Please do not forget the horrendous conditions we experienced with weed and algae growth on Clear Lake this summer. The lake belongs to the county by deed of trust from the state in 1973. The stipulations of the state deed make it the county’s responsibility to maintain the lake suitable for recreation uses. County abatement ordinances make it the county’s responsibility to maintain the lake free of interference to adjacent property owners. Also county government has been collecting funds for encroachment (lease) fees, aquatic management permits, and boat inspection permits. The total in the current fiscal year of this revenue exceeds $280,000.

Given the above there is no question that Lake County government has a legal (dictated by state deed) and moral (dictated by funding collected) responsibility to clean up weed and algae growth as occurred this summer. Aside from these facts, it is a health and economic necessity for the county to have an aggressive clean lake maintenance policy. The current “hands off” or “recognize the natural cycles” of the lake policy by the Board of Supervisors does not meeting legal, moral, economic or health needs to Lake County citizens.

This month the Board of Supervisors is to consider staff recommendations for reorganization of the Water Resources and Lakebed Management sections of Public Works Department. Please join me in recommending that the Board of Supervisors submit for voter approval the creation of a County Service Area (CSA) to purchase wetlands, maintain shore lands, lease and/or operate equipments to harvest weed, dredge and skim algae. The CSA should include all property owners within a given distance from zero Rumsey (say five miles). Funding should include the above funding from the current Lakebed Management and additional assessments as necessary.

John Daniels lives in Lakeport.