The City of Lakeport, the City of Clearlake, and the County of Lake (hereinafter referred to as “co-permittees”) joined planning, collaboration, and implementation efforts to establish a Lake County Clean Water Program (LCCWP). The purpose of the LCCWP is to collectively fulfill the requirements set forth by the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) MS4 Phase II general permit. Sometime this requires the co-permittees to collectively make decisions, recommend management actions, budget or funding actions that can achieve compliance with the NPDES permit and improve storm water management within Lake County. Therefore, the Clean Water Program Management Program (Formerly the Storm Water Advisory Committee) was created to coincide with the NPDES permit and adjacent storm water management.
Storm Water (also “stormwater”) is defined as the runoff generated from rain and snowmelt events that flow over land or impervious, hardened surfaces, such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops, and therefore does not soak into the ground. As the runoff flows over surfaces, it picks up pollutants like trash, chemicals, oils, and dirt/sediment that can harm our creeks, rivers, streams, and lakes waters. Clear Lake, one that is over enriched with nutrients and suffers from frequently severe cyanobacterial blooms, has been identified as being driven to this condition by storm water inputs, both from the natural and build environment.
One way to improve water quality, is through smart storm water planning, implementation, and management. In addition, proper storm water management provides other community benefits, such as; flood reduction and protection, improved drinking water quality, groundwater recharge, conservation of water resources, wetland and aquatic resource protections, and protection of public health. These storm water planning and implementation tasks fall under the oversight of the Lake County Clean Water Program and are monitored and managed by the members of the Lake County Clean Water Program Management Council.
The newly revitalized Clean Water Program Management Council (“Council”) was re-established in 2018. This Council has been meeting regularly since 2018 and a presentation to the Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) is needed to provide an update on the Management Council’s progress and outline outstanding challenges and needs. The Clean Water Program has not presented to the BOS since prior to 2015. Therefore, to ensure a proper update is provided, we are kindly requesting a Timed Item to allow ample time for a presentation and follow-up discussion.
The Council’s Storm Water Coordinators, representing the jurisdictions of the Lake County Watershed Protection District, City of Lakeport and City of Clearlake, will be leading the presentation to provide an update on the program and the current status of storm water management in Lake County. City of Lakeport staff Bonne Sharp and Jenni Byers will be joined by Clearlake staff Adeline Brown, Mark Roberts, and Kylie Clark to co-present and entertain any questions that may arise from your Board or the public.