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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council this week will consider ratifying an emergency declaration due to the atmospheric river storms.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

The agenda can be found here.

The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.

If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799.

The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.

Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the city clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments before 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17.

On Tuesday, the council is expected to adopt a resolution confirming the existence of a local emergency.

On Jan. 10, City Manager Kevin Ingram, who also serves as the director of emergency services for the city of Lakeport declared a local state of emergency in connection with the recent atmospheric rivers and flooding which began impacting the city around Jan. 4.

In accordance with the Emergency Services Act Section 8630(b) and Lakeport Municipal Code section 2.28, the governing body must ratify the declared emergency within 7 days for it to remain in effect.

Also on the agenda for Tuesday, the council will present a proclamation designating January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

In other business, the council will consider adopting a resolution granting the City Council’s consent to the County of Lake to renew the Lake County Tourism Improvement District, or LCTID, and include the city of Lakeport in the LCTID; and receive and file the fiscal year 2022-23 first quarter financial update.

The council also will receive an update on the status of the Lake County Recreation Task Force and get the communications team activity update.

On the consent agenda — items usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are ordinances; minutes of the City Council’s regular meeting on Jan. 17, 2022; a resolution authorizing continued remote teleconference meetings of the Lakeport City Council and its legislative bodies pursuant to Government Code section 54953(e); approval of application 2023-001, with staff recommendations, for the 2023 Clear Lake Bass Tournament; approval of the Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule 23-24 for the period of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, for presentation and adoption by the Lake County Redevelopment Oversight Board; receive and file the Community Development Quarterly Report for FY 2022-2023; and adopt a resolution amending and adopting an updated Conflict of Interest 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.
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Dear Lady of the Lake,

We sure have been getting a lot of rain, we need it. My question is: How much rain will it take to fill Clear Lake to full, like a normal year? How do I find out where to see the lake levels and when do we have to worry if it will flood?

Thanks!

From Raining on Randy on Rocky Point


Dear Raining on Randy,

Thanks for this excellent question! I have received this question from several folks, so I thought it best to tackle it in today’s column.

First I will provide some important links and resources for learning about lake levels and stream heights and flows. Then I will provide you with some calculated outlooks for where the lake is going with the rain we received and what we can expect to see with any more rain. I will also provide you the estimated amount of rain needed to get a “full” lake, and the amount of rain that would lead to several different flood level lake stages.

Measuring Lake Levels

Clear Lake level is determined in a very unique way, using the Rumsey gauge to measure lake levels. I described this in my column, “Learning about Lake Levels” from Oct. 17, 2021.

Daily lake level data is measured from an in-lake gauge (#11450000) operated and maintained by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The gauge has historically been located on a pier at Lake County Vector Control District in Lakeport, but sometimes during droughts, when there is a lack of water depth at the gauge’s normal location, the gauge will be temporarily moved to the 5th street ramp at Library Park in Lakeport. USGS maintains that all online data is provisional until verified and confirmed and usually that can take several months.

The lake level data is available online in graph or tabulated format at the USGS Clearlake Lakeport CA station.

Figure. Lake Level data for the period of December 14, 2022 - January 14, 2023 (Orange) compared to historic median (dotted line on top) for the last previous 109 years (1913-2022) and to the Lake level during the same period last year (purple). Source: USGS.


The lake, when full, will be 7.56 on the Rumsey gauge. As I write this article, the lake is currently at 2.84 Rumsey, so about 40% full. But remember, that we were below zero Rumsey in December, at about -2.25 Rumsey, until we started getting these rain events, so we had to get to zero first, before rain could start to fill the Lake to full.

However, if you notice the historic median lake level on the graph (dotted, top line), you will notice that we have met the historic median, making the lake level today very similar to the previous 109 years, with 50% of the years being more than that value and 50% being less (definition of median).

If you want to know stage height data from other gauges around the state, I suggest you explore the Sierra Nevada River Forcast Network Interactive Map. On this site, you can find different lakes or rivers with real-time gauges measuring lake levels, stream height and stream flow.

This also has a great interactive map, where you can see what gauges are where and what type of information they are collecting such as precipitation, stage height, flow, and some gauges also provide forecast conditions.

Also, the Lake County Water Resources Department monitors the daily lake level and can provide that to you by phone at 707-263-2344, if you do not have access to the website.

Streaming real-time stream data

There are lots of resources available online for anyone to access real-time stream and river data. Please refer to my previous column, “Lady of the Lake: Streaming stream and river data in real-time” from October 31, 2021. 

In that column, I reviewed two of my favorite websites for accessing stream data, including The California Nevada River Forecast Center, the CNRFC, and California Data Exchange Network, or CDEC.

