News

The California Department of Water Resources announced Thursday that it will increase the 2019 State Water Project allocation to 75 percent from 70 percent.

This is the final allocation for the calendar year. The initial allocation in November 2018 was 10 percent.

The 2019 allocation of ­­75 percent amounts to 3,145,105 acre-feet of water.

“This winter’s robust storms resulted in above average snowpack and reservoir levels bringing California a much-improved water year from last year,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “The full reservoirs will provide a healthy buffer for if we return to drier conditions next year.”

Clear Lake also is part of the Sacramento River Watershed, one of the major sources of water supply for the Bay Delta, which supplies the State Water Project. Specifically, water from Clear Lake flows into Cache Creek and from there eventually makes its way into the Sacramento River.

California’s reservoirs continue to remain above their historical average thanks to the more than 30 atmospheric rivers since the start of the water year.

Earlier this month, the statewide Sierra snowpack was 202 percent of normal. It’s California’s fifth largest snowpack dating back to 1950.

The increase in water deliveries to the 29 SWP contractors will provide additional water supply for more than 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland.

Lake Oroville, the SWP’s largest reservoir, is currently at 98 percent of capacity and 118 percent of average for this time of year.

Shasta Lake, the largest reservoir in the Central Valley Project, or CVP, is at 98 percent of capacity and 118 percent of average.

San Luis Reservoir, the largest off-stream reservoir in the United States where water is stored for the SWP and CVP, is at 75 percent of capacity and 108 percent of average. In Southern California, SWP’s Castaic Lake is at 94 percent of capacity and 107 percent of average.

Statewide snow water content, reservoir storage, precipitation, and releases to meet water supply and environmental demands are among several factors used in determining allocations.

Even in wet years, a 100 percent allocation is rare due to Delta pumping restrictions to protect threatened and endangered fish species. The last time the Project was able to allocate 100 percent was 2006.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Unified School District is preparing to transition to the leadership of its new superintendent as the new school and fiscal year begins next month.

The district has hired several new school administrators, and next week interim Superintendent Patrick Iaccino will be at his last meeting, during which the new fiscal year budget will be considered.

The board hired Iaccino in January and since then he’s worked on addressing key district needs, including leading the recruitment for the new superintendent.

In May, the board hired longtime district educator Jill Falconer, the Clear Lake High School principal, to fill that post, as Lake County News has reported.

Iaccino said his last meeting will be on Wednesday, June 26. Falconer takes over on July 1.

He said he and Falconer have been meeting as part of the leadership handoff. They’ve discussed staffing, worked on recruitments and she’s had a one-day retreat with the administrative team.

Iaccino and Falconer have collaborated on deciding administrative assignments, in particular, determining principal and vice principal jobs.

Earlier this year, the district reached a settlement that reinstated Rachel Paarsch, formerly the principal of Terrace Middle School who was removed from that post in the fall.

The agreement calls for Paarsch to remain on paid administrative leave until the end of the year – June 30 – and then for her to be assigned to a new administrative job at the discretion of the superintendent.

Iaccino said he and Falconer determined that Paarsch will be the principal over the alternative program at Natural High School and the Community Day School. In that capacity, she will oversee pupil services, attendance and chronic absenteeism.

Among other key hires, Iaccino said Falconer served on the interview panel for a new Lakeport Elementary School principal. Aaron Carter, who has been principal there, was notified this spring that he was to be reassigned to another administrative job.

Iaccino said the new Lakeport Elementary principal is Talin Tamzarian, who comes from Pine Ridge School in Magalia. That school and its students were impacted by the Camp fire in November, which destroyed the nearby town of Paradise.

With Falconer succeeding to the superintendent’s post, a new Clear Lake High School principal needed to be selected.

Iaccino said he took the lead on that hire because Falconer did not feel comfortable doing so.

He said they selected Jennifer Scheel as the new high school principal. She has served as Falconer’s assistant principal.

A new assistant high school principal will be discussed at the June 26 meeting, Iaccino said.

In other news, Dave Norris, the district’s longtime director of maintenance, operations and transportation, has resigned, Iaccino confirmed.

Norris has served with the district for nearly 40 years.

Iaccino said Norris has taken a job in Southern California involving school districts. “He didn’t share a lot with me.”

Norris’ position hasn’t yet been posted on the district’s Web site.

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.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control is featuring a group of mostly large dogs needing homes.

