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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – In February 2017, damage to the Oroville Dam's spillways prompted the evacuation of more than 180,000 people living downstream along the Feather River.

The raging muddy waters also triggered an emergency decision to relocate millions of young salmon from the Feather River Hatchery to the Thermalito Annex Hatchery to be raised and held until river water conditions improved.

Most, if not all, of the young salmon would have otherwise died when mud from the raging river overwhelmed the hatchery waters.

About two million spring run Chinook and five million fall run Chinook were evacuated during the two-day flood event. Those fish survived and were later released to the wild – helping fuel a record class salmon harvest in the ocean two years later.

Last year, most of the rescued salmon had matured in the ocean and were ready for their migration home to the Feather River. Their survival helped power strong ocean fisheries with one of the largest commercial catches in decades.

According to data collected by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, approximately 272,000 salmon were harvested in the commercial fishery along with a catch of nearly 88,500 in the recreational ocean fishery, while returns to the Feather River basin exceeded 70,000 in 2019.

Ocean fishing activities were an economic stimulus for local communities and industries along the coast and inland. Commercial trollers landed 2.6 million pounds of salmon valued at more than $17.2 million, which was the highest level of harvest since 2013.

The Feather River Hatchery was estimated to have contributed one-quarter of all commercially harvested salmon and one-third of the recreational ocean harvest.

"The return of the salmon released from Feather River Hatchery after the flood event was exceptional," said Kevin Shaffer, CDFW acting chief of the Wildlife Branch. "At several points in the crisis, the majority (if not all) of the young salmon could have been lost. If not for the hard work, ingenuity and dedication of the hatchery employees and staff we could have ended up with nothing."

The effort to save the young salmon began on Feb. 9 and 10, 2017. More than 60 people from CDFW, the California Department of Water Resources, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries and other agencies worked night and day to successfully transfer more than five million Chinook salmon to the Thermalito Annex hatchery facility nine miles away.

Fisheries and engineering staff also constructed an emergency filtration system for the remaining salmon and steelhead at the Oroville facility, saving an estimated 1.5 million fall Chinook salmon fry that were too small to move and 1.6 million steelhead eggs which lead to a returning year class of 1,874 steelhead in 2018-19.

On March 20, 2017, the first salmon to be released after the evacuation were 1 million state and federally listed threatened spring-run Chinook salmon.

They were released successfully into the Feather River. In all, a total of 2 million spring-run Chinook and 5 million fall-run Chinook were released.

Their work did not go unnoticed. Team members received a letter of appreciation from then-Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, and were later presented with the CDFW Director's "Team Award" for their ingenuity and dedicated work to save the salmon and steelhead eggs.

Using the unique capabilities of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, a team of astronomers has discovered the most energetic outflows ever witnessed in the universe.

They emanate from quasars and tear across interstellar space like tsunamis, wreaking havoc on the galaxies in which the quasars live.

Quasars are extremely remote celestial objects, emitting exceptionally large amounts of energy. Quasars contain supermassive black holes fueled by infalling matter that can shine 1,000 times brighter than their host galaxies of hundreds of billions of stars.

As the black hole devours matter, hot gas encircles it and emits intense radiation, creating the quasar. Winds, driven by blistering radiation pressure from the vicinity of the black hole, push material away from the galaxy's center. These outflows accelerate to breathtaking velocities that are a few percent of the speed of light.

"No other phenomena carries more mechanical energy. Over the lifetime of 10 million years, these outflows produce a million times more energy than a gamma-ray burst," explained principal investigator Nahum Arav of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. "The winds are pushing hundreds of solar masses of material each year. The amount of mechanical energy that these outflows carry is up to several hundreds of times higher than the luminosity of the entire Milky Way galaxy."

The quasar winds snowplow across the galaxy's disk. Material that otherwise would have formed new stars is violently swept from the galaxy, causing star birth to cease. Radiation pushes the gas and dust to far greater distances than scientists previously thought, creating a galaxy-wide event.

As this cosmic tsunami slams into interstellar material, the temperature at the shock front spikes to billions of degrees, where material glows largely in X-rays, but also widely across the light spectrum. Anyone witnessing this event would see a brilliant celestial display.

"You'll get lots of radiation first in X-rays and gamma rays, and afterwards it will percolate to visible and infrared light," said Arav. "You'd get a huge light show – like Christmas trees all over the galaxy."