The CNRFC, is a field office of the National Weather Service located in Sacramento, California. The CNRFC is co-located with the Sacramento NWS Forecast Office, CDWR, and United States Bureau of Reclamation. The NWS is an agency of the National Oceanic Atmospheric and Administration, or NOAA, under the United States Department of Commerce.

The CNRFC is great for monitoring flash flooding, river forecasting, managing water resources, or learning about hydrometeorology. Also the maps and graphs are very easy to use and interpret. This site can also provide temperature conditions and predictions which can be used for frost protection planning, for example. Additionally, this site has incorporated some post-fire debris flow warning layers. So if you live in an area that has a burn scar nearby, this website can help you to visualize those areas most at risk to post-fire flooding and debris flows.

The next resource is California Data Exchange Center, or CDEC. This website is managed by the California Department of Water Resources and while it does have some prediction power, the majority of gauge information here is real-time and archival. However, it’s pretty easy to use and has a large network of gauges and data that expands across all of California.

One thing about the CDEC is the data is focused on river information. The tabs at the top of the home page provide a lot of the type of data and tools available, and makes it easy to search for what you might need. Historic water data is also easily available on CDEC, making it easy to conduct a study on your local stream or river.

One thing to be aware of with CDEC is that the website can get pretty busy and bogged down during popular use times. If there is a heavy storm event and people and agencies are looking for river data and flood conditions, this website might get really slow and pages might not load as quickly, so be patient.

In my previous column on stream data, I provided a video tutorial on how to access CNRFC data from your own computer. This video is very useful for someone who has no prior experience getting stream data from online resources.

Stream and Lake gauges in our area

Here I provide some of the quick links for the local gauges for streams and lakes of interest.

Scotts Creek at Eickhoff Rd. Gauge California Nevada River Forecast Network
https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SKPC1

Middle Creek at Rancheria Rd. Gauge California Nevada River Forecast Network
https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MUPC1

Kelsey Creek at Kelsey Creek Dr. Gauge California Nevada River Forecast Network (Kelsey Creek Upstream of Kelseyville)
https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=KCVC1

Kelsey Creek gauge CDEC (Downstream at Soda Bay Road)
https://cdec.water.ca.gov/jspplot/jspPlotServlet.jsp?sensor_no=20400&end=&geom=small&interval=2&cookies=cdec01

Cache Creek at Rumsey Gauge California Nevada River Forecast Network (Yolo County, CA)
https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=RMSC1

Putah Creek t Guenoc California Nevada River Forecast Network
https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=PCGC1

CDEC for Clear Lake and Cache Creek System (aggregate of 9 River and Lake sites)
https://cdec.water.ca.gov/river/cacheStages.html

Below is a list of some *NEW* stream gauges installed this year thanks to the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake Funds with partnerships from USGS, UC Davis, County of Lake Water Resources, Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, and City of Clearlake. These gagues are temporary but when fully operational will report stage height, flow, water temperature, and turbidity (how cloudy the water is).

Cole Creek in Kelseyville, CA (USGS)
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/11449820/#parameterCode=00065&period=P7D

Molesworth Creek at Old 53, City of Clearlake (USGS)
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/11449370/#parameterCode=00065&period=P7D

Clover Creek, Bypass channel at Elk Mountain Rd. in Upper Lake, CA (USGS)
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/11449235/#parameterCode=00065&period=P7D

Scotts Creek at 29 Bridge in North Lakeport, CA (USGS)
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/11449255/#parameterCode=00065&period=P7D

How much rain will raise Clear Lake?

Now, to answer your last question Randy; how much rain does it take to raise Clear Lake levels and how much is too much rain, or will result in flooding conditions.

It’s kinda remarkable that a month ago we were worried about another year of severe drought and now we are talking about flooding, but that is the new climate paradigm we are living in.

If you read my previous column about streaming stream data, you will notice that I refer to myself as a “data snob” because I like data clean, organized, and I like to use data to answer interesting questions. Randy, your question is very interesting to me, and I researched what was out there when it came to how much rain corresponds to a rise in lake level.

I got several answers, in conversations with folks who have lived here on the lake a long time. The most common answer was that every 4-5 inches of rain, we see about a foot of lake level increase. So, if we got 10 inches of rain, we would expect to see about 2 feet of lake level increase.

Logistically, the lake is rising from the rain itself (collecting in the lake) and the collection of runoff from the landscape and tributaries flowing into the lake contributes to the lake level increase.

Me, being a data snob, needed to see the numbers. Unfortunately for me, I am not an engineer and don’t have an engineering brain, but I dusted off my old mental file of math and algebra and attempted to understand the relationship between the rain and lake level rise. Full acknowledgement to Mr. Blackwell, my high school Algebra teacher - you were right, sometimes we do use this stuff in real life, Mr. B!

