LAKE COUNTY >> Two plans to improve the health of Clear Lake are moving forward, one in the State Legislature and the other with a regional water agency that involves a deadline extension.
The water board has announced that the deadline has been extended for the public to comment on its plan to limit phosphorus runoff into Clear Lake.
The new deadline is Oct. 3 for the public to get written comments to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, based in Rancho Cordova. The previous deadline was Sept. 15.
The plan, called the Clear Lake Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and Waste Load Allocations, seeks to reduce harmful phosphorus that enters the lake from creeks and runoff.
Although blue-green algae occurs naturally, phosphorus is in part to blame for the less common toxic algae blooms in the lake that can be deadly to pets and humans, especially children, who come in contact with it, according to the state Department of Public Health.
The TMDL plan was originally adopted in 2007 by the regional water board that’s responsible for water quality in Lake County. It expired in June and board staff are trying to determine how to go forward — or even whether to move ahead at all.
Phosphorus is a common ingredient in many fertilizers and promotes toxic blue-green algae blooms (cyanobacteria) and fish die-offs in Clear Lake. It also occurs naturally in soil throughout Lake County, including in agricultural regions.
The water board staff will consider all public comments from its Aug. 28 hearing in Lakeport as well as any comments received by Oct. 3 in drawing up its report.
After the review period, water agency staff has said they will develop a TMDL Implementation Status Technical Report and make it available for public review before the end of 2017.
Then in 2018, the water board staff is scheduled to release a draft staff report that provides an “alternatives evaluation” possible changes to the Clear Lake Nutrient Control Program, according to a staff report.
Written comments can be sent to Holly Grover, staff scientist, at hgrover@waterboards.ca.gov or CVRWQCB, 11020 Sun Center Dr., Suite 200, Rancho Cordova CA 95670.
In a separate move, the State Assembly is considering a bill — AB 707 — to establish the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake. The Assembly is currently considering State Senate amendments to the bill.
One change by the Senate involves the committee member representing local Native American tribes. The original language in the bill had the tribal member appointed by the Lake County Board of Supervisors. The Senate changed this to the member being appointed by “respective” tribal councils.
The nine-member Blue Ribbon committee would be part of the state Natural Resource Agency and would meet quarterly to discuss, review research, plan and provide oversight on the health of Clear Lake.
Research conducted for the committee would go through a scientific and applied science process. Two meetings per year would be held in Lake County, according to AB 707.
Beginning in 2019, the committee must provide an annual report on its activities to the governor and the appropriate policy committees of the State Legislature on natural resources and local government, the bill mandates.
It also requires that the first annual report shall identify barriers to improved water quality in Clear Lake, the contributing factors causing the poor water quality and the threats to wildlife.
The report must include recommended solutions to these issues, estimates of cost and a plan for involving the local, state and federal governments in funding and implementing lake restoration activities, the bill provides.
Ongoing annual cost of the blue ribbon panel will be $250,000, reports the Assembly Appropriations Committee’s analysis. There will be additional unknown contract costs, the committee states.
In its analysis of lake water quality issues, the Appropriations Committee states, “Clear Lake faces significant water quality issues that have been caused by water diversion, dam construction, wetland destruction, introduction of non-native plant and animal species, grading, logging, fire, livestock over-grazing, and numerous mining operations.”
The analysis of local water issues continues, “Clear Lake is not clear. It is a turbid system as a result of inorganic suspended particulate matter in the winter and algal blooms in the summer. The lake has frequent blooms of noxious scum forming cyanobacteria, which largely reduce water quality and have significant impact on recreational activities on the lake and causing large economic losses.”
The bill lists three primary problems with the lake:
•The State Water Resources Control Board determined that the amount of mercury found in the lake, caused by runoff, fails to meet environmental standards and is in need of improvement. The mercury is from the abandoned Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine, now a U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Super Fund cleanup site.
•The state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment concluded that the fish caught in Clear Lake, specifically the bass, are not safe for women and children to eat in abundance, or at all.
•The 2016 Lake County Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy reports that the overgrowth of seasonal algae, cyanobacteria and invasive weeds cause a variety of health and habitat problems for the lake. The abundance of cyanobacteria blooms produce odor and surface scum, alter processed drinking water taste, and sometimes cause toxic conditions for pets, creating a seasonal decrease in tourism and depression in the local economy.
The Clear Lake watershed is currently subject to separate TMDL requirements for mercury adopted in 2002, nutrients adopted in 2006 and phosphorus approved in 2007.
