LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — This month, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service released its 2022 Aerial Detection Survey Summary Report.
These annual surveys offer, “estimates of tree mortality and damage and depict broad mortality trends.”
On May 3, 2022, the Lake County Board of Supervisors proclaimed a local emergency due to pervasive tree mortality.
In the ensuing months, Napa and Mendocino counties likewise declared states of emergency, recognizing what is a growing crisis in much of the state of California.
In 2019, the Forest Service estimated 1,000 Lake County acres were affected by tree mortality. The estimated number of dead trees was 3,000.
Those estimates have exponentially grown in the time since:
• 2019: 1,000 acres, 3,000 dead trees; • 2021: 21,000 acres, 331,000 dead trees; • 2022: 31,000 acres, 590,000 dead trees.
“The U.S. Forest Service’s report shows catastrophic tree mortality across most of Northern California,” said Board of Supervisors Chair Jessica Pyska. “We have been hard at work on this problem in Lake County since 2021, and declared the first tree mortality emergency back in May. Since, we have developed a coalition surrounding this topic with regional counties, and assisted Napa and Mendocino with their emergency declarations.”
A 2022 windshield survey identified approximately 4,000 dead and dying trees near Lake County roadways and evacuation routes, alone.
Dr. Michael Jones, the University of California Cooperative Extension’s Forest Advisor for Lake County and a trained entomologist, said removal of dead and dying trees is critical to mitigating multispecies bark beetle infestation.
Costs for remediation of the highest priority areas, alone, are expected to exceed $12 million.
County officials and partners are reported to be heavily engaged in efforts to secure funding.
“We remain relentless in our project development to treat areas of high concern, and seeking funding from every available source,” said Pyska. “This report confirms everything we have been saying and should garner the attention and urgency that is needed.”
Members of the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation, or HamSCI, will be making radio contacts during the 2023 and 2024 North American eclipses, probing the Earth’s ionosphere.
It will be a fun, friendly event with a competitive element — and you’re invited to participate.
Both amateur and professional broadcasters have been sending and receiving radio signals around the Earth for over a century.
Such communication is possible due to interactions between our Sun and the ionosphere, the ionized region of the Earth’s atmosphere located roughly 80 to 1000 km overhead.
The upcoming eclipses (October 14, 2023, and April 8, 2024) provide unique opportunities to study these interactions.
As you and other HamSCI members transmit, receive, and record signals across the radio spectrum during the eclipse, you will create valuable data to test computer models of the ionosphere.
Even after heavy snow and rainfall in January, western states still face an ongoing drought risk that is likely to grow worse thanks to climate change. A whopping snowpack is good news, but it doesn’t reduce the need for long-term planning.
Confronted with a shrinking supply of water for agriculture, industry and residential uses, water agencies have pursued different strategies to encourage water conservation. They have nudged customers to reduce water use, limited outdoor watering and offered incentives to rip out lawns. On the supply side, there are innovative ideas about using heavy rains to recharge groundwater.
Basic economics teaches us that a higher price for water would encourage conservation. Up until now, however, concerns about harming low-income households have limited discussions about raising water prices to reduce demand.
We know that it’s hard to pay more for essential goods such as food, energy and water, especially for lower-income households. Rather than raising everyone’s water prices, we propose a customized approach that lets individual consumers decide whether to pay higher prices.
In August 2022, the federal government declared an unprecedented drought emergency on the Colorado River and ordered Arizona, Nevada and Mexico to sharply reduce their water usage.
Who is most able and willing to conserve?
One of the most common challenges involved in making markets work well is what economists call asymmetric information – when one party has more access to relevant information than the other party. Think about buying or selling a car before online tools like Carfax were available. Owners and dealers knew more about what each car was really worth, so they had greater bargaining power than buyers.
The West has millions of water users with a broad range of incomes who consume water at widely varying levels. These consumers, including urban households, businesses and farmers, know more than water agencies do about how readily they can conserve water.
For example, a person who owns a home with a large green lawn and who is conservation-minded may need only a small incentive to switch to native, low-water plants. Some farmers may need only a small incentive to replace water-intensive alfalfa production with a less water-intensive crop.