First I downloaded daily rain data from CDEC for Lake County, CA. The closest station with daily accumulated rain was the Whispering Pines (WSP, CA Dept of Water Resources/DFM-Hydro-SMN). For these purposes I used accumulated rain, and I converted the data to start from zero in December, as opposed to 10 inches accumulated for the entire water year which runs from October to September. I chose December because that is when we first started getting rain for this series of rain “events” and started seeing significant lake level rise.

I didn’t want to include accumulated rain from earlier in the year, for example from mild showers in October, to interfere with my calculations today, as that rain is probably, most likely, not contributing to lake levels we are seeing now.

Then I downloaded daily lake level data, from the Lakeport gauge station housed at Vector Control, as described above in the beginning of this column. Then I plotted both of these data on a scatter plot, with rain on the X axis (independent variable) and lake level rise on the Y axis (dependent variable). Then I calculated the slope of the data and fit a line to the slope.

Heads up, algebra alert, to calculate the slope of a line, or the “rise over run” of a line, we have to use the formula m=(y2-y1)/(x2-x1), with m= slope, x1 and x2 being two numbers in a list of x (rain) and ya and y2 being two numbers in the list of y (lake level). This is also described as the change in the y values over the change in the x values. The slope will answer the question; how much change in lake level will we see when we have one inch of rain?

A key piece to remember is that up until Zero Rumsey water is only going into the system, there is no outflow from the lake until the lake level gets to Zero Rumsey and only after that can water start to flow over the Grigsby Riffle in Cache Creek.

So this added another variable into my calculations and plot, even though we are still getting quite a bit of rain, we also are seeing water leave the system. So, here we go algebra again, I calculated a separate slope for when the lake is over zero Rumsey, to account for the precipitation, inflow from tributaries, and outflow into and down Cache Creek.

To my surprise (but not really) the slopes are pretty different. The slope for the rain-lake level relationship before zero Rumsey is 0.14 and the slope for after the lake is above zero Rumsey is 0.26. This means that for every one inch of rain, the lake rises about 0.14 feet or 0.26 feet, depending on if there is outflow or not. So it does take roughly 4 inches of rain to raise the lake one foot - when the lake is at or above zero Rumsey.

It takes quite a bit more rain (about 7 inches) to raise the lake one foot when the lake is negative Rumsey. Mathematically this might not make sense and you might be asking yourself “if water is leaving the system down Cache Creek, how can it take less rain to raise the lake?” And I would answer by asking you to consider the system as a part of the watershed in a post-drought year (of which my data is based).

It takes a lot of rain to infiltrate and soak into the soils, and then it takes a lot more to accumulate into runoff that flows into the lake. Another thing to consider is that the outflow to Cache Creek is very limited, at about 2,500 cubic feet per second (CFS), compared to a single inflowing tributary such as Middle Creek, which can easily reach 3,000 - 5,000 CFS in any given large storm event.

Lasty, Randy, you asked when we should see a “full lake”. The lake is considered full when it reaches 7.56 on the Rumsey gauge, and I estimated that if it receives 45 inches of rain (based on the slope for positive Rumsey) we should be at full lake status. This is about 55 annual accumulation from October.

We have quite a bit to go as we have received about 25 inches in the last three weeks and we are only 40% full. You also asked about flood stage, and I have been receiving lots of inquiries about that too.

How much rain does it take to raise Clear Lake? It depends on if the lake is below or above zero Rumsey. Red data points and slope equation is based on rain and lake level data from Dec 23, 2022 to January 8, 2023. Black data points and slope equation derived from rain and lake level data from Jan. 9 to 13, 2023. Rain data sourced from DWR CDEC WSP Station and Clear Lake level data from USGS Lakeport station 11450000.

According to USGS, and based on 109 years of historic lake levels, when the lake gets to 9 ft Rumsey, it's considered minor flood stage, 11.4 ft is moderate flood stage and major flood stage is when the lake is at or exceeds 12 ft Rumsey. According to the Lake County Water Resources Department Historical Levels of Clear Lake High and Low, there is 10% chance of getting to minor flood stage, and 1% chance of the lake getting to major flood stage in any given year.

Using my rudimentary slope calculations, I have calculated how much rain (continuous, mind you) we would need to get to those stages. This is estimated and only applies with the continuation of the rain series we are seeing. If we see a dry month, the trend might be slightly off, but these are generally good guidelines as the ground is currently saturated and the lake is likely to stay above zero Rumsey.

