LAKEPORT – Lake County Water Resources Division staff will introduce the Clear Lake Integrated Watershed Management Plan (CLIWMP) at a public meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 14.

The meeting will take place in the Lake County Board of Supervisors’ chambers, at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting initiates a four week public review period that will end Jan. 11, 2010.

The CLIWMP is being prepared by the Water Resources Division of the Lake County Department of Public Works.

The need for a guidance document to manage Clear Lake and its watershed has long been recognized, and the plan is being completed under a CALFED Watershed Program grant awarded to the
Westlake Resource Conservation District.

The CLIWMP provides background on existing lake and watershed conditions and management.

It uses a systemic approach to multiple watershed issues including water quality and the land use practices that affect it; natural habitats and ecosystem restoration; floodplain, lakeshore, and lakebed management; climate change; and economic uses such as tourism, recreation, and water supply.

This background information is used to identify opportunities to improve watershed conditions and provide guidance for continuing watershed planning efforts.

A series of actions are recommended for each resource or management topic.

These actions take the form of either recommended policies for adoption by the county and/or specific projects or programs that should be undertaken by watershed stakeholders.

The CLIWMP will be available on the Lake County Water Resources Division Web site, http://watershed.co.lake.ca.us .

If you have any questions, please call Erica Lundquist at 707-263-2341.