Water agencies could elicit this private information by making a “take it or leave it” offer to water consumers. Some of California’s electric utilities have already experimented with this opt-in approach to encourage energy conservation.
Water officials in the Las Vegas area want to cap the size of new swimming pools like this one at a home abutting desert land in Henderson, Nev.AP Photo/John Locher
Target the big users
Every western water district has access to customer-level big data on monthly and even daily water consumption. Agencies could use this information to identify the top 10% of water consumers in their territories, based on volume used – like the household in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles that used 11.8 million gallons of water in 2014.
Water agencies could randomly select customers among the largest water users in their service areas to participate in a small pilot study. Each invitee would receive an opt-in contract offering to pay them an annual fee for enrolling for three years in a water conservation program. In return, the price the consumer paid for each gallon of water would triple. This approach would give the consumer a guaranteed payment for participating and a clear incentive to use less water.
Data scientists would collect information on who accepted the offer and could survey invitees to learn how they decided whether or not to participate. Combining these two data sets would make it possible to test hypotheses about which factors determined willingness to accept the opt-in offer.
Using customer-level water consumption data over time, water agencies could track usage and compare customers who participated in the price increase program with others who turned down the offer. This would make it possible to estimate the water conservation benefits of introducing customized water prices.
Conducting a pilot study using a randomly chosen sample of high-usage customers is a low-stakes strategy. If it fails to promote water conservation at a low cost, then a valuable lesson has been learned. If it succeeds, the same opt-in offer could be made to more high-usage customers.
A farmer in California’s Central Valley explains how he started directing floodwaters onto his fields in wet years to recharge groundwater and buffer his lands against dry years.
Today, most water agencies don’t know how responsive individual customers would be to higher prices. By conducting the type of pilot study that we have described, agencies could answer that question without raising prices for vulnerable households. If such initiatives succeeded, they could be replicated in other drought-prone areas of the West. Since farms consume the largest share of water in western states, it is especially important to learn more about farmers’ willingness to conserve.
Water is essential for life, but westerners have different abilities and willingness to conserve it. We recommend a strategy that rewards those who are most able to reduce their usage without punishing those who are least able.
The California Highway Patrol welcomed 82 new officers to its ranks on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, in West Sacramento, California. Photo courtesy of the CHP. The California Highway Patrol welcomed 82 new officers to the CHP family, during Friday’s graduation ceremony at the CHP Academy in West Sacramento.
Less than one year ago, the CHP launched its “Join the CHP 1,000” campaign, with the goal of hiring 1,000 new officers.
These newly graduated officers bring the CHP closer to attaining its goal.
“It’s my honor to welcome these officers to the CHP and thank them for stepping up to serve our state,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “With a goal of hiring 1,000 new CHP officers in the coming years, we’re investing in outreach to a diverse pool of candidates committed to protecting their fellow Californians and making a positive impact in our communities.”
“The women and men of the CHP take great pride in the level of service we provide to the community,” said Commissioner Sean Duryee. “It is imperative we bring on the next generation of exemplary officers to continue that tradition.”
For more information about the “Join the CHP 1,000” campaign, or to apply, visit www.JoinTheCHP1000.com or call the statewide Recruitment Unit at 916-843-4300.
California Highway Patrol Commissioner Sean Duryee speaks with a new CHP officer at the graduation ceremony on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, in West Sacramento, California. Photo courtesy of the CHP.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council on Thursday honored Black History Month, and approved an application to purchase tax defaulted properties from the county and an agreement to start a new recreation agency.
Council members began their work Thursday evening with a half-hour workshop in which they discussed with staff projected changes to the current fiscal year budget.
At the start of the regular meeting, which convened at 6 p.m., Mayor Russell Perdock presented a proclamation in honor of Black History Month to the Lake County Branch of the NAACP.
Branch President Rick Mayo, accompanied by Branch Secretary Greta Zeit, praised city staff and council members for their efforts, but said there is still a lot of work yet to do, pointing to the fact that the city has one of the largest disabled populations in the county.
In other business on Thursday, City Manager Alan Flora asked the council to approve an application to the county of Lake for direct sale of various tax defaulted properties for up to $150,000.
