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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
National Groundwater Awareness Week is next week, and in the spirit of promoting groundwater knowledge, the Department of Water Resources announceD that its innovative groundwater mapping project is complete and will provide critical information about our underground water supply.
The Statewide Airborne Electromagnetic, or AEM, Survey Project has now completed surveys in all high-and-medium-priority groundwater basins in California.
AEM surveys use state-of-the-art helicopter-based technology to scan the earth’s subsurface to depths of up to 1,000 feet, like taking an MRI of the earth, to visualize the aquifer structures beneath our feet.
You can see the AEM equipment in action in this DWR video: DWR's Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Surveys: The AEM Method (youtube.com).
DWR collected nearly 16,000 miles of AEM data within 95 groundwater basins across California between December 2021 and November 2023.
This data, which is now publicly accessible, is invaluable for identifying the most suitable locations to implement groundwater recharge projects that can capture water from winter rain and runoff events to store underground for use during dry periods.
The replenishment of depleted groundwater basins is a key action that local agencies are implementing under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, and is an essential part of California’s long-term water resilience and drought mitigation efforts, as seen in Governor Gavin Newsom’s strategy document, “California’s Water Supply Strategy, Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future.”
“AEM data helps GSAs move more expediently towards development of projects in areas previously deemed as non-suitable for groundwater recharge,” said Kassy Chauhan, Executive Officer, North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency. “AEM has helped to navigate below ground to find the small pockets where the soil conditions are prime for groundwater recharge to occur. The picture of the sub-surface geology helps with project siting and ensures available financial resources are going towards feasible projects which will help get water into the underground helping the North Kings GSA reach its sustainability goals.”
California’s high- and medium-priority groundwater basins provide a major source of water supply for more than 15 million people, especially during dry years when surface water supplies are lacking. As California adapts to a hotter, drier future, groundwater supplies are becoming a more vital resource for communities, households, businesses, agriculture, and the environment that all depend on this critical water source.
“The state continues to make investments in the latest technology, like AEM, to ensure we are prepared for the weather extremes that are playing out in the new climate reality,” said Paul Gosselin, deputy director of sustainable groundwater management. “Data from these initial statewide AEM surveys are already being used by local groundwater agencies, and we are excited to move into the next phase, expanding data collection efforts and providing new tools for understanding and managing California's groundwater on a local, regional, and statewide level.”
As the 10-year anniversary of California’s landmark SGMA nears, DWR continues to build on the state’s long history of investigating California’s groundwater basins as part of California’s Groundwater (Bulletin 118). DWR is now moving into the next phase of this work, called Basin Characterization, where new and existing information, including AEM data, will be used to help identify and better understand underground aquifer structures and conditions more clearly than ever before.
DWR is assembling a broad team of experts and coordinating with local agencies to form a workgroup to support this effort to ensure that cutting-edge practices are employed, and results advance local groundwater management. The Basin Characterization Workgroup will aide in coordination and collaboration with local, state, and federal agencies, as well as academia and the private sector.
To support data access equity and allow all Californians to view and analyze this data, DWR developed online AEM Data Viewers. These viewers are revolutionary in the space of viewing complex geologic data as they allow data to be viewed online, without having to purchase specialized software. These tools will enable both the public and technical users to interact with the data in a three-dimensional space, providing a more immersive and informative experience.
DWR’s Basin Characterization efforts will be ongoing as tools and technology improve, in order to increase understanding of California’s groundwater basins and aquifer structures.
In May, DWR will release the next Semi-Annual Groundwater Conditions Update, which will contain the most current statewide groundwater data and information, including Annual Report data submitted by local groundwater sustainability agencies. This data will help provide a clearer picture of the amounts of managed and natural groundwater recharge that occurred during water year 2023.
All of this work is helping local groundwater managers better understand and manage their basins to address both drought and flood response and achieve long-term groundwater sustainability.
Pyska, Rasmussen, Harry top respective races; Hess, Owen in dead heat for District 1 supervisor seat
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The Lake County Registrar of Voters issued its final update for the first night of counting at 1:19 a.m. Wednesday.
Based on those initial returns, Jessica Pyska appears headed for a second term as District 5 supervisor, topping challenger Daniel “Boone” Bridges by a margin of 13.5%.
While the District 5 race was expected to be settled in the primary, the biggest surprise of the night may have been the District 4 race, with an open field of four candidates.
Brad Rasmussen, Lakeport’s police chief, led the field by a wide margin with more than 58% percent of the vote.
If he can hold onto a percentage of more than 50 percent plus one — the margin needed in a primary race with more than two candidates — Rasmussen will clinch the seat outright and not have to race to November.
Following Rasmussen in the returns were Laura McAndrews Sammel, with 21.10% of the vote; Scott Barnett with 16.10%; and Chris Read with 4.62%.
The District 1 race for an open seat had five candidates, although one of them was on the ballot but dropped out.
In that field, a neck-and-neck race has emerged between John Hess and Helen Owen.