It would take about 40 inches during this rain event to get to the minor flood stage of 9.0 feet Rumsey (50 annual accumulation from October) and about 52 inches (63 annual) to get to the major flood stage of 12.0 feet Rumsey. Notice that my calculated numbers are not based on annual accumulation (starting in October), but total for the rain events starting in December, as the annual year reset on January 1st.

That is quite a bit to go, but anything can happen in a third year of La Niña, as we have learned.

Sincerely,

Lady of the Lake

Angela De Palma-Dow is a limnologist (limnology = study of fresh inland waters) who lives and works in Lake County. Born in Northern California, she has a Master of Science from Michigan State University. She is a Certified Lake Manager from the North American Lake Management Society, or NALMS, and she is the current president/chair of the California chapter of the Society for Freshwater Science. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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Members of the public can help astronomers observe and study the night sky through NASA’s Universe of Learning Exoplanet Watch program. Credit: NASA/Bill Dunford.

The Exoplanet Watch project invites you to use your smartphone or personal telescope to help track worlds outside our solar system.

More than 5,000 planets have been confirmed to exist outside our solar system, featuring a wide array of characteristics like clouds made of glass and twin suns. Scientists estimate there could be millions more exoplanets in our home galaxy alone, which means professional astronomers could use your help tracking and studying them.

This is where Exoplanet Watch comes in. Participants in the program can use their own telescopes to detect planets outside our solar system, or they can look for exoplanets in data from other telescopes using a computer or smartphone.

Exoplanet Watch began in 2018 under NASA’s Universe of Learning, one of the agency’s Science Activation programs that enables anyone to experience how science is done and discover the universe for themselves.

Until recently there were limits on how many people could help look through the data collected by other telescopes, but now this program is easily available to anyone. By following the site’s instructions, participants can download data to their device or access it via the cloud, and then assess it using a custom data analysis tool.

“With Exoplanet Watch you can learn how to observe exoplanets and do data analysis using software that actual NASA scientists use,” said Rob Zellem, the creator of Exoplanet Watch and an astrophysicist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “We’re excited to show more people how exoplanet science is really done.”

A planet passing in front of its parent star creates a drop in the star’s apparent brightness, called a transit. Exoplanet Watch participants can look for transits in data from ground-based telescopes, helping scientists refine measurements of the length of a planet's orbit around its star. Credit: NASA’s Ames Research Center.


Helping without a telescope

Participants without telescopes can help astronomers comb through data that’s already been taken. The project has 10 years of exoplanet observations, collected by a small ground-based telescope south of Tucson, Arizona.

This year, the project will start collecting additional data from two other telescopes at the Table Mountain facility in Southern California, which JPL manages.

These telescopes look at nearby stars and search for what scientists call exoplanet transits: regular dips in a star’s brightness caused by a planet passing between the star and Earth. Essentially, a transit is an observation of a planet’s silhouette against the bright glare of its star.

Multiple NASA telescopes look for exoplanet transits as a way to discover new planets, but Exoplanet Watch participants primarily observe transits by planets that have already been discovered to gain more information about their orbits.

The time between exoplanet transits reveals how long it takes an exoplanet to orbit its parent star; the more transits that are measured, the more precisely the length of the orbit is known.

If the timing of the orbit isn’t measured precisely, scientists who want to study those planets in more detail with large ground-based or space-based telescopes can lose valuable observing time while they wait for the planet to appear. Having volunteers sort through the data will save significant computing and processing time.

Exoplanet Watch participants will also look for variations in the apparent brightness of stars – changes caused by features such as flares (outbursts of light) and star spots (dark spots on a star’s surface). In transit measurements, these changes make a planet appear smaller or larger than it actually is. This work will help scientists anticipate the variability of a particular star before they study its exoplanets with large, sensitive telescopes like NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

Citizen scientist Bryan E. Martin uses his personal telescope to observe exoplanet transits with NASA’s Universe of Learning Exoplanet Watch. There is no minimum size telescope necessary to participate, and those without a telescope can still analyze exoplanet transit data. Credit: Bryan E. Martin.

Helping with your own telescope

Want to take your own data? Although the number of targets you can see increases with the size of the telescope used, there’s no minimum size requirement. For example, Exoplanet Watch can help you detect exoplanet transits for hundreds of nearby stars with just a 6-inch (15-centimeter) telescope.

Exoplanet Watch combines observations of the same target by multiple sky watchers in order to get a higher-fidelity measurement. Combining observations is also useful if the planet’s transit lasts longer than the time a star is visible in the sky for a single observer: Multiple participants at different locations around the globe can collectively watch the duration of a long transit.

That was the case with a planet called HD 80606 b, which Webb will observe this year. A recent study of this planet led by Kyle Pearson, the Exoplanet Watch deputy science lead at JPL, combined observations from more than 20 Exoplanet Watch participants.