“One of the best things that’s happened this year is a new tax collector,” said Flora, referring to the departure of Treasurer-Tax Collector Barbara Ringen, whose performance in relation to tax defaulted property sales had resulted in the city suing the county.
Ringen, who retired at the end of her term, was succeeded by Patrick Sullivan at the start of the year, and Flora reported that the city already is making progress in working with Sullivan.
Sullivan is willing to work with the city and has strategies to work on issues with such tax defaulted properties not just in Clearlake but throughout the county, Flora said.
Flora reported that state law allows taxing agencies such as the city to negotiate directly with the county on defaulted properties without having to go through the auction process. He added that, for some time, the city has wanted to pursue such a direct sales agreement with the county.
There are 20 to 25 properties that Flora said it would be within the city’s interest to purchase in order to “break the cycle” of ongoing problems that include blight.
Flora said he didn’t want to publicly disclose the list of properties at this time.
Sullivan is moving forward on the work for a tax sale in May and Flora wanted to prepare the application, outlined in a process by the State Controller’s Office, to buy those roughly two dozen properties, spending up to $150,000.
Flora said some of the parcels he thinks the city should purchase are not well suited to development. However, the city has advantages in being able to merge properties and prepare them for sale.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton asked about homes that could be rehabilitated. Flora said two of the properties have such homes, one of them is very blighted and in a high visibility area so it makes sense to put effort into fixing it and offering more quality housing.
Councilman Russell Cremer moved to approve the application to purchase the properties, with Councilman David Claffey seconding and the council approving the motion 5-0.
Also on Thursday, the council voted unanimously to approve a resolution approving a joint exercise of powers agreement among the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport, and the county of Lake to form the Lake County Recreation Agency.
The agency’s creation developed from a series of discussions with interested parties that began in 2019 to to discuss the possibilities of improving recreational opportunities in Lakeport. The interest later expanded to include groups from around the county and has become known as the Lake County Recreation Task Force.
The council appointed Claffey and Councilman Dirk Slooten to serve on the new agency’s board.
The council also heard the 2022 Clearlake Police report from new Chief Tim Hobbs, approved updates to its norms and procedures, and held the first reading of an ordinance amending the municipal code relating to the method of service for property maintenance, nuisance and vehicle abatement, which City Attorney Ryan Jones said would fix existing issues within city code.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Congressman Mike Thompson speaks with constituents in Clearlake, California, on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. Courtesy photo. CLEARLAKE, Calif. — On Wednesday, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) and his entire staff team met with members of the Lake County community.
The meeting came as part of a listening tour by Congressman Thompson and his team from both the district and his Washington D.C. office.
“After redistricting changed the boundaries of our district to include all of Lake County, I brought my staff team to Lake County to hear directly from our community,” said Thompson. “Our district is my top priority, and hearing directly from the people is the best way that me and my staff will be able to serve our district. It was great to meet with elected leaders, business leaders, community leaders, and others from Lake County and talk about how we can best work together to support our community and deliver on our shared priorities.
“Over the next two years, I am focused on ensuring that my office is a resource for all of our district, and meetings like this will provide my staff with the hands-on experience needed to understand the local issues and connect with those we represent.”
Rep. Thompson is a senior member of the House Committee on Ways and Means and serves as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Tax.
Following the 2020 Census, Rep. Thompson’s district now includes all of Lake County.
Thompson represents California’s 4th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
Ellie Broadman, University of Arizona and Darrell Kaufman, Northern Arizona University
Natural records suggest a cooling trend was underway thousands of years ago. DeAgostini/Getty Images
Over the past century, the Earth’s average temperature has swiftly increased by about 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). The evidence is hard to dispute. It comes from thermometers and other sensors around the world.
Back then, was Earth’s temperature warming or cooling?
Even though scientists know more about the most recent 6,000 years than any other multimillennial interval, studies on this long-term global temperature trend have come to contrasting conclusions.
To try to resolve the difference, we conducted a comprehensive, global-scale assessment of the existing evidence, including both natural archives, like tree rings and seafloor sediments, and climate models. Our results, published Feb. 15, 2023, suggest ways to improve climate forecasting to avoid missing some important slow-moving, naturally occurring climate feedbacks.
