The slow process continues to declare the Clear Lake Hitch an endangered species.

If this fish (similar to other species in the delta) is declared endangered, the result will be onerous limitations on Clear Lake development and usage.  

This happening will be another nail in the coffin of the Lake County economy.

Having the deal fall apart that would have resulted in the Konocti Harbor Resort being purchased, renovated, and reopened as a viable business and likely the largest employer and taxpayer in the county is also a nail in the coffin of our economy.

Having Measure L go down in defeat (almost made it but not quite) I guess was understandable. It is difficult to get 67 percent of the voters to support a tax increase when many are unemployed, or under employed or on a small fixed income.

However, not having this revenue stream to manage and maintain this lake is clearly another nail in the coffin of our economy. And failing to keep the dreaded mussels out of our lake would likely end the reign of the hitch as well as many other species in and around the lake.

Will developers invest the 25 to 50 million needed to purchase and renovate Konocti Harbor Resort knowing that the county’s lake management is not funded, and that lake usage will be restricted due to an endangered species? There are many deals in the hot Bay Area real estate market that do not have these lake issues. We lose.

Let’s save the county’s economy and its endangered human inhabitants, and then worry about a fish we can do without.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is tasked with keeping mussels out of Northern California’s waterways, their limited resources must be focused on that assignment or they will have many endangered species to worry about.

To fund environmental protections, we must stay focused on our economy.

Ed Calkins lives in Kelseyville, Calif.