LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Air Quality Management District has issued another air quality alert in response to continuing unhealthy conditions in the air basin due to fires around the region.
Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart said that due to significant fire activity this week, all of Lake County is forecast to have “unhealthy for sensitive groups” to “unhealthy” air quality through Sunday as smoke settles into the area.
Gearhart said smoke from the Glass fire in Napa and Sonoma counties, the August Complex, and other fires burning in California and Oregon will continue to impact Lake County in the coming weeks.
Current conditions are degraded from the Glass fire and the regional wind pattern transporting smoke into the Lake County Air Basin, he said.
There is a potential for periods of improved air quality and overall improvement as wind patterns change, Gearhart said.
He said early forecast information indicated that a wind shift that started Friday night and continuing into Saturday may push the smoke from the Glass fire out the air basin, but increased activity in the August Complex fire may contribute smoke into the air basin due to the wind direction.
Up-to-date air quality conditions for Lake County can be found at PurpleAir.
California’s Water Year 2020 has come to a close and while Northern California was mostly dry, parts of Southern California experienced above-average precipitation.
The California Department of Water Resources said the water year ended below average and further demonstrated the impact of climate change on the state’s water supply.
“California is experiencing the impacts of climate change with devastating wildfires, record temperatures, variability in precipitation and a smaller snowpack,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “We must continue to invest in our infrastructure to prepare the state to cope with more extreme weather for the state’s needs today and in the future.”
For Water Year 2020, a lack of precipitation resulted in a snowpack of just 50 percent of average on April 1, as measured by the California Cooperative Snow Survey Program, making it the 10th smallest snowpack in California since 1950.
California’s reservoirs received just a third of the water runoff from precipitation and snowmelt that they did during the same time period a year ago.
The impacts of dry conditions were tempered, however, because of good reservoir storage from a wet 2019.
Statewide reservoir storage through the end of September 2020 is projected to be 93 percent of average or 21.5 million-acre feet.
DWR’s annual water year recap, “Water Year 2020: Summary Information,” published below, highlights additional key details of the water year which runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.
Focused on tangible actions to help build a climate-resilient water system, the state recently finalized the California Water Resilience Portfolio outlining almost 150 actions to better prepare our state for long-term water resilience. The continued water year variability is also a reminder to all Californians that we need to be prepared for dry periods. For more information visit: California’s Most Significant Droughts: Comparing Historical and Recent Conditions.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council is set to discuss a plan for facilitating the development of the former Pearce Field airport, consider establishing a homesteading program and interview candidates for the Clearlake Planning Commission.
The council will meet for a closed session at 5:30 p.m. to discuss negotiations for a property at 15970 Dam Road owned by R/M Clearlake and existing litigation against the county of Lake over Treasurer-Tax Collector Barbara Ringen’s performance before the public portion of the meeting convenes at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1.
Because of the county’s shelter in place order, Clearlake City Hall remains closed to the public, however, the virtual meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEG TV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also visit the city’s town hall site and submit written comments at https://www.opentownhall.com/portals/327/forum_home. Identify the subject you wish to comment on in your email’s subject line or in your town hall submission.
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments prior to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
On Thursday the council will present a certificate of appreciation to Clearlake Planning Commission Chair Richard Bean, who is stepping down, and also offer proclamations declaring October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
On the agenda is a discussion and consideration of actions the city can take to facilitate the development of the former Pearce Field Airport property on Highway 53.
City Manager Alan Flora’s report to the council explains that the property has been the center of development plans for decades.
The original 38.5-acre property was purchased from the county by the Clearlake Redevelopment Agency in 1994 for $840,000. In 1998, the redevelopment agency sold 10 acres for the development of Outrageous Waters water park.
The property was transferred to the city for public use in 2013 as part of then-Gov. Jerry Brown’s winddown of all redevelopment agencies, Flora said.
He said the city and the former redevelopment agencies have made efforts over the years to attract development to the site. Staff believes “significant interest remains in the Clearlake market and staff believe that with the right approach the project will be successful.”
Flora will discuss with the council the steps in the process as well as the proposal to work with RAM Development Partners, a sister company to Retail Strategies, the company that has been working with the city to attract development interest and investment into Clearlake.
In other business, the council will interview candidates to succeed Richard Bean on the Clearlake Planning Commission. Bean’s term ends in March.
Applicants are Michael McKeown, Joan Mingori, Michael A. Smith and Fawn Williams.