Global warming in context
Scientists like us who study past climate, or paleoclimate, look for temperature data from far back in time, long before thermometers and satellites.
We have two options: We can find information about past climate stored in natural archives, or we can simulate the past using climate models.
There are several natural archives that record changes in the climate over time. The growth rings that form each year in trees, stalagmites and corals can be used to reconstruct past temperature. Similar data can be found in glacier ice and in tiny shells found in the sediment that builds up over time at the bottom of the ocean or lakes. These serve as substitutes, or proxies, for thermometer-based measurements.
Trees are the best-known natural archives. Here are several others that hold evidence of past temperature. Cores or other samples from these archives can be used to reconstruct changes over time.Viktor O. Leshyk, Author provided
For example, changes in the width of tree rings can record temperature fluctuations. If temperature during the growing season is too cold, the tree ring forming that year is thinner that one from a year with warmer temperatures.
Another temperature proxy is found in seafloor sediment, in the remains of tiny ocean-dwelling creatures called foraminifera. When a foraminifer is alive, the chemical composition of its shell changes depending on the temperature of the ocean. When it dies, the shell sinks and gets buried by other debris over time, forming layers of sediment at the ocean floor. Paleoclimatologists can then extract sediment cores and chemically analyze the shells in those layers to determine their composition and age, sometimes going back millennia.
Ellie Broadman, right, an author of this article, holds a sediment core from a lake on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula.Emily Stone
Climate models, our other tool for exploring past environments, are mathematical representations of the Earth’s climate system. They model relationships among the atmosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere to create our best replica of reality.
Proxy data and climate models have different strengths.
Proxies are tangible and measurable, and they often have a well-understood response to temperature. However, they are not evenly distributed around the world or through time. This makes it difficult to reconstruct global, continuous temperatures.
In contrast, climate models are continuous in space and time, but while they are often very skillful, they will never capture every detail of the climate system.
We also examined important climate feedbacks, such as vegetation and sea ice changes, that can influence global temperature. For example, there is strong evidence that less Arctic sea ice and more vegetation cover existed during a period around 6,000 years ago than in the 19th century. That would have darkened the Earth’s surface, causing it to absorb more heat.
Our two types of evidence offer different answers regarding the Earth’s temperature trend over the 6,000 years before modern global warming. Natural archives generally show that Earth’s average temperature roughly 6,000 years ago was warmer by about 0.7 C (1.3 F) compared with the 19th century median, and then cooled gradually until the Industrial Revolution. We found that most evidence points to this result.
Meanwhile, climate models generally show a slight warming trend, corresponding to a gradual increase in carbon dioxide as agriculture-based societies developed during the millennia after ice sheets retreated in the Northern Hemisphere.
How to improve climate forecasts
Our assessment highlights some ways to improve climate forecasts.
For example, we found that models would be more powerful if they more fully represented certain climate feedbacks. One climate model experiment that included increased vegetation cover in some regions 6,000 years ago was able to simulate the global temperature peak we see in proxy records, unlike most other model simulations, which don’t include this expanded vegetation.
Understanding and better incorporating these and other feedbacks will be important as scientists continue to improve our ability to predict future changes.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control continues to be full, but there was good news to report this week on animals transferred to another facility with a higher adoption rate.
Clearlake Police Lt. Martin Snyder, who oversees the shelter, along with Alyssa Terry, a shelter animal care technician, gave the Clearlake City Council an update on operations at the council’s Thursday night meeting.
They also introduced “Maya,” a beautiful black and tan female German shepherd that is housed with Terry, another shepherd waiting for a home.
While not a fit with cats, Maya loves to cuddle in your lap, is spayed and up to date on all vaccinations, and is “the perfect amount of energy and calm,” Terry said.
The city of Clearlake contracts with North Bay Animal Services for animal control.
Terry said that on Feb. 1, 23 animals were transferred, including 12 dogs — four adult dogs and eight puppies — and all 11 of the cats that had been at the Clearlake shelter to North Bay Animal Services’ Petaluma shelter.
“The cat room is empty and we’re working on the dogs,” Terry said.