The volunteer effort on HD 80606 b will free up almost two hours of time on Webb for other observations. And on missions that aim to observe hundreds or thousands of exoplanets, the number of minutes saved by refining planet transit measurements can add up and free a significant amount of observing time, according to Zellem.

One of the program’s policies requires that the first paper to make use of the observations or analysis done by volunteers will list those volunteers as co-authors, which was the case with the study led by Pearson. “I hope this program lowers barriers to science for a lot of people and inspires the next generation of astronomers to join our field,” said Zellem.

The ground-based data for the project was collected by the MicroObservatory Robotic Telescope Network, supported by NASA’s Universe of Learning and managed by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Volunteer-generated data is uploaded to the American Association of Variable Star Observers’ (AAVSO) Exoplanet Database.

NASA’s Universe of Learning is a competitively selected member of the NASA Science Activation program. The Science Activation program connects NASA science experts and real content and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond.

This work is supported by NASA under award number NNX16AC65A to the Space Telescope Science Institute, in partnership with Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and JPL.

For more information about Exoplanet Watch, visit https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exoplanet-watch/.

For more information about NASA’s Universe of Learning, visit https://www.universe-of-learning.org/.

For more NASA citizen science projects, visit https://science.nasa.gov/citizenscience.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. — A Lakeport man was arrested Sunday for a hit-and-run crash that injured a pedestrian.

Al James, 63, was arrested at about 10 a.m. Sunday, the Lakeport Police Department said.

Police officers were dispatched to the scene of a crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian at a location on N. Main Street just before 6 p.m. Saturday evening.

The driver had fled the scene prior to the arrival of officers, authorities said.

The elderly female pedestrian, who was conscious and alert at the scene, was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital.

Police later reported that she was transported by air ambulance to an out-of-county hospital where she is recovering.

The only witnesses at the scene pointed law enforcement to a silver-colored larger SUV vehicle which was seen driving northbound on N. Main Street near the crash scene at the time of the collision.

On Sunday, police said they had apprehended James, originally a Texas resident.

He was booked into the Lake County Jail for felony hit-and-run, with bail set at $10,000.

Jail records indicated he was no longer in custody on Sunday night.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Praises of Zion Church and the Clearlake United Methodist Church have united to present the ninth annual Martin Luther King Unity Day.

The event will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16, at the Clearlake Methodist Church, 14521 Pearl Ave.

The program includes unity speeches from a diverse group of people from different cultures, ethnicities, colors, socioeconomic backgrounds and gender identifications.

Local political leaders, churches, law enforcement, social agencies and state representatives have been invited.

There will be music and performances by local musicians, Pomo dancers and the African drum group.

Everyone in Lake County is encouraged to come to be a part of this “Unity Day.”

Organizers said It is vitally important for the well-being of our community and our country in these times of division and hate speech to come together as one world and on one accord.

The event is open to the entire county.

Please contact organizer Lynette Kirkwood at 707-461-9409 if you want to participate or would like more information.
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The National Weather Service’s forecast shows heavy rain through Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Forecasters said that Lake County could receive several more inches of rain in coming days as the last atmospheric river storms in a series move over the region.

The National Weather Service’s six-day forecast released on Friday and continuing until Thursday, Jan. 19, called for up to 7 inches of rain.

That’s a concern for areas of Lake County including Upper Lake, where residents on Main Street near Maddocks Court were seeing full culverts and water covering portions of the roadway late this week, leading to them placing sandbags and using fire hose to try to move water away from homes.

State Climatologist Dr. Michael Anderson said the storm on Friday was the end of the seventh atmospheric river storm in a series that began hitting California at Christmas.

He said the eighth storm will take place from Saturday through Tuesday, Jan. 17, to be followed by the ninth storm on Wednesday, Jan. 18.

Anderson said high pressure is building in the eastern Pacific, and rather than storms coming ashore from the southwest or the west, storms will start dropping in from the Gulf of Alaska. Those storms will be colder, with not as much moisture.

Early Saturday, Clear Lake’s level was at 2.54 feet Rumsey, the special measure for the lake, up nearly 5 feet since Christmas.

Due to the atmospheric river storm event’s continued impacts on Lake County, on Thursday, Sheriff Rob Howe declared a local emergency.

The Lake County Office of Emergency Services said Friday on its Facebook page that Sheriff Howe sent his thanks and appreciation to the California Highway Patrol’s Northern California Division for conducting aerial reconnaissance of remote areas of Lake County to assess the potential impacts of the atmospheric river event.

“The Lake County Office of Emergency Services and Sheriff’s Office continue to monitor the condition of our county during this storm event,” the agency said.

