LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday morning approved staff-proposed updates to an urgency ordinance first approved last month regarding boating speeds on the lake, a measure taken due to Clear Lake’s high water and debris from recent storms.

Water Resources Director Philip Moy went to the board with the modification to the Boat Speed Urgency Ordinance.

Originally, the ordinance restricted boat speed on all parts of Clear Lake to 5 miles per hour as long as the lake level is above 7.9 feet Rumsey.

The lake was full at 7.56 feet Rumsey, and on Tuesday night it passed the 8.70 feet Rumsey mark. It’s anticipated to pass the 9-foot Rumsey flood stage late on Wednesday.

Moy said it hadn’t been anticipated that the lake would stay above the 7.9-foot Rumsey mark for so long, noting that the supervisors had first implemented the ordinance three weeks ago.

Since then, bass tournaments have begun, and the speed limit caused one tournament event to be canceled, Moy said.

Due to concerns about the adverse economic consequences of canceled tournaments and guided fishing trips, Moy proposed lifting the 5-mile-per-hour speed limit in favor of temporarily extending a “no wake zone” from 500 to 2,500 feet from shore.

Moy said that no wake zone would allows waves created by boats to dissipate. It also is meant to allow for “responsible operation” further out in the lake.

He said the updated ordinance also exempts sheriff’s Marine Patrol and Department of Fish and Wildlife wardens during emergency response.

Sheriff Brian Martin said enforcement actions by his Marine Patrol so far have exclusively been limited to warnings about the reduced speed.

He said there are a lot of logs and other debris in the lake, adding that anyone going over 5 miles per hour is “foolhardy.”
 
Moy noted during the discussion that  the Department of Fish and Wildlife Web site reported there are 104 bass tournaments with 25 boats or more scheduled to be held on Clear Lake this year.

The board approved the amended urgency ordinance 4-0, with Board Chair Jeff Smith absent.

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