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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has completed its 2023 waterfowl breeding population survey.
The resulting data indicate the overall number of breeding ducks has increased by 30% with mallards as the most abundant duck in the survey.
“Survey estimates indicated a 13% increase in mallard abundance. Habitat conditions improved somewhat as there was more surface water encountered across the survey area than in previous years,” said CDFW’s Waterfowl Program Biologist Melanie Weaver.
The full Breeding Population Survey Report, available on the CDFW website, indicates the total number of ducks (all species combined) increased from 379,870 in 2022 to 495,438 this year. This estimate is 8% below the long-term average.
The estimated breeding population of mallards increased from 179,390 in 2022 to 202,108 this year, while also below their long-term average. The long-term declines are largely attributed to the loss of nesting habitat for ducks. Additionally, the impact of drought conditions have likely exacerbated these declines.
CDFW biologists and warden pilots have conducted this survey annually using fixed-wing aircraft since 1948.
The population estimates are for those areas where the vast majority of waterfowl nesting occurs in California, including wetland and agricultural areas in northeastern California, throughout the Central Valley, the Suisun Marsh and some coastal valleys.
The majority of California’s wintering duck population originates from breeding areas surveyed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or USFWS, in Alaska and Canada, and these results should be available by August. CDFW survey information, along with similar data from other Pacific Flyway states, is used by the USFWS and the Pacific Flyway Council when setting hunting regulations for the Pacific Flyway states, including California.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The excessive heat watch, in effect from Friday morning through Sunday evening, warns of dangerously hot conditions with temperatures of up to 109 degrees Fahrenheit possible.
Climate Central reported that due to temperature anomalies, conditions are expected to be more than 15 degrees hotter than normal across most of California.
Temperatures this week are forecast to slowly climb from the high 80s into the mid 90s through Thursday, before temperatures jump past the century mark on Friday.
The high heat is expected through Sunday evening, with temperatures forecast to begin cooling down and dropping into the 90s beginning on Monday.
“This is a dangerous heat event that will impact tens of millions of people. Carbon emissions from burning coal, oil, and natural gas made this event more likely, longer, and more intense,” said Dr. Andrew Pershing, vice president of science at Climate Central, an independent group of scientists and communicators who research and report the facts about our changing climate and how it affects people’s lives.
Climate Central said populations most vulnerable to high temperatures include older adults, young children, pregnant people, individuals with chronic conditions, members of low income and historically marginalized communities, athletes and outdoor workers.
Exposure to risky heat can trigger heat-related illnesses, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke, a life-threatening condition, the organization said.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.
The agenda is available here.
To speak on an agenda item, access the meeting remotely here; the meeting ID is 814 1135 4347, pass code is 847985.
To join by phone, dial 1-669-444-9171; for one tap mobile, +13462487799,,81411354347#,,,,*847985#.
Comments can be submitted by email to
The main item on the agenda is an application for architectural and design review sought by Lake County Tribal Health for its property at 925 Bevins Court.
The staff report said approval of the application would allow the construction of a patio, shaded structure, bathrooms and outdoor kitchen at the site.
Total square footage of the improvements at the Bevins Court facility, Tribal Health’s main campus, would be just under 2,000 square feet, the staff report said.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 13, in the Middletown Community Meeting Room/Library at 21256 Washington St., Middletown. The meeting is open to the public.
To join the meeting via Zoom click on this link; the meeting ID is 832 1989 2440. Call in at 669-900-6833.
At 7:05 p.m., the group is tentatively scheduled to receive an update on fire season from Cal Fire and Callayomi County Water District.
Under business, which begins at 8 p.m., the group will discuss a cannabis project on Jerusalem Grade.
The MATH Board includes Chair Monica Rosenthal, Vice Chair Todd Fiora, Secretary Ken Gonzalez, Rosemary Córdova and Bill Waite, and alternates Julia Bono and Tom Darms.
MATH — established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 — is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.
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