She said the Petaluma shelter is a no-kill facility and has more adoptions than Clearlake, so whenever possible Clearlake transfers animals there.
She said “Babs,” a longtime resident at the shelter, has a new family of her own thanks to being adopted on Jan. 30.
The shelter is continuing to improve its spaying and neutering services to the animals in its care, with one spay and one neuter and one to two exams taking place every Wednesday, depending on injuries and medical issues. Terry said the shelter has partnered with Clearlake Veterinary Clinic.
Terry said there also have been siding improvements to shop building at the shelter facility to make it warmer and more comfortable for the dogs.
Snyder said that since the start of 2023, there have been 108 dogs brought into the shelter. Of those, 35 left the shelter — 16 to rescues, 15 were returned to their owners and three were adopted. Snyder said one died or was lost in care. While he did not have information on that case, he said sometimes the dogs will get out and escape.
Overall, the shelter is at a 100% live release rate, Snyder said.
While there has been good news about dogs moving out of the shelter, Snyder said the shelter remains at capacity, with 70 dogs now in care.
Anyone looking for a new best friend is invited to come down to the shelter at 6820 Old Highway 53.
For more information, call the shelter at 707-762-6227, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
This week’s adoptable dogs are featured below.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lakeport Police Department is urging community members to be watchful in order to protect themselves against an increase in vehicle theft.
There has been an increase in license plate thefts throughout the county, the agency reported.
The stolen plates are being affixed to stolen vehicles or switched for plates from stolen vehicles, and some vehicle owners are not aware that they are falling victim to this until they are pulled over by police.
License plates are often stolen from those vehicles that closely resemble a stolen vehicle. Reporting your stolen license plate to law enforcement is not enough to combat these trends.
Stolen license plates that are reported to law enforcement are entered into the same database that is checked by Automated License Plate Reading cameras.
If you are still driving your vehicle with that one remaining plate, you are alerting these cameras every time you drive by them.
Car thieves are counting on this to draw attention away from them, police said.
How well do you know your license plate number? If you don't know it, you might want to check yours to ensure they belong to your vehicle.
It is important for vehicle owners to know what their license plate number is and to ensure that their front and rear license plates are for their vehicle.
You can also help by replacing that one remaining plate with a new set of license plates from the DMV.
The Lakeport Police Department said it will soon begin strictly enforcing California's two license plate requirement to better protect vehicles from theft, and speed up the recovery of vehicles that are ultimately stolen.
Dennis Fordham. Courtesy photo. A not uncommon estate planning scenario is an elderly parent who lives with an adult child, either at the parent(s)’s home or at the child’s home.
This scenario requires more considered estate planning to protect the arrangement in the event of the parent’s incapacity (e.g., dementia) and what happens when the parent moves out (e.g., into a nursing home) or dies.
If the child cares for the parent at the parent’s home then the parent’s estate planning often permits the caregiver child to remain at the parent’s residence, and perhaps to utilize the parent’s bank accounts, even if the parent were mentally incapacitated. If appropriate, that should be expressly provided.
Otherwise, once the parent loses the mental capacity to permit the living arrangement and finances, unintended problems may arise; such as, potential disagreement between the caregiver child and another family member. Allegations of elder abuse, especially regarding finances, may occur.
The agreed-upon terms of any living arrangement, including finances, should be included in the parent’s appropriate estate planning documents.
If the parent has a living trust, then the trust may permit the child to remain in the residence and state the terms of the living arrangement.
If the parent’s home is a rental property, however, then the parent’s power of attorney may authorize the child’s continued occupancy and continued use of parent’s money to pay the household expenses; the rental agreement also would need to include the child as a tenant.
Alternatively, if the parent lives in the child’s residence, the child’s estate plan similarly would need to say whether, and on what terms, the parent can remain in the child’s residence if the child were to become temporarily or permanently incapacitated. Moreover, consideration would need to be given to how the parents are cared for.
When the parent dies or moves out (e.g., moves into a nursing home) or when the child moves out, the arrangement ends. What happens then depends on the circumstances: (1) does the parent leave the residence to the adult care giver child; (2) how are the expenses (including mortgage) to be paid; and (3) is there an express transition period before the child moves-out.
