Cyanobacteria at Redbud Park in Clearlake, California. Photo courtesy of the county of Lake. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Public Health on Thursday offered more information as well as clarification on an urgent advisory issued the previous night regarding drinking water taken from Clear Lake through private intakes.
On Wednesday night, Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace issued the following statement: “Effective immediately, people on private water systems whose tap water comes from their own private intake into the lake, in the Oaks Arm and Lower Arm of Clear Lake should not drink the water. Very high levels of cyanotoxin have been identified in these areas of the lake, and we are concerned there may be health impacts if private water systems are not effectively filtering out these toxins.”
On Thursday, Lake County Special Districts Administration, the drinking water provider for many Lake County residents, offered clarification on the advisory.
“This does not apply to public [or large privately-owned and professionally managed] water systems using Clear Lake as a raw water source,” Special Districts said.
“Public Water Systems have multifaceted treatment processes in place to effectively treat for cyanotoxins and provide safe water for consumption and use. Additionally, all 18 public water systems on the lake regularly test the raw and treated water for Microcystins and report to the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water,” the agency said.
Special Districts urged community members to contact their public water systems if they wanted more information on those test results.
Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ Environmental Protection Department recently sampled 50 of the 280 private systems that are drawing water directly from the lake in the Oaks and Lower Arms of Clear Lake. Participation was voluntary.
Ninety percent of tested tap water from those that participated showed amounts of cyanotoxin above the safe drinking water level advised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
This was before the recent very significant rise in toxins, so cyanotoxin levels in these private systems are likely much higher now, officials said.
The county said there is no easy fix if you are getting your water in this way; boiling or putting chemicals in the lake or tap water does not eliminate the toxins.
Many county residents have shared questions and concerns, here are some answers to frequently asked questions.
Cyanobacteria at Shady Acres on Cache Creek in Lake County, California. Photo courtesy of the county of Lake.
Who is affected by the health advisory?
If you live in the Oaks or Lower Arms of Clear Lake and you do not receive a regular water bill from a public water system, the advisory to avoid drinking tap water very likely applies to you.
If you are on a public water system, your tap water goes through a multifaceted treatment process, and testing to date has shown it is safe to drink; contact your water provider with specific questions.
If you are outside of the areas of the Oaks and Lower Arms, and you have a private intake that draws water directly from Clear Lake, the current advisory does not apply to you.
Due to current conditions, the advisory may go on for weeks. Lake water is tested every two weeks (next sampling will be conducted Sept. 21, but it takes time to get the results. The county will inform people when test results show safer levels of cyanotoxins.
What uses of affected tap water should I avoid?
Do not drink or cook with water that contains high levels of cyanotoxins. Boiling the water does not help, nor does adding anything to your tap water. Please do not add any chemicals or other treatment to Clear Lake.
Showering with affected water is thought to be okay, as long as none is swallowed (ingested). Cyanotoxins can be more dangerous for children under six years of age, so please educate and monitor your young children to not swallow any tap water.
Even lower levels of toxins can cause harm to pets; it is strongly recommended to keep pets out of and away from lake water in the Oaks and Lower Arms of Clear Lake. Do not allow pets to drink water directly from Clear Lake, especially where cyanotoxins are known to be present.
Is my private (groundwater) well impacted by these toxins?
So far, no sampled wells, even when located close to the lake, have tested positive for cyanotoxins. Well water is cool and dark, not the ideal habitat for toxin-producing cyanobacteria and they are unlikely to grow in wells.
Do you believe you or a family member may have ingested water affected by cyanotoxins?
Alternative filling stations are being established for the homes (280, in total) affected by this Water Advisory. Affected property owners will be informed of available alternatives, as they are established.
Why are we seeing such high levels of cyanotoxins?
Recent high cyanotoxin levels are believed to be related to persistent heat and low water levels due to the drought.
How do harmful algal blooms affect recreation on Clear Lake?
Recommendations differ based on the level of toxins present. Maps produced by Big Valley Rancheria use arrows mirroring the colors associated with different levels of concern.