The council also will discuss the creation of a homestead housing program, which staff said is meant to encourage and incentivize new home construction, focusing on employed, entry-level professionals looking for quality housing. As part of the discussion, staff is proposing a $1 million amendment to the city’s 2020-21 budget to appropriate funds for the program.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – are warrant registers; minutes of the August and September meetings; second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 246-2020, amending Section 5-20.3 and Section 18-12.050 of the Clearlake Municipal Code relating to commercial cannabis businesses; second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 247-2020, an amendment to Chapter 3 of the Clearlake Municipal Code regarding development impact fees; consideration of continuation of declaration of local emergency issued on March 14, 2020, and ratified by council action March 19, 2020, in response to COVID-19; consideration of continuation of declaration of local emergency issued on Oct. 9, 2017, and ratified by council action Oct. 12, 2017, in response to the Sulphur fire; adoption of Resolution No. 2020-42, acceptance of the State Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act (CDBG-CV) in the amount of $122,279; approval of an agreement with Humboldt State University Sponsored Programs Foundation on behalf of the California Center for Rural Policy for cannabis equity grant assistance in the amount of $45,000 approve agreement and authorize the city manager to sign; adoption of Resolution No. 2020-45 updating the city’s designated publications for legal notices adopt; approval of Amendment No. 2 to management and administrative services agreement with Regional Government Services for Consulting Services; and consideration of establishing an unemployment benefits internal service fund and establishing policy guidelines, Resolution No. 2020-46.
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.
What's up for October 2020? Not one, but two, full moons; Mars at opposition; and finding the Andromeda galaxy.
This month brings not just one, but two full moons, at the beginning and end of the month. The full moon that took place on Oct. 1 is called the harvest moon. The harvest moon is the name for the full moon that occurs closest to the September equinox. (One of two days per year when day and night are of equal length.)
Most years the harvest moon falls in September, but every few years it shifts over to October. The name traces back to both Native American and European traditions related, not surprisingly, to harvest time.
At the end of October, on the 31st, we'll enjoy a second full moon. When there are two full moons in a month, the second is often called a blue moon. (There's another, more traditional definition of a blue moon, but this is the most well known.) Note that this is the only two-full-moon month in 2020!
October is a great time for viewing Mars, as the planet is visible all night right now, and reaches its highest point in the sky around midnight. This period of excellent visibility coincides with the event known as opposition, which occurs about every two years, when Mars is directly on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun.
This is also around the time when Mars and Earth come closest together in their orbits, meaning the Red Planet is at its brightest in the sky, so don't miss it.
Spacecraft from several nations are currently on the way to Mars, including NASA's Mars 2020 mission, which is scheduled to land there in February.
Finally this month, it's a great time to try and spot the galaxy of Andromeda. Andromeda is also known as M31. It's a spiral galaxy similar in appearance to our own Milky Way, but slightly larger. Both contain hundreds of billions of stars, and (we think), trillions of planets.
Now we can't see the overall shape of the Milky Way, because we're inside it, so Andromeda gives us a sense of what our galaxy would look like if you could see it from afar.
Andromeda is faint, and best viewed with a telescope, but you can observe it with binoculars or even a cell phone with a good camera on it, even from light-polluted areas. And under very dark skies, it's just barely a naked-eye object. So although it might be a little challenging, it's worth it to see an entire galaxy with your own eyes!
To find the Andromeda galaxy, look to the northeast in the evening sky once it's truly dark. Find the sideways "W" that represents the throne of queen Cassiopeia. To the right of Cassiopeia lies the constellation Andromeda, which includes this string of bright stars.
Moving upward, hang a left at the second of these bright stars, and as you scan back over toward Cassiopeia, you'll notice a faint, fuzzy patch of light. That fuzzy patch is the Andromeda galaxy, located 2 million light-years away. If you manage it, congratulations! You've just gone intergalactic.
You can catch up on all of NASA's missions to explore the solar system and beyond at www.nasa.gov.
Preston Dyches works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control is offering four dogs for adoption this week.
The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.
‘Bella’
“Bella” is a female American Bully mix.
She has a short beige and tan coat.
She is dog No. 3537.
‘Isis’
“Isis” is a female American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a brindle and white coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 3732.
‘Jack’
“Jack” is a male Labrador Retriever mix with a short yellow coat.
He is dog No. 4155.
