LAKE COUNTY ? Opening channels is the idea. It”s the idea behind a huge wetland restoration project in Upper Lake and the idea behind Lake County Public Works Director Brent Siemer”s trip to Sacramento Tuesday.
Siemer plans to testify before the state Assembly”s Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee to support Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro”s bill that would authorize state participation in the Middle Creek Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project. The bill would authorize the Central Valley Flood Protection Board and the state Department of Water Resources to fund half of the non-federal federal portion of the project”s cost.
“This bill gives authorization to the state Reclamation Board to participate ? it opens up a channel in funding,” Siemer said.
The board”s participation in the project depends largely on the project”s environmental benefit, according to Siemer, and to that end he is armed with information to present Tuesday. Siemer said the committee will be looking at Clear Lake as a state resource, since its waters flow south through Cache Creek. The board”s current focus is on levee maintenance, and Chesbro”s bill would authorize an exception for the Middle Creek project.
When it is complete, the project will restore 1,200 acres of wetlands near the confluence of Scotts and Middle creeks in Upper Lake. Siemer said construction won”t begin for at least two years. He said the goal is to punch holes in the substandard levee system that exists there, thus restoring stream channels that were cut off when the levees were constructed between 1900 and 1940.
“It”s an important location because 50 percent of the water that flows into Clear Lake comes in through Middle Creek ? comes in under the Rodman Slough Bridge. It”s also where 70 percent of the sediment that comes into the lake comes through,” Siemer said.
Siemer said the wetland restoration is expected to reduce the lake”s nutrient deposit by as much as 30 percent. Specifically, Siemer said phosphorus deposits are expected to be 28 percent less. Phosphorus encourages the production of chlorophyll, and the expected reduction of the nutrient”s occurrence in Clear Lake could potentially reduce algae growth by as much as 30 percent, according to Siemer.
“Over time, human occupation around the lake has significantly impacted the original wetlands. So now, we only have 20 percent of the wetlands that were originally around the lake. This project will increase what remains by 67 percent,” Siemer said.
In addition, the project will restore habitat for birds and fish, both migratory and residential. Another component of the project is relocating 11 remaining homeowners who live in the area protected by the substandard levees. Siemer said for the levees to be functional, they would have to protect against a flood that is statistically likely to occur once every 100 years.
The levees currently provide less than 10 percent of that protection. So far, seven homeowners have been relocated. Siemer said he is waiting for state funding to relocate two more.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
