LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Following a presentation on the dry conditions Lake County is experiencing, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a drought emergency proclamation made by the sheriff on Thursday.
The board previously approved a drought emergency in 2014.
Before taking up Sheriff Brian Martin’s emergency proclamation, the board heard from Scott De Leon, the Public Works, Water Resources and Community Development director, on drought conditions.
De Leon showed historical precipitation numbers to date for Lake County, which is in the Upper Cache Creek Basin.
The average annual rainfall is 37.45 inches, said De Leon.
For 2021, the rainfall total is 12.28 inches. That’s compared to 12.19 inches in 1976 and 12.46 inches in 1977, 17.98 inches in 2014 and 16.87 inches in 2021. In 2017, the county recorded 53.24 inches of rain, and 45.45 inches in 2019, De Leon said.
De Leon said Clear Lake’s level in 1977 dropped to -3.5 feet Rumsey, the special measure for the lake. In 2014, it was down to -1 foot Rumsey, and as of Tuesday it was 0.7 foot Rumsey.
Well monitoring in the Big Valley Basin has shown dropping groundwater levels. One of the wells De Leon said they monitor is 5 feet below average.
De Leon predicted that Clear Lake will get down to -2.19 feet Rumsey this year.
Due to low water levels, several county-maintained ramps may be closed. De Leon recommended closing the Crystal Lake Way extension ramp in north Lakeport, the Clearlake Avenue extension in Lakeport, Lucerne Harbor Park’s ramp, and the ramps at Keeling Park and Rodman Slough, the latter which will still be open for kayakers.
Frank Costner, general manager of Konocti County Water District in Clearlake, told the board during public comment that his district — the source for which is surface water — is experiencing the effects of the low lake.
As the lake gets lower, the district’s pumps have a harder time pumping water into the treatment plant. Costner said the district is seeking emergency funding to address that issue and for an emergency intertie with the Lower Lake water district, which is served with wells. That way, if they’re no longer able to pump water out to the lake, they can supplement the supply with water from Lower Lake.
He said the board’s acceptance of the drought declaration will help his district and also will assist with messaging throughout the county.
Costner said Konocti County Water District has already implemented the first stage of its water conservation program, which calls for a 20-percent voluntary reduction. Stage two, which is a 25-percent mandatory reduction, should go into effect later this summer.
Sheriff discusses drought emergency proclamation
Following De Leon’s water situation update, Martin presented his drought emergency ratification request to the board.
He said he took the action after holding an April 30 meeting with County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingon, De Leon, Public Services Director Lars Ewing, Auditor-Controller Cathy Saderlund and Special Districts Administrator Scott Harter.
At that meeting, he said De Leon gave a similar presentation, and based on the discussion Martin decided to move forward.
“This is our second drought year with no apparent relief in sight. We anticipate further drought conditions. There’s no good news in the immediate future for any relief from this weather. And what we’re anticipating is that we’re going to have a very slow rolling emergency with this drought, with the impacts to be seen in various ways,” said Martin.
Martin also noted that on Monday Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded his April 21 drought emergency declaration to include 39 additional counties, with Lake being one of them, as Lake County News has reported.
As Costner had said, the proclamation will open up grant and awareness opportunities, Martin explained.
He said the Office of Emergency Services also will start a campaign with www.saveourwater.com.
Martin said he plans on convening meetings as early as Friday with county, city, tribal, fire, agricultural, cannabis and other representatives to discuss strategies and suggestions for handling the drought. He said he’ll report back to the board next week.
“I would hope that our emphasis is on voluntary compliance,” he said. “With every disaster comes opportunities.”
Martin also suggested the county should look at grant opportunities to extend the county’s boat ramps in order to ensure equitable access to Clear Lake.
For people who can’t afford to live on the lake, the only way they can get out and enjoy the water is by way of public boat ramps, he said.
Extending the ramps, Martin said, “would be good for our economy,” and good for people to be able to enjoy what they pay for with their tax dollars.
The county also needs to discuss impacts on households, businesses, agriculture, livestock, recreation and tourism, municipal water supplies and groundwater supplies, Martin said.
At Braito’s Marina, where the sheriff’s Marine Patrol is housed, Martin said it’s getting too shallow to use the majority of the division’s boats, which have been used during wildland fires to save people off the shores of Clearlake in addition to helping stranded boaters.
Martin said the county also needs to pay attention to tribal issues, referring to archaeological crimes that occurred during the last drought when low lake levels exposed artifacts.
Supervisor Jessica Pyska asked Martin to confirm if this was just the beginning of the conversation, with mandates not yet triggered.
Martin said the resolution includes the ability for Public Works, Water Resources and the sheriff to close boat ramps without further authority but doesn’t impose other measures.
Chair Bruno Sabatier said they don’t know if this will be a 2022 and a 2023 drought, and the county needs to think about the matter in the long-term.
Supervisor Tina Scott offered two separate motions. The first was to adopt the resolution proclaiming a declaration of a local emergency due to drought conditions. The second was to approve a resolution proclaiming a local emergency and requesting the governor make available state assistance funding, along with seeking all available forms of federal disaster assistance and relief programs, to include presidential declaration of emergency.
The board unanimously approved both motions.
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Board of Supervisors approves drought emergency proclamation
- Elizabeth Larson
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