The kennels also have many dogs that need to be reunited with their owners. To find the lost/found pet section, click here.

The following dogs are ready for adoption.

‘Cadbury’

“Cadbury” is a female Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix with a smooth medium-length beige coat.

She is No. 1215.

‘Hamilton’

“Hamilton” is a male German Shepherd with a medium-length brown and black coat.

He is No. 2177.

‘Jason’

“Jason” is a male pit bull mix with a short blond and white coat.

He is No. 1663.

‘Lexi’

“Lexi” is a female German Shepherd with a medium-length black and tan coat.

She is No. 2262.

‘Scorpio’

“Scorpio” is a male American Bulldog mix with a brindle coat.

He is No. 2269.

‘Snowflake’

“Snowflake” is a male Chihuahua with a white coat.

He is No. 1864.

‘Truffle’

“Truffle” is a female American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a brown coat.

She is No. 2270.

‘Tyson’

“Tyson” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a medium-length gray and white coat.

He is No. 1863.

‘Wynn’

“Wynn” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier with a short brindle coat.

Staff said he has been at the shelter for more than 100 days. He loves affection and is available for adoption or through the foster to adopt program.

He’s believed to be about 6 to 7 years old.

He is No. 969.

Clearlake Animal Control’s shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53, off Airport Road.

Hours of operation area noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The shelter is closed Sundays, Mondays and major holidays.

Call Clearlake Animal Control at 707-994-8251, Extension 1, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or at the city’s Web site.

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.

Pacific Gas and Electric officials on Wednesday reported on the company’s efforts to improve safety and conditions for its power facilities, which have included increased inspections and repairs, and, in some cases, permanently deenergizing transmission lines.

The safety work is running parallel with the company’s plans for public safety power shutoffs which could potentially deenergize large portions of the state – particularly high risk areas shown in the California Public Utilities Commission's fire threat map – in the case of serious weather conditions and fire danger.

As part of its Community Wildfire Safety Program – implemented after the wildland fires of 2017 and 2018 – PG&E said it has accelerated safety inspections and repairs across its vast 72,000-square-mile service area.

Through the end of May, PG&E has completed visual inspections of approximately 99 percent of its distribution infrastructure and visual or aerial inspections of approximately 98 percent of its transmission infrastructure in high-fire threat areas.

This includes approximately 50,000 electric transmission structures, 700,000 distribution poles and 222 substations, covering more than 5,500 miles of transmission line and 25,200 miles of distribution line.

In the course of inspection, the company identified 53,000 corrective actions needed on transmission structures, with 100 found to be high priority. PG&E said all necessary high priority repairs have been addressed.

Another 207,000 corrective actions on distribution poles with nearly 1,000 conditions identified as highest priority were found with 97 percent of those highest-priority conditions repaired or made safe. The remaining high priority conditions are currently in the process of being repaired.

There also are 3,000 corrective actions within substations with approximately 100 conditions identified as highest priority. PG&E said all of those highest-priority conditions have been repaired or made safe.

“The number of safety risks found through these inspections is unacceptable. We need to do better,” Sumeet Singh, PG&E’s vice president of the Community Wildfire Safety Program, told reporters on Wednesday.

When Lake County News asked about specific findings for Lake County, PG&E said that information is not yet available.

However, PG&E said it has provided results of the enhanced and accelerated inspections to the California Public Utilities Commission and will be making the status of the high-priority repairs, organized by city and county, publicly available on its Web site on or before July 15.

Throughout the inspection process, PG&E said it has been addressing and repairing conditions that pose an immediate safety risk, while completing other high-priority repairs on an accelerated basis. Repairs for all other conditions are scheduled to be completed as part of PG&E’s work execution plan.

They’ve brought in 2,000 qualified line workers from out of state and implemented best practices from agencies in Southern California as well as Australia, Singh said.

PG&E also has permanently deenergized the Caribou-Palermo transmission line, which Cal Fire identified as an ignition point of the Camp fire. Singh said the line has been out of service since
December.

During its inspections, PG&E identified a significant number of high-priority conditions on the Caribou-Palermo line, Singh said.

At the request of the California Public Utilities Commission, PG&E retained Exponent, an independent third-party scientific and engineering consulting firm, to conduct a records-based review of the transmission line. PG&E expects that Exponent will conclude its review over the next couple of months.