During a special Friday afternoon meeting of the Board of Supervisors, Lt. Gavin Wells, the deputy director of Lake County OES, presented Howe’s emergency proclamation to the board for ratification, which needed to take place within seven days of its issuance.

Wells said the state has declared an emergency due to the storms and Lake County was included in a federal declaration for disaster assistance for counties issued on Jan. 9.

The board voted unanimously to ratify the proclamation.

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.
Runoff has been building up, covering the road and filling up culverts along Main Street at Maddocks Court in Upper Lake, California, due to the atmospheric river storm events in January 2023. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.
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LUCERNE, Calif. — A meeting for Lucerne community members to discuss issues of concern will be held this week.

The Lucerne community meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, in the multipurpose room at Lucerne Elementary School, 3351 Country Club Drive.

The meeting also will be available via Zoom.

The meeting ID is 857 2312 7967, the passcode is 13931.

Kurt McKelvey, who has served as chair of the Lucerne Area Town Hall, will moderate the meeting.

On the agenda is a discussion of the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ proposal to use the Lucerne Hotel to house dozens of out-of-county homeless youth and young adults.

The Lucerne Area Town Hall passed a resolution at its December meeting condemning the proposal.

Also on the agenda, there will be discussion for the need for self-determination for the community of Lucerne.

There also will be a discussion of neglected county maintenance issues in Lucerne.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday night announced that the White House has approved California’s request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to support the state’s emergency response to ongoing storm impacts including flooding, mudslides and landslides in communities across the state.

“California is grateful for President Biden’s swift approval of this critical support to communities reeling from these ongoing storms,” said Governor Newsom, who earlier on Saturday met with evacuated residents in Merced County and surveyed damage in the area. “We’ll continue to work in lockstep with local, state and federal partners to help keep Californians safe and make sure our communities have the resources and assistance they need to rebuild and recover.”

The Presidential Major Disaster Declaration will help Californians in impacted counties through eligibility for several programs and supports, and includes public assistance to help state, tribal and local governments with ongoing emergency response and recovery costs and hazard mitigation.

Saturday’s declaration makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Merced, Sacramento and Santa Cruz. Additional impacted counties may be included once storm conditions allow state, local and federal officials to safely assess the scope of damage.

Earlier this week, President Biden approved the governor’s request for a Presidential Emergency Declaration to bolster state, local and tribal government storm response efforts.

Gov. Newsom has activated the State Operations Center to its highest level and proclaimed a state of emergency statewide.

Amid ongoing storms and flooding, the state and its partners are working quickly to initiate recovery efforts and help Californians return home as soon as it is safe to do so.

Work is underway to remove hazardous waste and clear debris and there are teams on the ground conducting damage assessments documenting the extent of the losses so that the state can maximize its requests for federal aid.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585 TTY
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — On Friday, the California Attorney General’s Office announced a settlement with the developers of the Guenoc Valley Project that will allow a smaller version of the luxury resort and residential development to go forward.

Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office said Friday’s settlement requires a revised version of the project that has a smaller, higher-density footprint to reduce wildfire risk in an area that has had wildland fires in every decade since the 1950s, along with additional measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Every year, devastating wildfires burn through California, forcing evacuations, destroying homes, and threatening lives,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Developers have a responsibility to build in a way that recognizes this reality and to make smart decisions at the front end so people's lives are not endangered down the line. Today's settlement is an example of responsible development, demonstrating how developers can reduce both wildfire ignition risks and greenhouse gas impacts at new developments.”

“In the years since the Guenoc Valley Project was originally designed and approved, the science and best practices for fire-safe development have advanced. We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the attorney general that reflects those advances and builds on our shared goal to protect communities and the environment,” said Chris Meredith, a partner in the Guenoc Valley Project.

While the Attorney General’s Office’s action indicates the project can move forward, the two other petitioners, the Center for Biological Diversity and the California Native Plant Society, were not party to the settlement and continue to challenge the project on appeal.

The settlement announced Friday, meant to create a new standard for fire-safe development, comes a year to the month since Lake County Superior Court Judge J. David Markham handed down a ruling setting aside the July 2020 approval by the Board of Supervisors due to errors in environmental review and violation of the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA.

The resort and residential community is planned to be built on a 1,415-acre portion of the 16,000-acre Guenoc Ranch property near Middletown, which Lotusland Investment Holdings Inc. acquired in 2016.

In July 2020, the Board of Supervisors approved the project’s first phase, which included 385 residential villas in five subdivisions; five boutique hotels with 127 hotel units and 141 resort residential cottages; 20 campsites; up to 100 workforce housing cohousing units; an outdoor entertainment area, spa and wellness amenities, sports fields, equestrian areas, a new golf course and practice facility, camping area and commercial and retail facilities; agricultural production and support facilities; essential accessory facilities, including back of house facilities; 50 temporary workforce hotel units; emergency response and fire center; a float plane dock; and helipads.