At any given time, there are many areas of Clear Lake that are safe to use for swimming and other recreational purposes.
Helpful Spanish and English language graphics can be found here.
Cyanobacteria blooms in Soda Bay in Lake County, California. Photo courtesy of the county of Lake.
Matthew Pelton, 48, of Kelseyville, California, is facing child pornography charges. Photo courtesy of the Brentwood Police Department. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Bay Area authorities are reaching out to residents of several Northern California counties, including Lake, as they seek additional victims in a sex crimes case involving a Kelseyville man.
In August, the Brentwood Police Department in Contra Costa County initiated an investigation in which Matthew Pelton, 48, was accused of sex crimes involving children.
On Sept. 7, Pelton was indicted on federal manufacturing child pornography charges, officials said.
In addition to Lake County, Pelton also has been associated with the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa and Sacramento.
Based on information revealed in the investigation, Brentwood Police said there is evidence to suggest there may be more victims who have yet to come forward.
The Brentwood Police Department is requesting anyone with information or potential victims to contact Det. Talley at 925-809-7793.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Forecasters said the chances are increasing for weekend rainfall.
The National Weather Services said there is a 50% chance of rain beginning in parts of Lake County on Saturday night.
More rainfall also is expected on Sunday, the forecast said.
Forecasters said up to half an inch could fall on Saturday and Sunday, combined.
Conditions are then forecast to clear into the beginning of the new week.
Temperatures during the daytime this weekend are expected to be in the low 70s, with nighttime temperatures ranging in the mid 50s, according to the forecast.
In the new week, forecasters said daytime temperatures will rise into the 80s while conditions at night will increase slightly to the low 60s.
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 has several new dogs available for adoption this week.
The City of Clearlake Animal Association also is seeking fosters for the animals waiting to be adopted.
Another way to help is through donations. A wish list has been posted at Amazon and on Chewy. For those who wish to shop local and drop off items, call 707-273-9440 to schedule a delivery or donate at the association’s Facebook page.
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.
Here are this week’s adoptable dogs. The newest dogs are featured at the top.
“Andy.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Andy’
“Andy” is a male pit bull terrier mix with a short gray and white coat.
He is dog No. 5150.
“Bella.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Bella’
“Bella” is a female pit bull mix with a short brindle coat.
She is dog No. 5080.
“Blue.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Blue’
“Blue” is a senior male basset hound mix with a short black coat.
He is dog No. 5152.
“Butler.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Butler’
“Butler” is a male German shepherd mix with a brown and black coat.
He is dog No. 5158.
“Bear.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Bear’
“Bear” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short brown coat.
“Mara.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Mara’
“Mara” is a female Rottweiler mix.
She has a short black and tan coat.
He is house-trained.
She is dog No. 4628.
“Mitzy.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Mitzy’
“Mitzy” is a female shepherd mix with a medium-length black and white coat.
She is dog No. 4648.
“Sassy.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Sassy’
“Sassy” is a female American bully mix with a short black coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 4602.
“Tanisha.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Tanisha’
“Tanisha” is a female shepherd mix with a short orange and white coat.
She is dog No. 4647.
“Terry.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Terry’
“Terry” is a male Dutch shepherd mix with a smooth brindle coat.
He is dog No. 4880.
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.
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — To help reduce the risk of wildfires, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is trimming trees and clearing bushes, grasses and other vegetation near more than 4,000 distribution poles in Lake, Madera, Napa, Nevada and Yuba counties by the end of the year.
Work is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks and will include Middletown and Cobb.
PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras told Lake County News that the work is part of a new program in which the company is working with individual property owners to clear brush around power poles on their property.
“The program is starting along just a few circuits – and then will expand later – with one of the circuits in Lake County,” Contreras said.
This wildfire safety work is in addition to the company’s regular vegetation management programs and is intended to further enhance defensible space by creating an additional layer of protection between vegetation and electric equipment.
In addition to slowing the spread of potential fires, PG&E said this safety work will also improve access for first responders in an emergency.
