If you live on or near Clear Lake, get your drinking water from the lake, use the lake for recreation or business, or just care about water quality and quantity issues, then you will want to know about the Blue Ribbon Committee and the projects the committee is funding, so you understand the future of water resources in Lake County. If you are just a concerned community member, or have an interest in natural resources, this committee — and the upcoming open house — will be of interest to you too.
As a lake lover, and with my day job working on water resource programs and projects, I am thankful for the Blue Ribbon Committee. The Blue Ribbon Committee has been essential in bringing much needed research, planning, and financial resources to the local lake community. Additionally, the monthly subcommittee and quarterly meetings have been a gathering place for much needed information, technology, and education, to those working on lake projects and in water resource research and management.
Lake County News has several articles covering the Blue Ribbon Committee, see the Search results for all Blue Ribbon Committee Lake County News Articles.
As Lady of the Lake, I first covered the Blue Ribbon Committee in a previous two-part columns, you can find them here:
Previous Lady of the Lake columns cover the formation, purpose, and the 2018-2021 lake and watershed projects that were approved and awarded for funding (~ $5.4 Million). Funding for proposed projects comes from two places; Prop 68 Implementation fund and the Governors General Fund Allocation. Previously approved 2021 projects were funded with about $3M of Prop 68 funds and the rest from General Funds. All project funds are administered by the California Natural Resources Agency or CNRA.
The Blue Ribbon Committee is charged with allocating funding to support projects that will lead to improvements to Clear Lake ecology and economy. These projects start as proposals, brought to the Technical or Socio Economic Sub Committees (of the Blue Ribbon Committee) by any organization that is capable of executing the project.
Proposals can include activities that improve water quality, create or restore habitat, provide or enhance natural resource community education, or anything of a similar nature that can demonstrate that it will lead to an improvement for Clear Lake or the plant, animal, or human communities that depend on the lake.
There is no restriction on the type of organizations that can bring forth a proposal, however the more local and collaborative the organization, and the proposed project itself, the more likely it will receive approval for advancement to the Blue Ribbon Committee at large from the individual sub-committees. The organization of course needs to also be able to enter into and execute a contract agreement with the CNRA.
Looking north over Clear Lake, Upper Arm, from Clear Lake State Park, Lake County, CA. Photo: A. De Palma-Dow. Upcoming events
You have a chance to learn about the Blue Ribbon Committee at an open house showcasing some of the Committee’s exciting projects to increase the health of Clear Lake and its communities on Dec. 13 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at the Clearlake Senior Center, located at 3245 Bowers Ave in the City of Clearlake. Seating is limited, so please reserve your space by registering online here: https://bit.ly/BRC_Events. Additional information is provided in the flier below. Questions? Contact Sam Magill at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. On site registration will be open at 3 p.m.
If you are unable to attend in person, but would like to join us for the opening presentation, please click on this link to register for the webinar.
The Open House on Dec. 13 will feature some of the in-progress 2020 / 2021 funded projects and organizations:
County of Lake Water Resources Department and Watershed Protection District • Clear Lake Dilapidated Structure Abatement Project • Stormwater, Trash Remediation, and Illicit Discharge Project • Clear Lake Ambient Monthly Monitoring Program • Clear Lake Community Outreach Survey: Perspectives and Attitudes
Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Environmental Department • Kelsey Creek Fish Ladder Restoration • Tule Restoration & Primrose removal Project
U.S. Geological Survey • Mercury Modeling and Clear Lake Tributary modeling & monitoring
UC Davis • Piloting Environmental Education Resources (UCD Center for Regional Change) • Citizen and Community Science (UCD Center for Regional Change) • In-Lake Modeling and Monitoring (UCD Tahoe Environmental Research Center)
Seigler Springs Community Redevelopment Association • Cobb Mountain Watershed Education Project
Several approved Blue Ribbon Committee projects include the activity of Tule Restorative Plantings along the shoreline of Clear Lake. Tules are an important part of the buffer and filtering component of a well-functioning shoreline and are essential to any large-scale water-quality improvement project. Photo: A. De Palma-Dow. Upcoming projects and how to be involved
Below is a list of the 2022 approved projects, and their organization sponsor, approved for funding in 2023. These projects collectively equal about $6.3M, but source of funding for each project (Prop 68 or General Fund) is still being finalized. These projects were proposed, refined, and approved by the Blue Ribbon Committee in 2022.