Numerical simulations of galaxy evolution suggest that such outflows can explain some important cosmological puzzles, such as why astronomers observe so few large galaxies in the universe, and why there is a relationship between the mass of the galaxy and the mass of its central black hole. This study shows that such powerful quasar outflows should be prevalent in the early universe.

"Both theoreticians and observers have known for decades that there is some physical process that shuts off star formation in massive galaxies, but the nature of that process has been a mystery. Putting the observed outflows into our simulations solves these outstanding problems in galactic evolution," explained eminent cosmologist Jeremiah P. Ostriker of Columbia University in New York and Princeton University in New Jersey.

Astronomers studied 13 quasar outflows, and they were able to clock the breakneck speed of gas being accelerated by the quasar wind by looking at spectral "fingerprints" of light from the glowing gas.

The Hubble ultraviolet data show that these light absorption features created from material along the path of the light were shifted in the spectrum because of the fast motion of the gas across space.

This is due to the Doppler effect, where the motion of an object compresses or stretches wavelengths of light depending on whether it is approaching or receding from us.

Only Hubble has the specific range of ultraviolet sensitivity that allows for astronomers to obtain the necessary observations leading to this discovery.

Aside from measuring the most energetic quasars ever observed, the team also discovered another outflow accelerating faster than any other. It increased from nearly 43 million miles per hour to roughly 46 million miles per hour in a three-year period. The scientists believe its acceleration will continue to increase over time.

"Hubble's ultraviolet observations allow us to follow the whole range of energy output from quasars, from cooler gas to the extremely hot, highly ionized gas in the more massive winds," added team member Gerard Kriss of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. "These were previously only visible with much more difficult X-ray observations. Such powerful outflows may yield new insights into the link between the growth of a central supermassive black hole and the development of its entire host galaxy."

The team also includes graduate student Xinfeng Xu and postdoctoral researcher Timothy Miller, both of Virginia Tech, as well as Rachel Plesha of the Space Telescope Science Institute. The findings were published in a series of six papers in March 2020, as a focus issue of The Astrophysical Journal Supplements.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, in Washington, D.C.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council took actions meant to protect the community from the impact of COVID-19 at its Thursday night meeting.

Mayor Russ Cremer and council members Phil Harris, Joyce Overton and Russell Perdock were in the chambers – sitting farther apart than usual from each other and staff – with Vice Mayor Dirk Slooten attending telephonically.

City Hall is closed to the public but community members were able to watch the meeting online.

Last Friday, City Manager Alan Flora – under his authority as the city’s director of emergency services – issued the declaration of a local emergency due to the threat of COVID-19, taking action on the same day the city of Lakeport and county of Lake issued theirs.

As of Thursday, no cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in Lake County.

On Thursday, Flora issued an amendment, which he said is a small clarification recommended by City Attorney Ryan Jones and Police Chief Andrew White to make sure the city has the most tools available for enforcement of Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace’s recent health orders.

Those orders address school closures and rules for events, as well as a shelter in place order that went into effect at 12 a.m. Thursday. The amendment Flora issued made all of those orders mandatory within the city limits.

The council ratified the emergency declaration unanimously and will review it at its April 2 meeting.

In other action related to COVID-19, Jones brought to the council an urgency ordinance to stop evictions of people impacted by the virus – either medically or financially – for nonpayment of rent.

Jones said a number of jurisdictions around California are doing such eviction hold urgency ordinances, which require a four-fifths vote.

He said it is not rent forgiveness, “It is a postponement during this declaration of emergency.”

Tenants impacted by COVID-19 who can’t pay part or all of their rent must notify their landlord immediately in writing and provide documentation – such as a doctor’s note – to prove the impact. They also are required to pay what they can. During the discussion, Jones said that if their hours have been reduced 10 percent, they should only have a 10-percent decrease in their rent payments.

“This is for residents only,” he said, explaining that some areas are doing it for commercial tenants but there is a reluctance by cities who think it’s too overly broad.

Originally, Jones had proposed that the payment reprieve period last as long as the governor’s COVID-19 emergency declaration, which would then be followed by a 180-day rent payment period.

Council members were concerned about the impact on police. Chief Andrew White said they would let officers know but that, due to the Public Health officer’s orders, they wouldn’t be responding to such calls anyway, and that they would be civil matters referred to the courts.

Councilman Phil Harris wanted to make sure it isn’t abused, so he asked that the language make clear what criteria makes it allowable to postpone rent payment. He said he also is concerned about impacts on property owners who use rentals as income and retirement.