In September 2020, the Center for Biological Diversity and the California Native Plant Society, with the California Attorney General’s Office intervening in support of them, sued the county over the project.

The suit cited myriad issues, including greenhouse gas emissions and building the low-density, luxury resort and housing development in a very high-risk fire hazard severity zone that has burned in 1952, 1953, 1963, 1976, 1980, 1996, 2006, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2020.

They also raised concerns with the impact of expanding the boundary of existing development into thousands of acres of existing open space and bringing 4,000 new residents to a wildfire-prone area with an existing population of approximately 10,000.

The case was heard in Lake County Superior Court in November 2021, with Judge Markham handing down his decision two months later, at the start of January 2022.

Bonta’s office said the settlement is designed to minimize the risk to current and future Lake County residents and the environment.

The settlement allows the developer to move forward with a smaller, denser version of the project that includes measures to reduce wildfire ignition, evacuation risk, and greenhouse gas emissions generated by the project, contingent on the resolution of other pending litigation challenging the development.

Specifically, the Attorney General’s Office said the settlement requires that the revised project include measures to reduce wildfire ignition risk, including the removal of three development clusters outside the core of the proposed development; various additional road connections to reduce the number of dead-end roads; improved hardscape; and retention of a wildfire expert.

It also requires measures to address greenhouse gas impacts, such as the installation of solar panels and electric vehicle charging equipment at all residential and commercial buildings and the annual purchase of greenhouse gas offset credits, Bonta’s office said.

In addition, under the writ issued by the Lake County Superior Court, the county of Lake also will take additional steps to analyze and address evacuation of the project.

“From the beginning, we have placed the highest importance on safety and sustainability and have worked closely with Lake County and the local community to ensure it is built in a responsible way. Today’s agreement will help this landmark project move forward in delivering increased wildfire safety and greater economic opportunity throughout the region,” Meredith said Friday.

As a result of the settlement, Bonta has filed a request to dismiss the Department of Justice’s appeal against the developers.

A copy of the settlement is published here.

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.
Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has three male adult cats and a female waiting to be adopted.

Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.

The following cats at the shelter have been cleared for adoption.

“Halo” is a 3-year-old male domestic shorthair cat in kennel No. 77a, ID No. LCAC-A-4466. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Halo’

“Halo” is a 3-year-old male domestic shorthair cat with a gray tabby coat.

He is in kennel No. 77a, ID No. LCAC-A-4466.

“Wednesday” is a 3-year-old female domestic shorthair cat in kennel No. 77b, ID No. LCAC-A-4463. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Wednesday’

“Wednesday” is a 3-year-old female domestic shorthair cat with a gray tabby coat.

She is in kennel No. 77b, ID No. LCAC-A-4463.

“Cris” is a 6-month-old male orange tabby in cat room kennel No. 57, ID No. LCAC-A-4375. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Cris’

“Cris” is a 6-month-old orange tabby with a short coat.

He is in cat room kennel No. 57, ID No. LCAC-A-4375.

“Sonny” is a 2-year-old male orange tabby in cat room kennel No. 84, ID No. LCAC-A-4372. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Sonny’

“Sonny” is a 2-year-old male orange tabby with a short coat.

He is in cat room kennel No. 84, ID No. LCAC-A-4372.

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.
Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has more big and little dogs awaiting their new homes.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Akita, Alaskan malamute, American blue heeler, Belgian Malinois, German shepherd, hound, husky, Labrador retriever, pit bull, poodle, shepherd and terrier.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.

Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.

This 1-year-old male poodle-terrier mix is in kennel No. 5, ID No. LCAC-A-4508. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male poodle-terrier mix

This 1-year-old male poodle-terrier mix has a long white coat.

He is in kennel No. 5, ID No. LCAC-A-4508.

This female Labrador retriever-pit bull mix puppy is in kennel No. 2, ID No. LCAC-A-4451. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Lab-pit bull mix puppy

This female Labrador retriever-pit bull mix puppy has a short black coat with white markings.

She is in kennel No. 2, ID No. LCAC-A-4451.

This 5-month-old female American blue heeler-hound is in kennel No. 6a, ID No. LCAC-A-4521. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

American blue heeler-hound

This 5-month-old female American blue heeler-hound has a short brown and white coat.

She is in kennel No. 6a, ID No. LCAC-A-4521.

This 5-month-old female American blue heeler-hound is in kennel No. 6b, ID No. LCAC-A-4522. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

American blue heeler-hound

This 5-month-old female American blue heeler-hound has a short brindle coat.