Prior to work being done, PG&E said it will work closely with customers and landowners to provide additional information on the upcoming work.
PG&E may need to use herbicides to prevent regrowth, in accordance with state and federal regulations. Landowners can request herbicides not be used on their property.
Work in Lake County is expected to begin in the coming weeks and will take place within a 50-foot radius of distribution poles and include:
— Clearing brush and shrubs where possible. — Trimming grasses to 4 inches in height. — Clearing surface-level fuels such as fallen leaves, needles, twigs, barks, cones and small branches. — Pruning tree branches that are within 6 feet from the ground.
Customers may see PG&E crews and contractors in their area in the coming weeks. As part of PG&E’s vegetation work to reduce wildfire risks, customers may also see other PG&E crews working to keep communities safe by performing additional tree work near power lines.
Customers with questions can contact 1-877-295-4949 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — New testing results that have found record-high levels of cyanotoxin at sampling sites on Clear Lake prompted the Public Health officer on Wednesday night to issue a warning to those who source their water from private intakes on the lake.
“Effective immediately, people on private water systems whose tap water comes from their own private intake into the lake, in the Oaks Arm and Lower Arm of Clear Lake should not drink the water. Very high levels of cyanotoxin have been identified in these areas of the lake, and we are concerned there may be health impacts if private water systems are not effectively filtering out these toxins,” said Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace in a statement released shortly before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Pace said more detailed information will be released on Thursday.
The brief message referred to the latest monitoring information from the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, which has been conducting testing at 15 sites on Clear Lake with the assistance of the Robinson Rancheria EPA Department.
Big Valley has been conducting a cyanotoxin monitoring program on Clear Lake since 2014.
On Big Valley’s Clear Lake Water Quality Facebook page, a post published shortly before Pace’s message was released noted that, for the second sampling event in a row, they were finding the “highest toxin levels we’ve ever seen on this lake.”
This latest sampling was conducted on Sept. 7. It surpassed levels found on Aug. 25 that also had been noted as record-breaking.
At a site located at Redbud Park in the lake’s Lower Arm, they reported microcystin toxin levels at 160,377.50 micrograms per liter, or µg/L, which they said is extremely high for toxins, “and our lab says it's the highest they've processed.”
Clear Lake Water Quality post continued, “This means it is recommended to stay out of the water in those high toxin areas until further notice, do not touch scum in the water or on shore, do not let pets or other animals drink or go into the water or go near the scum, do not eat fish or shellfish from this water, do not use this water for drinking or cooking.”
The statement and information posted on Big Valley Rancheria’s website explained the highest levels of Anatoxin-a — a neurotoxin cyanotoxin — on Clear Lake, 25.95 µg/L, was found at a site noted as SHADY01, which is located at Shady Acres on Cache Creek.
The latest sampling found nine sites with levels of microcystin, another toxin created by cyanobacteria, at danger levels, which are above 20 µg/L:
— RED01: Redbud Park, Clearlake; 160,377.50 µg/L. — CLV7: Soda Bay Cove; 5,910.30 µg/L. — CL-3: Lower Arm, interior of lake; 4,940 µg/L. — AP01: Austin Park Beach, Clearlake; 4,857 µg/L. — LC01: Lily Cove, Clearlake; 204 µg/L. — SBMMEL01: Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine Superfund Site; 54.80 µg/L. — JB: Jago Bay; 34.35 54.80 µg/L. — CLOAKS01: Clearlake Oaks next to water treatment; 29.39 µg/L. — SHADY01: Shady Acres (Cache Creek); 22.40 µg/L.
Four sites had levels of microcystin above the warning level of 6 µg/L:
— LA-03: Lower Arm, interior of the lake; 15.09 µg/L. — LPTNT: First Street boat ramp, Lakeport; 13.56 µg/L. — OA-04: Oaks Arm, interior of the lake; 8.76 µg/L. — KP01: Keeling Park, Nice; 7.53 µg/L.
Four sites were identified with levels of microcystin denoting caution, which is above 0.8 µg/L:
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