Memorandum
Date: July 7, 2026
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of the Watershed Protection District
From: Brad Rasmussen, Chair, District 4 Supervisor
EJ Crandell, District 3 Supervisor
Subject: 9:30 A.M. - (Sitting as Lake County Watershed Protection District Board of Directors) Consideration of a) Presentation and Discussion of Draft Co-Management of the Clear Lake Watershed Global Agreement b) Provide Feedback to Staff on Amending, and If No or Minimal Amendments, c) Authorize Pawan Upadhyay, Director of Lake County Water Resources Department, to Sign
Executive Summary:
On September 16, 2025 your Board directed staff to work with outside agencies on drafting a Co-management Agreement of the Clear Lake Watershed. Before you today is that draft Co-managment Agreement, with the draft Clear Lake Hitch Task Force Charter as an appendix to the agreement.
As background, on September 27, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1284 (Ramos), encouraging the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) to enter into "Co-governance" and "Co-management" Agreements with federally recognized tribes to manage state lands and waters, and authorizing CNRA as State signatory for this purpose. AB 1284 was enacted by adding Section 11019.82 to the Government Code, cited as the, "Tribal Co-governance and Co -managment of Ancestral Lands and Waters Act."
The ability to enter into such agreements is anticipated to strengthen the State and CNRA's relationships with local tribes and promote true "government-to-government" negotiations between the state and tribal nations.
The Watershed Protection District has management responsibilities for Clear Lake and currently works collaboratively with Tribal Governments, state agencies, federal agencies, and other local organizations in many areas regarding the health and viability of Clear Lake, including fish and wildlife concerns, recreation, its use as a drinking water source, sediment, and harmful algae concerns.
On May 28, 202...
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