Land Trust pursues Big Valley Wetlands acquisition as path to a healthier Clear Lake
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The current project of the Lake County Land Trust is the purchase of the 200-acre Wright property, a parcel located in the Big Valley Wetlands area of Lake County.
This area is the No. 1 priority for the Lake County Land Trust, or LCLT, as it seeks to protect the largest remaining area of unprotected wetland habitats adjacent to Clear Lake.
The project includes the Clear Lake shoreline and uplands from Clear Lake State Park west to Lakeport. It consists of high value habitats – pristine lakeshore vegetation along with mature oaks and other trees required by a variety of wildlife species.
To determine their priorities, LCLT held a comprehensive series of public workshops in 2007 and again in 2017, which included participation from federal, state, and local agencies and experts in land use and conservation. As an outcome of these sessions, the Big Valley area become the clear leader for prioritization.
Five major streams run through this area: Cole, Kelsey, Hill, Adobe and Manning creeks, providing a total of 25 percent of the drainage for the Clear Lake Watershed.
The Big Valley Wetlands is also home to the Clear Lake hitch, a fish which found nowhere else in the world. It is on the California Endangered Species Act’s Threatened Species list, and is currently being considered for placement on the Endangered Species list by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Once numbering in the several millions, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, “these fish were a vital part of the Clear Lake ecosystem and an important food source for numerous birds, fish and other wildlife. They were also a staple food and cultural component for the original Pomo inhabitants of the region. Hitch once spawned in every tributary to Clear Lake but have disappeared from most former spawning streams. Now fewer than a thousand fish regularly spawn in only two streams – Kelsey and Adobe creeks south of Clear Lake.”
“Conserving this land is in the interest of all who reside in Lake County, live downstream, or enjoy Clear Lake. Protecting the wetlands, which filter the nutrient rich waters that run into Clear Lake, is the first step in helping our lake get healthy. And a healthy lake appeals to everyone, from tourists to local businesses. It’s good for the economy of our county,” said Lake County Land Trust President Val Nixon.
Nixon also noted that once the plans to purchase the Wright property had been announced, several other landowners in the Big Valley area began expressing interest in protecting their lands.
LCLT is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and conserving land in Lake County for the protection of native plant and animal species as well as the appreciation and study of nature by current and future generations, and for the beneficial biological impact of keeping the land natural.
As a nonprofit run by a volunteer board and three part-time staff members, LCLT relies on the generosity of its members and concerned citizens. As donations to the Land Trust grow, the organization will continue to invest in land that will be able to stay forever wild, adding properties in the Big Valley Wetlands area until the vision of several adjacent properties can be strung together creating a large, park-like area for individuals to enjoy and respect the native land.
In 2016, the Land Trust completed the purchase of the Melo property, a 32-acre parcel in the Big Valley Wetlands, its first property in this area, and the fourth in its land portfolio.
The Wright property would increase – by five times – the size of the Big Valley Wetlands protected by the Lake County Land Trust.
The Lake County Land Trust needs $120,000 to acquire the Wright property. It’s off to a great start with a generous matching gift of $40,000 from Lynne and Bernie Butcher and an additional $26,000 raised in individual gifts.
“If you love Clear Lake and Lake County, now is a great time to donate, because the Butchers’ match grows each donor’s gift by 50 percent,” said Melissa Kinsel, outreach coordinator for LCLT.
With $54,000 for the Wright property still needed, the Land Trust has a way to go before the end of the year.
To donate, visit www.lakecountylandtrust.org or call 707-262-0707.