Background: The CLERC Laboratory​

Clear Lake presents unique and challenging water quality conditions for the community.  One of CLERC’s main goals is to address these challenging conditions while fostering positive economic development for the community in the process.
 
In May of 2018, CLERC became aware of the lack of an accredited, environmental laboratory in Lake County and the impacts this had on the local community.  Over the next several months CLERC Board Members worked to develop the needed expertise and raised the necessary funds to open and operate the lab.

The lab is a multi-benefit project that addresses several of Clear Lake’s immediate and long term water quality challenges.

CLERC Lab Goals

  • Provide a local lab that can serve all local drinking water and wastewater utilities, helping them maintain compliance with regulatory requirements and providing better service to Lake County residents in the process.
  • Provide a location to serve as the hub for long term scientific research of Clear Lake.
  • Create local jobs and grow the County’s economy by keeping utility ratepayer money in the County
  • Develop the lab analyst profession for students attending the Lake County campus colleges.
  • Create positive economic development in the vicinity of the lab facility by increasing demand for local support and service jobs, bolstering sales tax collections.
​Sustained Research,
Community Service, &
Economic Development 

Immediate Needs and Long Term Water Quality Challenges:

Water Utilities: timely lab results needed for regulatory compliance

Drinking water and wastewater utilities are required to complete regular laboratory testing of water in order to comply with federal and state regulations. Currently there is no lab in Lake County that can perform this work.

Cyanobacteria: toxins becoming more widespread

Harmful algal blooms caused by cyanobacteria (cyanoHABs) produce toxins under certain circumstances that are still largely unknown. These organisms have existed in Clear Lake for a long time, ​but since 2014 the occurrence of large, prolonged toxic cyanoHABs has increased in water bodies across the state. 

Long Term Research
​& The Blue Ribbon Committee

Long term research is needed to determine the causes of Clear Lake’s challenging water quality conditions. The State of California recognized this with the recently passed AB 707, 2017, which created the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake.  ​This committee, under the CA Natural Resources Agency, will be evaluating existing scientific research as well as funding a new research project.
​
Clear Lake Environmental Research Center is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 47-1489147) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
​
© 2020 Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, PO Box 636 Lakeport, CA  95453