In-Lake Mercury Modeling — USGS Airborne Electromagnetic Survey of Lake County Groundwater Basins — County of Lake Water Resources Department Scotts Valley Aquifer Evaluation — Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians of California Environmental Education Pathways Program — Mendocino Community College EcoCultural Prescribed Fire & Tule Restoration — Tribal EcoRestortion Alliance Hypolimnetic Oxygenation Pilot Project- Oaks Arm -UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center Adobe Creek Hydrology and Groundwater Monitoring — Big Valley Rancheria EPA Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems and Wetland Restoration Analysis and Implementation — Big Valley EPA Big Valley HAB and Bank Erosion Pilot Project — Big Valley Rancheria EPA Web-Based Clearinghouse for Data / Citizen Science App — Big Valley Rancheria EPA
If you want to know more about these projects, and past projects, or meet some of the individuals from the organizations conducting this breadth of work to improve the lake,you can attend the monthly sub-committee meetings, as well as the Dec. 13 Open House. Regular meetings for the Blue Ribbon Committee are still being held remotely via zoom, and facilitated by the Sacramento State Consensus and Collaboration Program.
You can sign up for notices and updates from the Blue Ribbon Committee from their Listserv here.
At any time you wish to know more about the committee, or inquire about submitting a proposal, contact the committee facilitator, Sam Magill at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Consensus and Collaboration Program, College of Continuing Education — Sacramento State, 304 S Street, Sacramento, CA 95811.
In addition, should you have specific questions about a project or proposal that is a product of the Blue Ribbon Committee, you can write to me, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and I can provide you with the correct contact information or I can spotlight a project in my column. I do serve on the technical subcommittee and have attended all but one of the quarterly Blue Ribbon Committee meetings since they started being held in 2018.
Sincerely,
Lady of the Lake
You can now hear from the Lady on the Lake on local radio, KPFZ 88.1, the last Sunday of every month, during the “Lake County Fire Recovery” and “What’s Next” weekly shows between 2 to 4 p.m.
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..
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control is offering several dogs at a discounted adoption rate this week.
“We have quite a few dogs that have been here for 20+ days. These dogs have had little interest for adoption,” the agency reported on its Facebook page.
“In order to help find these dogs new homes for the holidays, we are reducing the adoptions fees down to $30 total to take them home,” Animal Care and Control said in its post.
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.
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278, visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting, or go to the shelter at 4949 Helbush Drive in Lakeport to fill out an application.
The following dogs are available for the $30 fee.
This 9-month-old female pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-4213. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull terrier
This 9-month-old female pit bull terrier has a short gray coat.
She is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-4213.
“Arlo” is a 3-year-old male basset hound-Labrador retriever mix in kennel No. 9, ID No. LCAC-A-4164. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Arlo’
“Arlo” is a 3-year-old male basset hound-Labrador retriever mix with a short brown coat.
He is in kennel No. 9, ID No. LCAC-A-4164.
This 3-month-old female Labrador retriever is in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-4162. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female Labrador retriever
This 3-month-old female Labrador retriever has a short black coat.
She is in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-4162.
This 2-year-old male Labrador retriever is in kennel No. 14, ID No. LCAC-A-4112. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male Labrador retriever
This 2-year-old male Labrador retriever has a short black coat.
He is in kennel No. 14, ID No. LCAC-A-4112.
This 3-month-old pit bull terrier puppy is in kennel No. 23c, ID No. LCAC-A-4120. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull terrier puppy
This 3-month-old pit bull terrier puppy has a short white coat with gray markings.
He is in kennel No. 23c, ID No. LCAC-A-4120.
This 1 and a half year old female pit bull is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-4217. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull
This 1 and a half year old female pit bull has a short brown coat with white markings.
She is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-4217.
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.
As the holiday season approaches, the Office of Traffic Safety and Caltrans want to make sure you are prepared to travel safely. Between holiday shopping, festive outings, and gathering with loved ones — there are several opportunities to Go Safely this season.
Even as the days get cooler and shorter, it seems our calendars are busier than ever.
To make sure you make it to all your holiday gatherings safely, it is important to plan ahead before you get behind the wheel.
Drowsy, impaired, and distracted driving are deadly — but they are also preventable.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, estimates that in 2020, 633 people lost their lives to drowsy driving.
Studies have shown that drowsy driving can impair your ability to drive in the same way that drinking and driving does.
The best way to prevent drowsy driving is to recognize the signs. Yawning, daydreaming, missing an exit, and drifting from a lane are all signs that you need to pull over safely and rest up. Even a quick 30-minute nap can do wonders to refresh you before the next leg of your trip.
It is important to get enough sleep, take a break every two hours or 100 miles, and avoid alcohol or medications that can make you sleepy.
While you prepare for your celebrations this season, remember to prepare your holiday safety plan as well.
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a deadly choice, so plan accordingly. Designate a sober driver or schedule a ride-share to get you home safe and sound.
If you are hosting a party, don’t let your friends or family drive impaired. Ensure that all guests have a designated sober driver or alternative, sober transportation to get them safely to their destinations.