‘Lady’
“Lady” is a female German Shepherd mix.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 3683.
The shelter is open by appointment only due to COVID-19.
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.
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. – Following an early morning traffic stop on Tuesday, a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy arrested an East Coast man who was found with more than 30 pounds of marijuana in his car and a suitcase filled with a large amount of cash.
Lt. Corey Paulich said Mehir Patel, 26, of Charlotte, North Carolina was arrested following the stop.
At 12:20 a.m. Tuesday, a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy was patrolling the area of Highway 20 near New Long Valley Road in Clearlake Oaks when he observed a Toyota Rav4 that was exceeding the posted speed limit and traveling east on Highway 20, Paulich said.
Paulich said the deputy conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle for the speeding violation and contacted the driver and only occupant of the vehicle, identified as Patel.
While the deputy was speaking to Patel, he could smell an overwhelming odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. Paulich said Patel told the deputy he had been visiting friends in Willits and was returning home.
When questioned about marijuana in the vehicle Patel first told the deputy he did not have any, but upon further questioning admitted to having approximately 30 pounds in the vehicle. Paulich said Patel told the deputy he planned to transport the marijuana to Los Angeles where he would sell it for a $100 per pound profit.
Paulich said the deputy searched the vehicle and located 32 individually wrapped one-pound packages of marijuana as well as $151,000 in a suitcase.
Patel told the deputy he had planned on purchasing more marijuana in Willits but the price was not low enough, Paulich said.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Patel was not able to be booked at the Lake County Jail, Paulich said.
Paulich said the marijuana and money were seized and the case will be forwarded to the Lake County District Attorney’s Office for review.
The sheriff’s office is requesting the district attorney charge Patel with possessing over $100,000 for the purchase of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and transportation of marijuana for sale, Paulich said.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Newly reported sampling data from numerous sites around Clear Lake have revealed high levels of cyanotoxin.
Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace reported that sampling conducted on Sept. 15 detected concerning levels of cyanotoxin at 19 Clear Lake sites, which can be seen on the map above, a larger version of which can be found here.
Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians and Elem Indian Colony conduct regular monitoring on sites across Clear Lake.
On its cyanotoxin monitoring website, Big Valley reported that on Sept. 15 they collected water samples from 24 sites on and in the lake. Cyanobacteria blooms were in most of those locations, so the tribe said it further reviewed those samples to get preliminary toxin data.
Sites showing testing results above the caution and warning trigger levels are:
– Four areas Lakeport: First Street boat ramp, Big Valley Shoreline, Lakeside County Park and a site in the Upper Arm of the lake; – Three areas near Kelseyville: Soda Bay Cove, Horseshoe Bend and Buckingham Park; – Two areas in Clearlake Oaks:the Oaks Arm of the lake and the west side of the Clearlake Keys; and – One site in Clearlake: Shady Acres on Cache Creek.
Sites with results in the danger level are on Lakeshore Drive, north of Lakeport; Lucerne Harbor Park; Keeling Park in Nice; the Elem Colony and the Sulphur Bank mercury mine Superfund site, both in Clearlake Oaks; Lily Cove, Austin Park Beach and Redbud Park in Clearlake; and Jago Bay in Lower Lake.
Pace said people and pets should stay out of the water in those areas. Don’t touch scum in the water or on the shore. Don’t let pets drink the water. Fish and shellfish from those areas should not be eaten.
Symptoms of exposure include skin rashes, eye irritation, diarrhea and vomiting. Pets who contact the toxin can experience seizures and death. Pace said to contact a medical provider or veterinarian if symptoms due to exposure are suspected.
Much of the aquatic plant growth visible in Clear Lake is harmless, and there is no need to be overly concerned about activities in areas of the lake where algae blooms are not present, Pace said.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance regarding harmful algal blooms can be found here.
“This is a challenging time with the fires, poor air quality, and COVID, but harmful algal blooms can cause significant suffering, so we encourage people to be careful and be aware of the risks,” Pace said.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Firefighters gained more containment on the Glass fire overnight and into early Thursday, with the fire’s movement resulting in a portion of Highway 29 south of Middletown being closed.
Cal Fire said Thursday that the Glass fire grew by more than 5,500 acres overnight to a total of 56,781 acres, with containment up to 5 percent, a 3-percent increase from Wednesday night.
The fire, burning since early Sunday in Napa and Sonoma counties, is threatening 26,623 structures, Cal Fire said.
