Memorandum
Date: December 9, 2025
To: The Honorable Eddie Crandell, Chair Lake County Watershed Protection District Board of Directors)
From: Dr. Pawan Upadhyay, Water Resources Director
Subject: (Sitting as the Lake County Watershed Protection District Board of Directors) Adopt Resolution Approving the Acceptance of General Fund Grant Funds for Improving Restoration Efforts at Clear Lake with In-Lake Management of Phosphorus
Executive Summary:
The Lake County Water Resources Department is requesting the Board of Supervisors, acting as the Board of Directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District (District), adopt the resolution approving the acceptance of general fund grant in the amount of $3,379,671 from the CNRA for the project, titled “Improving Restoration Efforts at Clear Lake with In-Lake Management of Phosphorus”. This funding is part of the $13.6 million secured by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry in the 2025 State Budget for the Blue-Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake approved projects.
The aim of this project is to reduce internal phosphorus loading through the application of lanthanum-modified bentonite, which will bind sediment phosphorus and help mitigate harmful algal blooms (HABs). The project includes sediment and water sampling, data analysis and synthesis, community outreach and media engagement, grant administration, and final reporting. The project supports long-term water quality improvement in Clear Lake and builds on the County’s science-based management strategies.
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Recommended Action: (Sitting as the Lake County Watershed Protection District Board of Directors) Adopt Resolution Approving the Acceptance of General Fund Grant Funds for Improving Restoration Efforts at Clear Lake with In-Lake Management of Phosphorus.