LAKE COUNTY
Staying safe while Cyanobacteria and harmful algal blooms (HABs) are present
As temperatures begin to rise, regional health and water resource officials are reminding residents and recreationists to be cautious if they are planning activities on local lakes and streams, now and throughout the summer. Cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae) are microscopic organisms that naturally occur in all freshwater and marine aquatic ecosystems. Usually, cyanobacteria concentrations are low, and not harmful to humans and animals. But when conditions are favorable (high nutrients and warm weather), these organisms can rapidly grow, forming visible colonies known as “Hazardous Algal blooms” or “HABs.”
Individuals are most often exposed while swimming or participating in other recreational activities in and on the water. The most common routes of exposure are direct skin contact, accidental ingestion of contaminated water, or accidental inhalation of water droplets in the air (i.e., while water skiing). Symptoms of exposure to cyanotoxins include rashes, hives, diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, or wheezing. More severe symptoms may result from longer or greater amounts of exposure.
People are advised to keep pets and livestock out of water bodies where cyanotoxins may be present. Do not allow pets and livestock to drink from the water and do not allow them to lick their fur after swimming in water containing a possible cyanobacteria bloom. If you or your pet has contact with water you suspect may have cyanotoxins, rinse off with clean, fresh water as soon as possible. If your pet experiences symptoms that may be the result of exposure, contact your veterinarian immediately.
For households using self-supplied water systems or a well in close proximity to Clear Lake, and who have not previously participated, testing for contaminants such as cyanotoxins, nitrates, coliform bacteria, and herbicides is available through Big Valley EPA’s Cal-WATCH program detailed here: https://trackingcalifornia.org/calwatch/calwatch-project
If you are concerned you have symptoms resulting from exposure to cyanotoxins, immediately contact your health care provider or call County of Lake Health Services at (707) 263-1090. If you see or think you see, an algal bloom, please contact Water Resources at (707) 263-2344 or Environmental Health at (707) 263-1164. Anyone can report or receive additional information at the California Hazardous Algal Blooms Portal here: https://mywaterquality.ca.gov/habs/.
Cyanobacteria or blue-green algae is not to be confused with green algae, which is beneficial, non-toxic, and always present in Clear Lake. Those who plan to recreate in or on Lake County waters should look for informational signs posted throughout the county and are advised to avoid contact with water that:
- looks like spilled, green or blue-green paint;
- has surface scums, mats, or films;
- has a blue or green crust at the shoreline;
- is discolored or has green-colored streaks; or
- has greenish globs suspended in the water below the surface.
The Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians who maintain these water monitoring sites around the lake, has not yet seen caution levels of cyanotoxins this season. Additional signs are posted when cyanotoxins reach Caution, Warning, or Danger levels. These signs are brightly colored and affixed below the permanent informational signs in order to provide the public specific guidance on which activities are safe to continue. Signage is still available, if you would like to post a sign at your beach or ramp, please contact Water Resources at (707) 263-2344.
To find the most current information on Clear Lake’s water quality and if a cyanotoxin bloom is occurring, visit the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ cyanotoxin monitoring webpage here: https://www.bvrancheria.com/clearlakecyanotoxins
For recent 10-day composite satellite imagery of suspected cyanobacteria blooms in Clear Lake, and other CA water bodies, please visit the San Francisco Estuary Institute Freshwater HAB Satellite Analysis Tool map at this link (please note, satellite imagery is not indicative of toxin levels, it is measuring the amount of phycocyanin pigment that cyanobacteria produces):
For additional information about cyanobacteria and harmful algal blooms, please visit the following website:
County of Lake Health Services Department Cyanobacteria Webpage:
www.lakecountyca.gov/621/Cyanobacteria-and-Cyanotoxins
—Submitted
SACRAMENTO
California gets nearly $2 billion in federal funding to boost high speed internet access
This week Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statement after the Biden-Harris Administration announced its allocation of funding to deploy high-speed Internet access to everyone in America. California will receive $1.86 billion in funding from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program as part of President Biden’s 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
What Newsom said: “Together with the Biden-Harris Administration, we’re connecting millions of Californians with reliable, affordable high-speed Internet. With the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, billions of dollars are headed our way, boosting our efforts to provide all Californians – regardless of zip code – access to the Internet. This infusion of funding will help build on the work done in recent years with the Legislature to cut red tape around broadband infrastructure projects and get high-speed Internet access to more Californians, helping make the digital divide a thing of the past.”
Details related to the federal funding are available on InternetForAll.gov.
As part of the 2021 funding, Newsom and the Legislature streamlined state permitting regulations for the middle-mile project – through CEQA exemptions and alternative delivery methods – that have cut project permitting timelines from 30 months to under one year. The Governor is working this year on similar streamlining to boost critical infrastructure construction across the state.
Last year, California began construction on the nearly $4 billion broadband statewide “middle mile” initiative, which will be the nation’s largest broadband backbone infrastructure network. Roughly one in five Californians do not have access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet. Once complete, funding for “last mile” efforts will support internet connections from “middle mile” lines to homes and businesses, as well as efforts to ensure individuals can afford broadband service where it already exists.
—Submitted
