Blog Posts - Clear Lake Environmental Research Center(CLERC)

CLERC Staff Participate in UC Cooperative Extension Forest Stewardship Workshop

2/1/2020

In January 2020, CLERC’s Executive Director and Senior Program Manager both participated in the Forest Stewardship Workshop in Ukiah sponsored by the University of California Cooperative Extension. The purpose of the workshop is to facilitate the development of Forest Management Plans (FMP’s), an essential tool for planning and securing funding for fuel reduction projects on private forest land. The workshop series is funded through a CAL FIRE grant and CLERC is hoping to develop a future workshop series focused on Lake County landowners.

CLERC Executive Director, Will Evans, discusses forest management with Tim Bailey from Humboldt RCD / Watershed Research and Training Center.

CLERC Submits Community-Wide Grant Proposals to CAL FIRE Totaling Over $8 Million

12/20/2019

During the first week of December 2019, CLERC submitted several large funding requests to CAL FIRE for community-wide forest health and fire resiliency projects. The proposals represent the culmination of nearly six months of planning and coordination among multiple partners in and around Lake County including the US Forest Service (USFS), US Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Robinson Rancheria, New Paradigm College, South Lake Fire Safe Council, UC Davis, Climate Action Reserve, CAL FIRE, Omni BioEnergy, LLC., Dogwood Springs Forestry, Pepperwood Preserve, and 45+ private landowners. A portion of the proposal development costs were funded through the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program (RFFC).

Portion of the watershed near Saratoga Springs Resort in Upper Lake.

Fire & Forestry Project Map

CLERC is moving in...

10/1/2019

During the first week of September 2019, the CLERC Board of Directors approved a lease for lab space located at Kits Corner in Kelseyville. CLERC has raised the necessary funds to purchase an initial set of lab equipment and apply for state accreditation. Once accreditation is obtained, CLERC will be able to offer lab services to local water agencies.

CLERC has a Certified Lab Analyst

5/10/2019

After many months of study, on May 1, 2019 one of the CLERC Board members, Carolyn Ruttan, passed the lab analyst exam and is now a certified lab analyst. This provides the necessary training and expertise required to open an accredited analytical lab.

The Konocti Project

3/31/2019

Mt. Konocti, Lake County's ancient towering volcano is the subject of legends. Pomo oral history describes a huge tunnel at the base of Mt. Konocti that was exposed during times of drought. Pomo explorers found a huge cave and lake inside, filled with blind fish. In the late 1800s and the 20th century, numerous stories have been recorded of a large venthole and caves on the peak of Konocti. Residents described dropping rocks down the vent and not hearing them reach bottom. Others carved initials on sticks and dropped them into the hole, to find them floating in the lake weeks later.

The Konocti Project, Inc., a non profit organization devoted to the “preservation, exploration and protection of Mt. Konocti” was created in the 1990's by Bob Zalusky, a World War II Flying Tigers veteran and ex-airline pilot in conjunction with Norman J. Lehrman, chief geologist for Homestake Mining Co.
The group believed the center of the mountain contained a huge cavern; one or more vent holes extended from the top of the mountain down into the center. Another tube extended from the cavern into the lake, allowing water from Clear Lake to flow in and create an interior lake.
The Konocti Project group assembled a crew of interested scientists and residents, to search for the location of the cave near Wright’s Peak. CLERC has obtained a film produced by The Konocti Project group that summarizes the findings from their search, which lasted from 1990-1999. The film is roughly 50 minutes long.

The CLERC Library

2/20/2019

The Clear Lake Environmental Research Center's online library is up and running! We're trying to gather as much information about Clear Lake as possible. Please consider uploading files if you have anything you'd like to contribute. This includes any interesting photos or videos. Expect to see lots of changes to the library over the next few months as more materials are added and things get a little more organized.

Go to the CLERC library

Hitch Observation Results Map

1/30/2019

Results from hitch observation program are now available online via web map. The map is updated in near real-time.

Clear Lake Hitch - Fish Observation Reports

1/15/2019

CLERC and the Chi Council for the Clear Lake Hitch are working together to coordinate volunteer fish observation reporting. This information is used to assess population numbers and spawning patterns, which can later be used to guide preservation efforts.

Blue Ribbon Committee Holds Tour of Middle Creek Watershed - December 20, 2018

12/22/2018

As part of the second meeting of the Blue Ribbon Committee, an employee with the California Department of Water Resources discusses upgrades being made to an existing stream gauge to collect water quality information.

Research Vessel Now at Clear Lake - October 25, 2018

10/25/2018

This research vessel from UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) is at Clear Lake collecting information about the topography of the lake's bottom, also known as bathymetry.

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