She is in kennel No. 6b, ID No. LCAC-A-4522.

This 10-month-old female German shepherd is in kennel No. 8, ID No. LCAC-A-4448. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female German shepherd

This 10-month-old female German shepherd has a black and tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 8, ID No. LCAC-A-4448.

This 5-month-old male American blue heeler-hound is in kennel No. 9a, ID No. LCAC-A-4519. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male American blue heeler-hound

This 5-month-old male American blue heeler-hound has a short brindle coat.

He is in kennel No. 9a, ID No. LCAC-A-4519.

This 5-month-old male American blue heeler-hound is in kennel No. 9b, ID No. LCAC-A-4523. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male American blue heeler-hound

This 5-month-old male American blue heeler-hound has a short brown coat.

He is in kennel No. 9b, ID No. LCAC-A-4523.

This 6-month-old female Belgian Malinois is in kennel No. 10, ID No. LCAC-A-4447. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female Belgian Malinois

This 6-month-old female Belgian Malinois has a short black and tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 10, ID No. LCAC-A-4447.

This 2-year-old male Akita-shepherd is in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-4538. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male Akita-shepherd

This 2-year-old male Akita-shepherd has a short fawn-colored coat.

He is in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-4538.

This 1-year-old female pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 14, ID No. LCAC-A-4493. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female pit bull terrier

This 1-year-old female pit bull terrier has a short tan and white coat.

She is in kennel No. 14, ID No. LCAC-A-4493.

This 1-year-old male pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-4494. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male pit bull terrier

This 1-year-old male pit bull terrier has a short black coat.

He is in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-4494.

“Malachi” is a 4-year-old male Alaskan malamute in kennel No. 18, ID No. LCAC-A-4434. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Malachi’

“Malachi” is a 4-year-old male Alaskan malamute with a long black and white coat.

He is in kennel No. 18, ID No. LCAC-A-4434.

“Tyson” is a male husky in kennel No. 20, ID No. LCAC-A-4344. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Tyson’

“Tyson” is a handsome male husky with a red and white coat.

He is in kennel No. 20, ID No. LCAC-A-4344.

This 1.5-year-old male Dutch shepherd is in kennel No. 22, ID No. LCAC-A-4509. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male Dutch shepherd

This 1.5-year-old male Dutch shepherd has a sable coat.

He is in kennel No. 22, ID No. LCAC-A-4509.

This 7-month-old female terrier is in kennel No. 23, ID No. LCAC-A-4436. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female terrier

This 7-month-old female terrier has a short brown coat.

She is in kennel No. 23, ID No. LCAC-A-4436.

This 2-year-old female pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 24, ID No. LCAC-A-4484. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female pit bull terrier

This 2-year-old female pit bull terrier has a short black and white coat.

She is in kennel No. 24, ID No. LCAC-A-4484.

This 3-year-old male pit bull is in kennel No. 26, ID No. LCAC-A-4445. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male pit bull

This 3-year-old male pit bull has a short black and white coat.

He is in kennel No. 26, ID No. LCAC-A-4445.

This 5-month-old female American blue heeler/hound mix is in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-4524. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

American blue heeler/hound mix

This 5-month-old female American blue heeler/hound mix has a short brindle and white coat.

She is in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-4524.

This 1-year-old female German shepherd is in kennel No. 30, ID No. LCAC-A-4486. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female German shepherd

This 1-year-old female German shepherd has a black and tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 30, ID No. LCAC-A-4486.

This 8-year-old male German shepherd is in kennel No. 32, ID No. LCAC-A-4518. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Male German shepherd

This 8-year-old male German shepherd has a black and tan coat.

He is in kennel No. 32, ID No. LCAC-A-4518.

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.
Posted On

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has dogs waiting to be adopted into new homes.

The City of Clearlake Animal Association also is seeking fosters for the animals waiting to be adopted.

Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.

Upcoming Calendar

1Apr
04.01.2023 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Farmers' Market at the Mercantile
1Apr
04.01.2023 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Lake County Spring Dance Festival
1Apr
04.01.2023 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Lake County Spring Dance Festival
3Apr
04.03.2023 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Courting The Muse~Mixed Media Art Class
6Apr
04.06.2023 7:30 am - 8:30 am
Rotary Club of Middletown
Middletown Art Center
6Apr
04.06.2023 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Character Design~Art Class for Teens
8Apr
04.08.2023 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Farmers' Market at the Mercantile
8Apr
04.08.2023 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild
9Apr
04.09.2023
Easter Sunday
9Apr
04.09.2023 1:15 pm - 2:00 pm
Lakeport Rotary Club Easter Egg Hunt

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