After discussion, staff suggested that the reprieve period would last 60 days – and not wait until the end of the governor’s emergency order – with the period for payment to last 180 days.

Harris moved to adopt the urgency ordinance, which will go into effect immediately as an emergency measure.

Harris added in the proposed amendments the council agreed upon, including that tenants must provide verifiable documentation to the landlord monthly, that the reprieve period for reduced rent payments or nonpayment is 60 days with 180 days after that for tenants to catch up and pay the rent that is due, and that acceptable documentation includes medical diagnosis, proof of loss of work or that the person is required to assist in taking care of somebody diagnosed with COVID-19.

Overton seconded and the council approved it unanimously.

The council agreed to have the urgency ordinance in effect for 45 days, at which time they will review it and consider continuing it. Urgency ordinances can last up to two years if extended by additional council action.

Considering other measures

As the council was meeting, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a statewide stay at home order, with more than 50 percent of the public in California expected to be infected within the next eight weeks.

Flora said City Hall remains closed and staff is conducting business via email, telephone and remotely. White also had just implemented a new online reporting system, with a similar system to be rolled out to other departments.

Flora asked the community to take the Public Health officer’s shelter in place order seriously, noting that he continues to see a lot of people out and about in the community. He called it “quite alarming” and too close to a normal business day considering the state of emergency the county is in.

“This is an unprecedented burden on all of us, but the only way that this is really worth the sacrifice is if we follow the order, shelter in place, and hopefully eliminate or slow the spread of COVID-19,” he said.

He said the city is working with other county officials on the response. The county is looking at using the old juvenile hall site near Lakeport as a possible quarantine location if needed. Flora said they are starting to make improvements to that facility.

He said the police department and Code Enforcement visited most if not all city businesses on Thursday, educating them about the shelter in place order and giving those not in compliance time to shut down. With very few exceptions, the businesses were responsive.

The city also has deployed its lighted messaging signs in high visibility areas to inform the public about the shelter in place order and that a $500 penalty can be administered to those who are not in compliance, Flora said.

Overton asked about the homeless and how they are being provided a safe place.

Flora said the shelter in place order exempts the homeless population entirely.

While the governor has issued notifications that the state will be providing $150 million to help shelter the homeless, “Unfortunately for communities like ours, I think all of this funding currently is focused on the 13 largest cities in California,” said Flora.

Flora said county officials are trying to find locations where the homeless could go but a place hasn’t yet been identified.

At the end of the meeting, Harris said he is concerned about people trying to come into Lake County in order to be in a lower infection area. He said the county doesn’t have the police, emergency medical services or hospital capacity to deal with a large increase in cases.

Harris said he wanted the city to look at every means available under the constitution to keep out a rapid influx of people into the city, noting the council was elected to protect Clearlake.
He asked for such a discussion to be on a future agenda, adding he could imagine a scenario where there are checkpoints to come into the city.

Perdock asked if Jones could explore the legalities of such action, and Jones said he could, noting that his firm – Jones and Mayer, which serves municipalities throughout the state – is actively following the COVID-19 situation.

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. – While police officers and deputies continue to offer critical services to the community during Lake County’s COVID-19 shelter in place order, local agencies have closed their public lobbies but are making new services available online.

Among the short-term changes for local law enforcement, the sheriff’s office last week stopped regular in-person visits to the jail and this week stopped all family visitations, as Lake County News has reported.

At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Sheriff Brian Martin said his agency is now only booking felony cases into the jail.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday closed its lobby at its headquarters at 1220 Martin Street in Lakeport. That closure will remain in effect until Monday, April 13, according to Lt. Corey Paulich.

Paulich said people who are reporting a crime or have an emergency should contact Central Dispatch. For emergencies, dial 911; for nonemergencies, dial 707-263-2690. If you need to speak with someone at the Sheriff’s Main Office call 707-262-4200.

The sheriff’s office has an existing online crime reporting system on its website.

If it isn’t an emergency and there are no known suspects, and if it happened within the unincorporated county, reports can be filed online. For more information on whether an incident qualifies, check out the FAQs for online report filing.

Both the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport also have closed police department lobbies to the public.

Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White said his agency has taken steps in line with health expert guidance, including limiting some in-person interactions with the public.

On Thursday, White told the Clearlake City Council that the department launched a new online reporting system which can be found here.

