is to protect areas of tribal significance, which in turn, Ryan said is of benefit to the general public. Monitoring is also occurring on county and city beach lines.

Components of the 2014 program included the collection of baseline data primarily on tribal specific locations; the formation of a task force to notify local, state and federal agencies of elevated cyanotoxin levels at the Clear Lake shoreline; advocacy for signage that indicate safe thresholds for recreational use; and collaborative discussion of cyanotoxin monitoring and response plan and identification of additional monitoring locations.

The current year's program consists of taking water samples at 18 sites; obtaining field data measurements; cyanobacteria cell identification; and cyanotoxin analyses based on cell identification and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits, which are “wet-lab” type of collections that use a solid-phase enzyme immunoassay to detect the presence of substance in a liquid or wet sample.

Data documentation and use of information for health-based decisions and lake management are also included in the program.

Kennedy said the shoreline in the city of Clearlake has the highest concentrations of cyanotoxins.

“Clearlake is a hot zone because of the water flows,” she said. “Austin Park has had elevated levels 75-percent of the times we monitored.”

Kennedy said a resort on Cache Creek has had elevated levels of 50 percent and Redbud Park, 63 percent, of the times monitored.

The presentation included several recommendations to the council including the installation of signage based on recent results to inform the public of risks and options.

Ryan said the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians is currently working on a signage program that the city could access at no charge. She said the city could assist in creating signage design.

Additional recommendations included:

– Issuing press releases when toxin levels exceed guidelines for safe recreation.
– Developing a program to abate weeds through non-chemical means to reduce nutrient loads.
– Aeration in shoreline areas to reduce cyanobacteria blooms.
– Considering requiring water purveyors to test for cyanotoxins in the treated drinking water when shoreline levels are elevated.

Email reporter Denise Rockenstein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .