I just read the column “Clear Lake getting cleaner every year” by Terry Knight.
There are statements made in this article that I find misleading and frankly, absurd. Are we really supposed to enjoy Clear Lake only nine months out of the year? If so, then maybe we should just pay three-fourths of our property tax bill.
Having been a property owner in Lake County the past 30-plus years (in the areas of Austin”s Beach and the Oaks) I have seen many good and bad summers because of algae blooms. The past three summers have been terrible. I can”t operate my boat during these heavy blooms because the lyngbya gets sucked into my engine”s cooling system, plugs it up and it overheats. One time I had to be towed back to my dock. I hate to say it, but it seems it”s easier for the county government try to tell us “It”s not that bad” than to be pro-active in dealing with the problem.
The majority of tourists came to the lake in the summer and many stayed at Konocti Resort. They would see how beautiful the lake is and some would decide to purchase vacation property. Now is a great time to buy property here; the price is way down and mortgage rates are at their lowest. But now that Konocti is closed, there are fewer tourists and who wants to be here when the stench makes it intolerable.
According to Mr. Giusti, the increase of the algae and weeds is due to the increased clarity of the lake. I agree with that. I noticed how clear the lake was during the summer (before the lyngbya four or five years ago. It was great to ski in the lake. The clearer it gets, the more sunlight reaches the lakebed and allows for more growth of weeds and algae, etc.
So, I was shocked to see that last winter the lake level was dropped two feet (information obtained from the USGS gage level provided on the Lake County government website) from the middle of March to the middle of April. I called the Water Resources Department to find out why. I was told about the Gopcevic Decree that stipulates what the lake levels should be during the winter months. This decree was formed to control flooding in winter and still provide water conservation for the summer when Yolo County gets the water for the farmers. This decree was formed in 1920; almost 100 years ago. At this time, when we have pretty accurate long-range weather forecasting, why are we using this outdated schedule to control the lake level?
Does it occur to the people at the Water Resources Department that when the lake level is kept higher, this decreases the amount of sunlight that reaches the bottom of the lake and may help to decrease the growth of the weeds? I see no reason why the county doesn”t try to overturn this decree and use today”s science to determine what the lake levels should be in the winter (provided they want to accept responsibility for this, instead of relying on some old decree).
Regarding the control of algae: I have read some studies done by the Department of Ecology in the state of Washington about lake restoration and management for algae. They determined that “long ?term management of excessive algae requires the removal of phosphorus sources to the water body. Reducing phosphorus inputs to lakes can affect the amount of algae in the lake by removing a key nutrient.” “External nutrient sources such as fertilizer use, pet wastes, stormwater runoff, septic system effluents, waterfowl, agriculture and even rainfall can contribute nutrients to a lake.” They also go into various ways to try to control the phosphates in the lake that I won”t go into in my letter.
There has been agriculture in this county for many years. Obviously, with the creeping of vineyards on to the slopes of the hills nearest the lake, I have to assume this allows more nutrients to flow into the lake, whether they use organic or chemical fertilizer, they both contain phosphorus.
I am not objecting to the growth of the wine industry in this county.
It helps to attract tourists and adds to the economy. I enjoy visiting these wineries and attending some of the events. But the county government must wake up and admit to the truth about all of the factors causing the algae and weed growth.
Only then can they develop a comprehensive plan to try to make Clear Lake more hospitable to the residents and tourists. Then maybe more people will want to own property here, land values will increase, property tax revenue will increase, and the government will have more money to spend on improving Lake Co. Isn”t this a reasonable objective?
Wayne Joseph
Clearlake Oaks