Similar to the sheriff’s online reporting system, the one the Clearlake Police Department rolled out also requires that incidents reported not be emergencies and that the suspect is unknown, except in the case of a custody violation.

White emphasized that while the lobby is closed to the public, the agency is still at work, with officers on patrol and support staffers such as dispatchers hard at work behind the scenes.

The Clearlake Police Department can be reached at 707-994-8251.

Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen had emphasized at Tuesday’s Lakeport City Council meeting that his department is continuing to serve the community and to be out in front, acting as the voice of reason as the county deals with COVID-19.

Rasmussen said he and his officers will be continuing work as normal, and he doesn’t expect an increase in crime.

On Wednesday, the department reported that its work included responding to calls for service, checking on the welfare of residents called in by concerned neighbors, foot patrol checks and the checking of nearly 40 individual businesses.

“With more residents at their homes during the Shelter-In-Place Order, we ask that you look out for your neighbors, summon a police officer for issues that necessitate a response, and continue to utilize other forms of crime reporting, such as: by phone, text and emails; which comply with Social Distancing recommendations. We are committed to working together, resulting in our enduring this together as we have endured our previous disasters,” the department said in a Thursday statement.

The Lakeport Police Department also is working on an online reporting system. The form appears to be ready for use although it also is reported to be under construction.

The Lakeport Police Department can be reached at 707-263-5491.

In addition to their websites, all of the departments keep active Facebook accounts, which is another way to contact them.

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. – With Lake County under a shelter in place order due to COVID-19, local officials are urging seniors in need to reach out for available services.

If you are a senior citizen in Lake County or know of a senior citizen in need of assistance with meal delivery or pharmacies providing delivery service, please call the senior center in your area.

If you don’t know which senior center serves your area, please call the Area Agency on Aging at 707-995-4652 and they can provide you with that information.

The Lakeport Senior Activity Center, which manages Meals on Wheels services for Lakeport, Kelseyville and Lucerne, reported that it has a team of volunteers ready to bring lunches and anything else homebound seniors may need.

Seniors do not need to have a prior relationship with the senior center to get the services they are providing. Anyone over age 60 automatically qualifies to receive the meals.

Lakeport must serve those over 60 first, but the center wants to help younger seniors and the disabled or isolated. Center officials reported that they will do everything they can for the most vulnerable in the community during this crisis.

With the order to stay home, any senior over 60 may request meals for pickup or delivery and any other needs they have by contacting the center at 707-263-4218.

Cash donations are greatly appreciated to make up for the loss of revenue from the center’s Meals on Wheels Thrift Shop. Donations can be made online at www.facebook.com/lakeportseniors or by mailing a check to 527 Konocti Ave., Lakeport, CA 95453.

To find out what the current needs or ways to be a part of Lakeport’s efforts, call the Lakeport Senior Activity Center at 707-263-4218 or join the Covid19 - Lake County Seniors and Disabled Support Network Facebook group.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control is continuing its work to find homes for dogs during the COVID-19 crisis.

Despite a countywide shelter in place order due to concerns about COVID-19, community members can still sign up to foster shelter dogs.

The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.

‘Buddy’

“Buddy” is a male spaniel mix with a black and white coat.

He is dog No. 3667.

‘Cha-Chi’

“Cha-Chi” is a male Chihuahua with a short gold and white coat.

He is dog No. 3661.

‘Duchess’

“Duchess” is a female Chihuahua puppy with a short tan coat.

She is dog No. 3618.

‘Fable’

“Fable” is a female husky with a smooth brown and buff coat.

She is dog No. 3044.

‘Lucious’

“Lucious” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a short gray and white coat.

He is dog No. 3690.

‘Missy’

“Missy” is a female Chihuahua puppy with a short tan coat.

She is dog No. 3663.

‘Phoebe’

“Phoebe” is a female American Pit Bull Terrier mix with a short black and white coat.

She is dog No. 3483.

‘Princess’

“Princess” is a female German Shepherd with a black and tan coat.

She has been spayed.

Princess is young and energetic. She previously lived around a smaller dog and has been around the office cat. She will benefit from training and attention.

She is dog No. 3669.

‘Woodrow’

“Woodrow” is a male Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a black and white coat.

He is dog No. 3281.

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

Hours of operation are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The shelter is closed Sundays, Mondays and major holidays; the shelter offers appointments on the days it’s closed to accommodate people.

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.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 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.