If the parent intends to leave the residence to the adult care-giver child, then the parent's relevant estate planning documents need to gift the residence.
That could include lifetime gifting if the parent moves out due to incapacity or it might entail renting the residence to provide income for the parent’s needs.
If the parent has other children, or a spouse from a second marriage, then the parent’s estate planning needs to say whether, and if so how, other family members participate in the residence.
Perhaps the parent wants to gift the residence to all children subject to an exclusive life estate for the care-giver child to live in the residence.
Once the caregiver child dies, the residence is typically sold and sale proceeds are divided amongst the parent’s then living descendants.
If the caregiver child is more favorably treated with respect to the parent’s residence, and perhaps other assets, then the parent should anticipate possible objections.
While the parent is entitled to devise an estate plan of her own choosing, that does not itself prevent a disgruntled child from objecting at the parent’s incapacity or death; a possibility to be discussed and considered between the parent and the estate planning attorney.
Without appropriate and timely estate planning, however, a conservatorship may become necessary at the parent’s incapacity and a probate may become necessary at the parent’s death. Such expensive court supervised administrations, and their end results, may not necessarily agree with what the parent would have wanted if his or her affairs had been in order.
The foregoing is not legal advice. Consult an attorney for guidance.
Dennis A. Fordham, attorney, is a State Bar-Certified Specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, Calif. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and 707-263-3235.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Sheriff’s Activities League has been providing a variety of activities for Lake County Youth since 1997.
Programs over the years have included rock climbing, cooking, dance, sewing, Jr. Giants baseball and softball, kayaking, archery, girls’ wrestling camp, basketball, tutoring, and activities that promote social skills and leadership.
Funding has been provided by grants and donations including awards from the Lake County Wine Alliance and Lake County Tribal Health.
All activities are held in community spaces such as public schools, churches and parks.
Kelseyville Presbyterian Church has provided space for the boxing program for many years.
Members from the Lakeport Elks and staff from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office have volunteered their time to help support the various programs.
The Sheriff’s Activities League is composed of 100% volunteers including board members.
Volunteers receive a background check and orientation to agency requirements.
Each year the Kelseyville Lions Club hosts a breakfast fundraiser for the Sheriff’s Activities League.
This year’s breakfast will be held on Sunday, March 12, at the Kelseyville Lions Club on Sylar Lane in Kelseyville.
The breakfast begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 11 a.m.
Tickets are $9 per person at the door.
There will be raffle prizes.
Come out and enjoy a great breakfast and support the provision of worthwhile activities that are provided at no cost to families.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Robinson Rancheria Pomo Indians have initiated a pilot program on Clear Lake to remove invasive carp and goldfish to benefit the Clear Lake hitch, also known as “chi.”
The Clear Lake hitch or chi is a large, native minnow found only in Clear Lake and its tributaries within Lake County.
Since 2014, the fish has been listed as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act.
An important cultural resource for Native American tribes within Lake County, Clear Lake hitch populations used to be seen in runs numbering in the tens of thousands.
Through permitting and $177,872 in grant funding from CDFW, Robinson Rancheria is leading the pilot research effort to study the effectiveness and benefits of removing nonnative carp and goldfish from Clear Lake.
The Robinson Rancheria contracted with the Minneapolis-based WSB engineering and environmental consulting firm to seine sections of Clear Lake from Feb. 3 through Feb. 11, to catch carp and goldfish.
Some of the carp and goldfish were kept for biological testing but most of the fish — including all nontarget sport fish — were returned to the lake unharmed as part of the feasibility study.
The timing of the project was chosen to coincide with the period when carp and goldfish form large aggregations in preparation for spawning for more efficient collection of target species and to minimize bycatch of other fishes. CDFW was on the water monitoring the effort.
Other partners include the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians and the Lake County Water Resources Department.
Carp and goldfish are detrimental to Clear Lake hitch and their habitat in several ways, including predating on Clear Lake hitch eggs; disturbing and circulating nutrients in the lake that can reduce water clarity and foster harmful algal blooms in the summer; and inhibiting tule growth. Tule provide important rearing habitat for juvenile Clear Lake hitch.