If you are driving and suspect that another driver may be driving impaired, call 911. You could save a life.
It can be easy to get caught up in our busy holiday schedules, but make sure you also take the time to limit your distractions while driving. Silence your cellphone and concentrate on the road as driving conditions tend to worsen in the winter months.
When texting behind the wheel, the amount of time your eyes are off the road averages five seconds. When driving at an approximate speed of 55 miles per hour, you could essentially cover the length of a football field, blindfolded.
The text can wait until you safely arrive at your destination — silence your phone and focus on the road.
Though it seems we are constantly on the go during the holidays, take some time to remember your safety plan:
• Rest up. Don’t drive drowsy and take breaks from driving every two hours or 100 miles. • If your celebrations include drinking, designate a sober driver, and never let your friends or family drive under the influence. If you see a drunken driver on the road, call 911. • Limit your distractions, silence your phone, and focus on getting to and from your destination safely.
Drowsy, impaired, and distracted driving are all preventable. Make sure you’re prepared so we can all Go Safely this holiday season.
Engineers install 2-foot-wide reaction wheels onto the main body of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The orbiter is in its assembly, test, and launch operations phase in preparation for a 2024 launch. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech. Just as NASA’s Mars rovers rely on robust wheels to roam the Red Planet and conduct science, some orbiters rely on wheels, too — in this case, reaction wheels — to stay pointed in the right direction.
Engineers and technicians at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California recently installed four reaction wheels on Europa Clipper, which will rely on them during its journey at Jupiter’s icy moon Europa.
When NASA’s spacecraft heads through deep space, slips into orbit around Jupiter, and collects science observations while flying dozens of times by Europa, the wheels rotate the orbiter so that its antennas can communicate with Earth and its science instruments, including cameras, can stay oriented.
Two feet wide and made of steel, aluminum, and titanium, the wheels spin rapidly to create torque that causes the orbiter to rotate in the opposite direction. Isaac Newton’s third law of motion also applies in deep space and explains the underlying phenomenon: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The reaction wheels cause the spacecraft to react to the spinning action of the wheels.
Here’s one way to visualize how reaction wheels work: Imagine you are sitting in a swivel chair and lift your feet off the floor so that you are free to rotate. If you jerk your torso in one direction, the chair and your legs will rotate the opposite direction.
The reaction wheels work the same way: As the reaction wheel’s motor accelerates the metal wheel in one direction, the spacecraft experiences an acceleration in the opposite direction.
Without those reaction wheels, Europa Clipper wouldn’t be able to do its science investigations when it arrives at the Jupiter system in 2030 after its 2024 launch. Scientists believe Europa harbors a vast internal ocean that may have conditions suitable for supporting life.
The spacecraft will gather data on the moon’s atmosphere, surface, and interior — information that will help scientists learn more about the ocean, the ice crust, and potential plumes that may be venting subsurface water into space.
All four of the reaction wheels installed onto NASA’s Europa Clipper are visible in this photo, which was shot from underneath the main body of the spacecraft while it is being assembled at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
During its orbits around Jupiter, Europa Clipper will rely on reaction wheels to help it perform thousands of turns, or “slews.” Although the spacecraft could perform some of those maneuvers with thrusters, its thrusters need fuel — a finite resource aboard the orbiter. The reaction wheels will run on electricity provided by the spacecraft’s vast solar arrays.
The trade-off is that the reaction wheels work slowly. Europa Clipper’s reaction wheels will take about 90 minutes to rotate the craft 180 degrees — a movement so gradual that, from a distance, it would be imperceptible to the human eye. The rotation of the spacecraft will be three times slower than the minute hand on a clock.
Also, they can wear out over time. It happened on NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, requiring engineers to figure out how to rotate using thrusters with the available fuel.
To address this, engineers have installed four wheels on Europa Clipper even though only three are needed to maneuver. They alternate which three wheels are in operation to even the wear. That leaves them with a “spare” wheel if one of the others fails.
Installing the wheels was one of the most recent steps of the phase known as assembly, test, and launch operations. Science instruments continue to arrive at JPL to be added to the spacecraft.
Next, a variety of tests will be conducted, as the spacecraft moves toward its October 2024 launch period. After traveling over 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometers), Europa Clipper will be set to begin unlocking the secrets of this icy world.
Missions such as Europa Clipper contribute to the field of astrobiology, the interdisciplinary research field that studies the conditions of distant worlds that could harbor life as we know it.
While Europa Clipper is not a life-detection mission, it will conduct a detailed exploration of Europa and investigate whether the icy moon, with its subsurface ocean, has the capability to support life.
Understanding Europa’s habitability will help scientists better understand how life developed on Earth and the potential for finding life beyond our planet.