During the WSIP repair work, PG&E also identified several high-priority issues on one section of the Ignacio-Alto-Sausalito transmission line that runs through areas of the Golden Gate National
Recreation Area and serves the city of Sausalito.

Ten of the line’s 11 towers in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area with high-priority conditions will require complete replacement. PG&E has commenced preparations for repair work, which will require the construction of a temporary transmission line to provide electric service while the towers on the permanent transmission line are replaced and repaired.

PG&E is in the process of assessing additional structures on the line to determine if additional corrective actions are needed.

Inspectors looked at all aspects of PG&E assets including cross-arms, insulators and footings, along with critical electrical components and equipment. PG&E and contract crews inspected electric towers and poles from top to bottom through ground, climbing, helicopter or drone inspections.

Inspection findings were documented, particularly through high resolution images, and reviewed by dedicated teams with experience in system maintenance, engineering and maintenance
planning to evaluate identified conditions.

This process included reviewing millions of high-definition photographs taken from the ground, qualified personnel climbing towers, drones and helicopters, PG&E reported.

PG&E said photographs were evaluated by experts who rate the severity of the condition found, assign a priority level and begin the process of dispatching corrective notifications for repair.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Summer road trips are a well-loved tradition for many.

To make sure a trip is enjoyable, the California Highway Patrol reminds everyone that prevention and planning for summer driving may take time up front, but can spare drivers from dealing with the consequences of a breakdown or worse.

“Get your vehicle ready, plan your route, and above all, drive safely,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “When you are the driver, your only responsibility is to keep your eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, and concentrate on the task of driving.”

Summer driving can be more dangerous than other seasons for several reasons.

Vacationing drivers, unfamiliar with an area, may also drive erratically or unpredictably.

More teenagers, who are inexperienced drivers, are also more likely to be on the road.

The CHP recommends:

• Make sure vehicle maintenance is up-to-date. Summer temperatures can put serious stress on engines. Tires, air conditioning, belts and hoses, fluid levels, interior and exterior lights, and wiper blades must all be in good condition.

• Program any global positioning systems, whether in your phone or in your car, in advance. The California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, has a mobile app for traffic information, or visit http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov for highway conditions. Prepare for device malfunctions or loss of connection by knowing your route before you leave and packing maps.

• Buckle up! Be sure everyone in your vehicle is wearing a seat belt. Check that young passengers are using the correct child safety seat for their height and weight.

• Never leave pets, children, or the elderly alone in a car for any length of time. California laws address how to handle situations in which children or animals are left in vehicles. However, the best approach if you see an unattended child or animal is to call 9-1-1.

• Expect road construction and plan for delays. Remember to “be work zone alert” and move over or slow down when passing any stationary vehicle displaying emergency or warning lights, including emergency vehicles, Caltrans vehicles, and tow trucks.

The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of safety, service and security.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Mendocino National Forest officials on Wednesday said a lightning-sparked fire in the Yolla Bolly Wilderness has tripled in size.

The East fire on Wednesday was estimated to be up to 125 acres, the forest reported.

The fire is located 43 miles west of Red Bluff. It was reported by the Anthony Peak Lookout June 17 at 4 p.m.

Forest officials reported that they’ve chosen to use a confinement strategy in fighting the fire.

That strategy involves determining firefighter safety, access to the fire, its location, potential areas of concern, likely growth over time and current and forecast weather.

The designated confinement area is between East Ridge, Buck Ridge and Wrights Ridge.

Forest officials said their objectives include reducing exposure to firefighters, removing hazardous fuels, protecting wilderness characteristics and decreasing the probability for high severity wildfires in the future.

Approximately 100 resources are managing the East fire, including smokejumpers, hotshot crews and aircraft.

On Wednesday, fire crews plan to remove brush and reinforce the confinement area boundary along the East Ridge.

There is another wildfire southeast of the East fire called the Haynes fire. Several crews are taking actions to suppress this 10-acre fire. Crews report minimal activity on the Haynes fire.

In order to protect wilderness characteristics, crews are using minimum impact suppression tactics or MIST.

These tactics include using natural barriers, minimizing tree cutting, using aircraft and water drops to slow fire spread and constructing the minimum amount of fireline needed to maintain the confinement area.

The use of chain saws in the wilderness is authorized when necessary, officials said.

A cold front is forecast starting Wednesday evening through Thursday, with fire behavior expected to increase during that time, according to forest officials.