LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clear Lake watershed will be the focus of an upcoming science seminar.

The Clear Lake Integrated Science Symposium, or CLISS 2024, will be the first scientific conference to focus on the Clear Lake watershed in more than two and a half decades.

The last dedicated Clear Lake conference in Lake County occurred in 1998.

CLISS 2024 will take place Aug. 15 and 16 at the Robinson Rancheria Conference Center, and feature researchers and practitioners from federal, state, county, and tribal agencies and nonprofit organizations.

This historic symposium will cover the latest developments in water quality monitoring, lake and lakebed management, and conservation and restoration efforts in the Clear Lake Watershed.

Attendees will gain unique insights into ongoing scientific research on issues that deeply concern all county residents: the risks associated with hazardous algal (cyanobacteria) blooms, changes to Clear Lake fish populations, how to get waterway projects approved through local and state permitting processes, the potential for volcanic eruptions, and mitigation strategies for Clear Lake.

While in-person attendance is limited to 250 participants, all sessions will be video-recorded and made available for future viewing on the Lake County Water Resources Department’s YouTube channel. Some portions will likewise be available for remote Zoom Webinar access.

Geneva Thompson, deputy secretary for tribal affairs at the California Natural Resources Agency, will kick off the event with a keynote address.

Thursday morning’s panel sessions will focus on an overview of $13 million in funding allocated by the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake since 2021 for projects ranging from watershed, lake, and mercury modeling to carp management and environmental education.

Friday morning panels will feature local and state experts discussing fish and waterfowl population trends and changes in Clear Lake, and efforts to prevent and mitigate the negative effects of invasive species like goldfish, invasive mussels, and creeping yellow water primrose.

During afternoon sessions held simultaneously at the Robinson Rancheria Conference Center and the Habematolel Meeting Hall in Upper Lake, scientists and agency staff will cover in-lake, lakeside, landscape and waterway improvement and restoration projects (including “good fire,” or cultural burning), environmental permitting, local geology and stewardship efforts, Clear Lake water quality monitoring and modeling of lake parameters including nutrient loads, depths and currents.

To enhance public engagement with scientists, the symposium is also offering evening programming: a poster session, mixer and reception on Thursday in the Robinson Rancheria Conference Center, the debut of a new documentary film, “Big Lake, Big Science,” and a Science Slam on Friday night at the Soper Reese Theater in downtown Lakeport.

Friday evening’s activities at the Soper Reese Theater are open to families. Accommodations are available for attendees with access and functional needs.

Thanks to over a dozen sponsors including, but not limited to, the Lake County Watershed Protection District, the county of Lake, Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Westside Sac Integrated Water Management Plan Committee and the software platform Ex Ordo. Symposium attendance is free with pre-registration on EventBrite.

For any inquiries regarding this update, please contact the Water Resources Department at 707-263-2344 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.v.

For more information, please visit the event website: https://www.lakecountyca.gov/1662/Clear-Lake-Integrated-Science-Symposium-.

Links to registration, facebook / social media pages, and Volunteer Registration are available here: https://www.lakecountyca.gov/1662/Clear-Lake-Integrated-Science-Symposium-.