On Thursday afternoon, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said Highway 29 is closed in both directions between Bradford Road in Middletown and Tubbs Lane in Calistoga due to the Glass fire. Highway 128 in Calistoga remains open.
“At this time there are no evacuation orders or warnings for Lake County related to the Glass Fire,” the sheriff’s office said in a Nixle alert to Lake County residents.
Fire officials said low humidity and above-average temperatures allowed the Glass fire to burn actively throughout the night.
Crews on Thursday continued to work on structure defense while building and reinforcing containment lines, Cal Fire said.
Northwest winds are forecast to increase on Thursday, bringing elevated fire weather, Cal Fire said.
Those conditions have led to the National Weather Service issuing a red flag warning for the area through Friday evening.
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. – More dry and unseasonably warm conditions forecast across the region have led to the issuance of another red flag warning.
The National Weather Service has issued the red flag warning, which will be in effect from 2 p.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Friday.
The agency said a red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions – including strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures – are either occurring now or will shortly, and can contribute to extreme fire behavior.
At the same time, California ISO, the agency that operates the state’s energy grid, is calling a statewide flex alert for power conservation between 3 and 10 p.m. Thursday.
The forecast calls for north to northwest winds of 10 to 20 miles per hour that will become gusty – with gusts of up to 25 miles per hour – Thursday afternoon through Friday evening across southern Mendocino County and portions of western and southern Lake County.
“Those winds combined with afternoon humidity values in the teens, poor overnight humidity recoveries, warm temperatures, and dry vegetation will yield a critical fire weather threat,” the National Weather Service said.
In the specific Lake County, forecasters said temperatures will be close to the century mark on Friday, with nighttime temperatures in the high 50s.
Over the weekend, temperatures will drop into the high 80s and nighttime temperatures will be in the mid to high 50s, the forecast said.
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.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Weather conditions are expected to heat up over the next few days, which could challenge firefighters on the lines of major wildland fire incidents in northern Lake County and around the region.
The growth of the Glass fire was held to just under 2,100 acres during the course of the day on Thursday, with the fire’s size reaching 58,880 acres by nightfall, with containment remaining at 5 percent, Cal Fire reported.
Cal Fire said 2,517 firefighters are assigned to the incident, along with 361 engines, 49 water tenders, 22 helicopters, 30 hand crews and 83 dozers.
The number of threatened structures rose to 28,835 on Thursday.
Updated damage assessments on Thursday night put the number of structures destroyed at 588, 437 in Napa County and 151 in Sonoma County. Another 110 structures have been damaged, 62 in Sonoma County while Napa County had 48.
Cal Fire said the Glass fire burned actively throughout the day Thursday, with flames making intense runs and aligning with the topography. There also was spotting up to one mile.
Fire activity is expected to increase due to the hot, dry conditions that led to the National Weather Service issuing a red flag warning that’s been extended through Saturday morning across the fire area.
Cal Fire said winds are blowing from the northwest, and the fire area is experiencing near-record temperatures and very low humidity.
On the August Complex to the north, Cal Fire – which is working with the US Forest Service to contain the incident – said it was up to 956,084 acres and 47 percent containment on Thursday night.
The Forest Service said 2,048 personnel are assigned.
That fire, burning on the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests, is threatening 2,200 structures and has destroyed 100, officials said.
The newly positioned Pacific Northwest Team 2 continued to develop a strategy to move the August Complex South Zone – which includes the Mendocino National Forest lands in northern Lake County – towards full containment, the Forest Service said.
Along with monitoring the east side of the August Complex with ground and air reconnaissance, the Forest Service said fire personnel continued mopping up and monitoring containment lines in the Lake Pillsbury region and to the west.
Crews worked around structures, checked control lines, felled hazard trees along roads and retrieved equipment that was no longer necessary. Fourteen engines were reallocated from the South Zone to the North Zone, officials said.
The Forest Service said a Burned Area Emergency Response Team began work on the eastern side of fire, collecting and analyzing information to document burn severity and to prioritize emergency stabilization measures.
On Thursday, the Forest Service said personnel continued to patrol and monitor containment lines and mop-up areas that still hold residual pockets of heat on the interior of the containment lines. Crews also continued to backhaul equipment from some areas of the fire.
Firefighters in the Lake Pillsbury area will continue work to secure structures. Damage assessments of structures are ongoing, and reports will be updated as areas become safe to evaluate, officials said.
