LAKEPORT >> If an assembly bill passes, Lake County will be able to establish a Blue Ribbon Committee to document issues involving Clear Lake water quality.
AS 707 is an effort by Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry Assembly to encourage state action on contaminants and cyanobacteria. The proposed committee would be required to meet quarterly and submit annual reports, creating accountable records of the lake and its recovery.
District 3 Supervisor Jim Steele said in order for the Bill to pass, the assemblywoman needs to receive letters of support. This, he explained, would encourage the legislature to get a committee started.
“Without letters of support (for the Bill) not only from this body but the tribes and local groups and any of the public that would like to support is essential,” Steele said. “It’s not a question of whether it’s a healthy Lake or not, lakes are neither healthy or unhealthy, this is a question of what’s going on and knowing how it works.”
District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon expressed deeply how important it is to have a long-term committee in place for the health of the oldest natural lake in North America, not just for him, but for his children and grandchildren.
“Establishing a committee for the long term health of the Lake is extremely important,” Simon said. “That Lake is absolutely essential to our success to our economy in the county.”
Simon added that he knows of many people that would be interested in being a part of this committee from the community’s desire to have a clean, attractive lake and monitor what sediments go into it.
In recent years, the level of cyanobacteria during summer months has cut into tourism numbers. Some of the cultural events that go on in the County revolve around the Lake such as the Tule Boat Races, but from the condition of the Lake it had to be canceled in previous years. And contamination from mercury caused warnings about consumption of fish caught from the lake.
“I just think we need to set a base line, get a committee together now that we have Cecilia helping us move this thing forward. I think this will be beneficial for us in the long run,” Simon said.
District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown said there have been many times when the county tried to make lake quality a focus, but most never came to fruition.
“Politics can’t run what we do to the Lake. It’s got to be done based on the science of the Lake and what we know based on study because politics does get in the way,” he explained
With a committee in place, it will give a constant group of locals to monitor the Lake and help restore it to a cleaner and more compelling place to visit.
