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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY – The next time you're driving over local bridges, watch for new signs that highlight the county's tributaries and offer information about bridges and roads.
The Lake County Department of Public Works Road Division is in charge of the signs project, according to Road Superintendent Steve Stangland.
State stormwater management mandates require the county do public outreach about the importance of protecting local water bodies, Stangland said.
Caltrans also requires that the county identify its bridges, so Stangland said they decided to take all of those mandates and create informative and interesting signs.
They didn't want plain markers, Stangland said, but instead sought to create signs that would help brand Lake County.
“We wanted something we could be proud of,” he said.
Stangland said Jaliece Simons and Jim Stuckert in the road division's sign shop designed the signs.
The signs include the creek that's being crossed, the outline of Clear Lake, a notation to “Help keep our waterway clean,” the bridge number, the year the bridge was built, the road number and the mile post marker number.
“They cover a multitude of issues,” said Stangland.
Stangland said the planning for the signs project started last fall.
Lake County Water Resources partnered with the road division, supplying $5,000 in funding for materials, he said. The road division is providing the manpower for the installation.
The first sign was tested out last fall at Rodman Slough, Stangland said.
Over the last several months the signs have started popping up all over the rest of the county, from Kelseyville to Lucerne.
Stangland said the biggest message of the signs is to remind people that they're crossing creeks. He said many people don't realize how often they travel over tributaries as they make their way around the county.
The education aspect of the effort also intends to inform people that all of the local tributaries drain to Clear Lake, he said.
If someone dumps motor oil in a creek in Cobb, that oil eventually will get to Clear Lake and will affect not only the lake but its wildlife, Stangland said.
“The message that we're trying to get out to people is that everything is connected,” he explained.
Stangland said the signs project will be ongoing, with the road department installing them in phases.
The first $5,000 for materials has covered 45 bridges, said Stangland. The county has 125 bridges altogether.
Eventually, the goal is to have the tributary signs installed on every county maintained road, Stangland said.
In a separate project, Stangland said the road division is working with watershed groups to install signs that designate watershed areas.
Visit the road division's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=112943542078816&ref=ts.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
CLEARLAKE – In an effort to improve the Southeast Regional Wastewater Collection System, Lake County Special Districts reported this week that it's conducting smoke testing on sections of the system.
The agency, which provides water service and wastewater treatment in many areas of Lake County, said it has so far completed several weeks of smoke testing for 200,000 lineal feet of the sewer collection system in sections of Clearlake and Lower Lake.
Testing involves use of non-toxic liquid smoke that leaves no residual and pinpoints potential leaks in sewer lines. Leak detection and subsequent repairs may have a significant impact on minimizing spills next winter.
Miksis Services Inc. specializing in leak detection, and Special Districts crews are introducing smoke under pressure into manholes.
“Smoke is introduced into the system approximately every 400-800 feet,” said John Thompson, Special Districts systems compliance coordinator.
“If there is a leak in the sewer line including service lateral, smoke will appear out of the ground,” he explained. “Smoke is also visible where there are leaks such as private cleanouts that are open and not capped properly. We’ve seen many cleanouts that are not capped off.”
Another common problem detected is rain gutters and roof vents that are illegally connected to the cleanout to avoid flooding yards, Thompson said. All these holes contribute to excess rain water entering the collection system.
Additionally, if a building waste drain system is faulty, smoke may appear in the building, Thompson said.
“It’s difficult to quantify the exact savings resulting from smoke testing but we do know that any preventive measures taken now will reduce inflow the amount of storm water treated at the wastewater treatment plant,” said Thompson. “This method of regular inspection ensures continued proper operation of the collection system.”
In addition, homeowners are encouraged to do their part.
That includes inspecting the rain gutters on your house to see if the downspout connects to a sewer line.
Such connections are illegal. If the gutter downspouts are connected to the sewer line, have them disconnected – the large amount of water from the roof can cause a sewage spill. The rainwater needs to be directed onto your lawn and/or to the storm drain system.
Also, look for and check your sewer cleanout. The cleanout is usually a small pipe, about 4 inches in diameter, outside your house that is used to access the sewer lateral for cleaning. You will normally find it near the house (where the sewer lateral comes out) and/or near the property line (where the sewer lateral connects to the main sewer line).
Make sure the cap to the cleanout pipe is not missing and has not been damaged – such as by a lawn mower. Replace missing caps so that rainwater cannot get into the sewer line.
Check to see that outdoor patio, deck or yard drains are not connected to the sewer. Also, be sure that pool or pond overflow drains are not connected to the sewer. These connections are not allowed by the Lake County Sewer Use Ordinance.
“Special Districts is appreciative of the cooperation shown by the community during the testing which will resume over the next few days in the Clearlake and Lower Lake area,” Thompson said. “Residents are taking an active interest while observing the procedure, asking questions and taking time to explore potential corrective actions on their property.”
Any individuals with questions about smoke testing of sewer lines are encouraged to contact the administrative office at 707-263-0779.
Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf .
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
The algae blooms recently have been observed in the same general areas as last year, mainly in the southern sections of the lake where prevailing winds tend to cause localized accumulation of the algae, in the form of a filmy layer or mats on the surface of the water, health officials reported Thursday.
As in the bloom last year, the predominant genera of this blue-green algae bloom is known as lyngbya. The Lake County Health Department and Department of Water Resources said that recent tests of water in Clear Lake have not detected toxins.
Precautionary health advisories have been posted at a few southern beach locations where the blue-green algae has accumulated, per state guidelines that call for the posting of areas where there is visible film or mats.
The affected public areas are currently limited to Austin Park, Highlands Park and Redbud Park, the county departments reported. The majority of the lake remains open for recreation.
Health officials said avoidance of contact with water in the immediate vicinity of algae accumulations is prudent. Because of the potential for harmful substances to be present in dense accumulations of blue-green algae, people and pets are advised to avoid swimming, wading and drinking water in the immediate vicinity.
For more information about the algae bloom and efforts to mitigate its impacts, contact the Lake County Department of Water Resources at 707-263-2344.
For health-related questions, contact the Lake County Health Services office at 707-263-1164.
For more information regarding blue-green algae, visit www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/environhealth/water/Pages/Bluegreenalgae.aspx.
Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf .
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