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. – Firefighters braved hot temperatures on Wednesday as they continued the work to contain massive and destructive wildland fires around the region.
The Glass fire, burning in Napa and Sonoma counties since early Sunday morning, grew to 51,266 acres – an increase of just over 2,800 acres – over the course of Wednesday night, with containment remaining at 2 percent, Cal Fire reported.
Cal Fire said the fire’s cause remains under investigation.
It is threatening 26,290 structures and thousands remain evacuated, officials said.
In Cal Fire’s latest report, the agency said the fire has destroyed 92 structures and damaged 45 in Sonoma County, while in Napa County it has destroyed 112 structures and damaged 99 others.
Officials said the fire continued to burn actively throughout Wednesday, with crews working on structure defense while building and reinforcing containment lines.
Extremely dry fuels – combined with warmer and drier weather – have allowed short-range spotting, and the National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for Thursday afternoon through Friday evening due to hot, dry weather and windy conditions in the forecast.
Cal Fire said it’s still working to determine when the fire might be fully contained.
To the north, the August Complex, burning on the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests, was up to 949,672 acres and 47-percent containment on Wednesday night, Cal Fire reported. The incident grew by approximately 11,628 acres since Tuesday night.
The lighting-caused complex has been burning since Aug. 17 and has currently scorched lands in Colusa, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Tehama and Trinity counties. It’s currently divided into three zones – North, South and West.
Command of the South Zone, which includes Lake County, on Wednesday morning transitioned from the National Incident Management Organization under Incident Commander Mike Quesinberry to the Pacific Northwest No. 2 Incident Management Team under Incident Commander Rob Allen, the US Forest Service reported.
Officials said that, in addition to constant input from firefighters on the ground, data from nighttime infrared flights is being used to identify heat sources inside the control lines that need to be addressed.
Crews spent Tuesday conducting mop up, checking control lines and enhancing structure protection in the Lake Pillsbury area, the Forest Service said.
In areas where mop up has been completed and checked, the Forest Service said firefighters are working to take down and retrieve hose lays, pumps and portable tanks that were installed on alternate contingency lines.
A Burned Area Emergency Response Team, or BAER, has begun work on the east side of the South Zone, collecting and analyzing information to document burn severity and to prioritize emergency stabilization measures, officials said.
The Forest Service this long-term process is initiated as soon as possible after a wildfire and will continue for up to a year to prevent further damage to life, property or natural resources on Forest Service Lands.
BAER teams identify needs in areas that are unlikely to recover naturally from wildland fire damage and use that information to prioritize rehabilitation work, the Forest Service said.
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.
The California Independent System Operator has issued a statewide Flex Alert, a call for voluntary electricity conservation, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday.
With high temperatures in the forecast, the power grid operator is predicting an increase in electricity demand, primarily from air conditioning use. Reduced capacity, along with fire activity and heat, has led to a potential shortage of energy supply on Thursday evening.
On Wednesday afternoon, a grid alert was issued for a possible electricity shortage in the day-ahead market, for one hour beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, and a Restricted Maintenance Operations (RMO) notice was issued for the period 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday.
The Grid Alert will allow operators to call up demand response supply, while the RMO allows operators to call all available generation onto the system and bring back transmission that may be offline for planned maintenance.
Consumers are urged to conserve electricity, especially during the late afternoon and early evening, when the grid is most stressed due to higher demand and solar energy production falling. Consumers are also asked to turn off unnecessary lights, delay using major appliances until after 10 p.m., and set air conditioner thermostats to 78 degrees or higher.
The conservation measures can help the power grid during a time of tight demand and supply, and avoid power interruptions. Energy reduction during a Flex Alert can prevent further emergency measures, including rotating power outages.
Between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m., the ISO is urging consumers to:
– Set air conditioning thermostats to 78 degrees, if health permits. – Defer use of major appliances. – Turn off unnecessary lights. – Unplug unused electrical devices. – Close blinds and drapes. – Use fans when possible. – Limit time the refrigerator door is open.
Consumers can also take steps to prepare for the Flex Alert by doing the following before 3 p.m.:
– “Pre-cool” their homes, or lower air conditioning thermostats. – Charge electric vehicles. – Charge mobile devices and laptops. – Run dishwashers, washing machines and other major appliances. – Set pool pumps to run in the early morning or late at night.