Engineers and technicians work together to install reaction wheels on the underside of the main body of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, which is in its assembly, test, and launch operations phase at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
The Northshore Fire Fuels Crew with members of the Northshore Fire Protection District and leaders of the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake. Courtesy photo. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Habematolel Pomo tribe of Upper Lake has made a substantial donation to increase the Northshore Fire Protection District’s ability to respond to fires.
The tribe has donated $662,000 to Northshore Fire.
The contribution is a part of the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake’s ongoing commitment to local communities and residents in the region.
“The Northshore Fire Protection District thanks the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake for their financial support in developing the newly organized Northshore Fire Fuels Crew,” said Northshore Fire Protection District Chief Mike Ciancio.
“The Habematolel has always been a huge supporter of the local community and with the latest financial support we were able to employ 11 new members full time with health insurance and retirement benefits,” Ciancio said.
In addition to funding personnel, Northshore Fire used the donation to fund equipment.
That equipment includes two F-350 crew cab utility trucks, one F-350 crew supervisor truck with skid mount pump unit, one Mobark chipper with a trailer, six chainsaws, two pole saws and 11 sets of wildland fire personal protective equipment.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control continues to offer dozens of dogs to 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.
The following dogs are available for adoption. New additions are at the top.
“Aoki.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Aoki’
“Aoki” is a male Siberian husky mix with a white coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50905477.
“Athena.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Athena’
“Athena” is a female American pit bull mix terrier with a short brindle coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 49934476.
“Babs.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Babs’
“Babs” is a female Labrador retriever mix with a short black coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 49505856.
“Bruce.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Bruce’
“Bruce” is a 2-year-old American pit bull mix with a short gray coat with white markings.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50684304.
“Buster.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Buster’
“Buster” is a male pit bull mix with a short tan coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50762164.
“Domino.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Domino’
“Domino” is a male terrier mix with a short white coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50815541.
“Eros.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Eros’
“Eros” is a male Rottweiler mix with a short black and tan coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50754504.
“Foxie.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Foxie’
“Foxie” is a female German shepherd with a red, black and white coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 49702845.
“Goliath.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Goliath’
“Goliah” is a male Rottweiler mix with a short black and tan coat.
He is dog No. 50754509.
"Hakuna.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Hakuna’
“Hakuna” is a male shepherd mix with a tan coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50176912.
“Herman.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Herman’
“Herman” is a 7-year-old male American pit bull terrier mix with a brown coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 51236411.
“Hondo.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Hondo’
“Hondo” is a male Alaskan husky mix with a buff coat.
He has been neutered.
He’s dog No. 50227693.
“Jack.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Jack’
“Jack” is a 9-month-old male terrier mix with a short black and brindle coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50992658.
“Little Boy.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Little Boy’
“Little Boy” is a male American pit bull terrier mix with a short tan coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50075256.
“Luciano.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Luciano’
“Luciano” is a male Siberian husky mix with a short black and white coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50596272.
“Mamba.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Mamba’
“Mamba” is a male Siberian husky mix with a gray and cream-colored coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 49520569.
“Matata.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Matata’
“Matata” is male shepherd mix with a tan coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50176912.
“Maya.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Maya’
“Maya” is a female German shepherd with a black and tan coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 50428151.
“Mikey.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Mikey’
“Mikey” is a male German shepherd mix with a short brown and tan coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 51012855.
“Molly.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Molly’
“Molly” is a female Samoyed mix with a long white coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 50933031.
“Paige.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Paige’
“Paige” is a female American pit bull mix with a short brown coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 51194668.
“Poppa.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Poppa’
“Poppa” is a 3-year-old male American pit bull terrier mix with a short red and white coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50773597.
“Rascal.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Rascal’
“Rascal” is a male shepherd mix with a black and brown coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50806384.
“Reese.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Reese’
“Reese” is a female German Shepherd with a black and an coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 50884542.
“Sadie.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Sadie’
“Sadie” is a female German shepherd mix with a black and tan coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 49802563.
“Snowball.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Snowball’
“Snowball is a 1 and a half year old male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short white coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 49159168.
“Terry.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Terry’
“Terry” is a handsome male shepherd mix with a short brindle coat.
He gets along with other dogs, including small ones, and enjoys toys. He also likes water, playing fetch and keep away.
Staff said he is now getting some training to help him build confidence.
He is dog No. 48443693.
“Trike.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Trike’
“Trike” is a male border collie-Australian shepherd mix with a black and white coat and blue eyes.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 51029972.
“Willie.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Willie’
“Willie” is a male German shepherd mix with a black and tan coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50596003.
“Zeus.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Zeus’
“Zeus” is a male Samoyed mix with a long white coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 50933068.
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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