Hess, a retired congressional chief of staff and Lake County planning commissioner, led for most of the night, particularly in the absentee or vote-by-mail ballot counts.
However, as the night wore on and the precinct returns were reported, Owen, a well-known local rancher, chased Hess down and caught up to him.
By the end of the night, the two were in a statistical dead heat: Hess had a lead of only two votes over Owen — 454 to 452 — and both had far outpaced the rest of the field.
Coming up in third place in the first night’s count was Sean Millerick, with 244 votes, followed by Bryan Pritchard, who dropped out of the race, with 117 votes and Bren Boyd with 25 votes.
In the race for Superior Court judge for Department 4, incumbent Judge Shanda Harry — seeking a second six-year term — was leading by a 53% margin over challenger attorney Anna Gregorian by the end of the night. That margin is likely to be insurmountable even as more ballots are counted in the days to come.
Luke Bingham, running unopposed for sheriff, received 5,401 votes in the initial county, or 100% of the vote.
The Kelseyville Unified School District’s Measure Q bond, which sought to issue $35.5 million in bonds and enact property tax estimated to be $60 per $100,000 of assessed value, needs a simple majority to win. However, the initial election night tally put the “no” votes in the lead by six ballots and less than one percentage point.
The official canvass period will now begin, with the Registrar of Voters Office planning to certify the election by April 4.
Over the coming month, thousands more ballots are expected to be counted and, as a result, the final ballot count and percentages should change significantly, although trends tend to remain the same.
One number that will certainly change is overall voter turnout. The initial estimate was that voter turnout for the Tuesday primary was 19.64%, or 7,181 out of 36,561 registered voters.
Based on past election history, that percentage should increase once the final ballot count is complete.
The full preliminary counts through early Wednesday morning are below.
SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE — DEPARTMENT 4
48 precincts of 48 reporting
* Shanda Harry, 4,688 votes, 76.36%
Anna Gregorian, 1,451 votes, 23.64%
DISTRICT 1 SUPERVISOR
12 precincts of 12 reporting
* John Hess, 454 votes, 35.14%
* Helen Owen, 452 votes, 34.98%
Sean Millerick, 244 votes, 18.89%
Bryan Pritchard, 117 votes, 9.06%
Bren Boyd, 25 votes, 1.93%
DISTRICT 4 SUPERVISOR
11 precincts of 11 reporting
* Brad Rasmussen, 907 votes, 58.18%
Laura McAndrews Sammel, 329 votes, 21.10%
Scott Jason Barnett, 251 votes, 16.10%
Chris Read, 72 votes, 4.62%
DISTRICT 5 SUPERVISOR
8 precincts of 8 reporting
* Jessica Pyska, 1,001 votes, 56.75%
Daniel “Boone” Bridges, 763 votes, 43.25%
KELSEYVILLE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BOND, MEASURE Q
10 precincts of 10 reporting
Yes, 794, 49.81%
* No, 80, 50.19%
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
The 58-year-old man’s name was not released pending notification of next of kin.
The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said the wreck occurred on Highway 20 east of Blue Lakes Road.
The CHP said that at approximately 12:53 p.m., CHP Officer Jaxin Gallagher and Officer Brian Hanson were dispatched to the crash.
When they arrived, they found that a red Toyota Corolla traveling eastbound and driven by the Willits man, had lost control in a curved section of the highway.
The Toyota crossed into the opposing lane of traffic where it collided with a black GMC Sierra pickup, traveling westbound, driven by John Leone, 83, of Upper Lake, the CHP said.
The CHP said John Leone, and his passenger, Elizabeth Leone, were transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital with suspected minor injuries.
The driver of the Toyota succumbed to his injuries on scene, along with two dogs within the Toyota, the CHP said.
The CHP said all of the vehicles’ occupants were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the collision. Airbags deployed in both vehicles.
No alcohol or drug use is suspected and the cause of the collision is still under investigation, the CHP said.
The California Highway Patrol, Caltrans, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Northshore Fire Department and All in One Towing responded to the scene to assist with the crash.
Highway 20 was open to one-way traffic control for the duration of the incident, the CHP reported.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The school board will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, in the boardroom at the district office, 2508 Howard Ave.
The board will first go into a closed session to discuss the discipline/dismissal/release of an employee before the open portion of the meeting begins.
Superintendent Matt Bullard is recommending the board approve two separate resolutions to implement the layoffs beginning in the 2024-25 school year.
In the case of the certificated staff, the first resolution calls for laying off nine full-time positions: three instructional coaches, three permanent substitutes, one permanent substitute counselor, one school psychologist and one director of supplemental support.
The second resolution, relating to classified staff, calls for discontinuing seven positions: The head groundskeeper, the after school coordinator, one skilled maintenance worker, one bus monitor, one day care assistant and two paraprofessionals.
Neither of the resolutions is accompanied by a report that explains the situation leading to the recommendations for cutting the positions.
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