LAKE COUNTY — Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley will sample the sediments under Clear Lake during the next several weeks in an effort to answer a number of questions, a county Water Resources Department spokesman said Friday.
The team hopes to learn more about “prehistoric lake conditions, ancient plant and insect life and the possible effects of global warming on Clear Lake and its surrounding environment,” according to Water Resources program coordinator Gary Hansen.
The scientists will rely on a floating sediment core drill rig in the center of the lake”s upper arm to remove two samples about 400 feet long and three inches in diameter, Hansen said.
The cores should include sediments that are up to 130,000 years old, or about a quarter of Clear Lake”s estimated age, he added.
“This type of sediment sampling has been done in the past and has yielded evidence ranging from the types of prehistoric plant communities to recent human impacts on the lake,” Hansen said.
The equipment will be assembled in Lakeport on Wednesday and coring operations will begin on Friday.
The floating rig will be located from one to three miles west, southwest of Lucerne and will operate around the clock for seven to 10 days, Hansen said. Boaters must stay away from the work and crews because of safety issues, he added.
For more information, contact university professor Cindy Looy at looy@berkeley.edu or Water Resources representative Tom Smythe at 263-2344.
