During his 1911 travels to Oregon, Jack London described his passage through Lake County:
“Here on the summit, abruptly, we caught a vision, or what seemed a mirage. The ocean we had left long days before, yet far down and away shimmered a blue sea, framed on the farther shore by rugged mountains, on the near shore by fat and rolling farmlands. Clear Lake was before us, and like proper sailors we returned to our sea, going for a sail, a fish, and a swim ere the day was done and turning into tired Lakeport blankets in the early evening.”
Lake County is abundant with freshwater resources, from natural springs and streams to man-made reservoirs and hot springs. These parts all play an intricate role in making up this fragile ecosystem.
How does Clear Lake compare?
At its deepest, Clear Lake is only 59' deep. How does that compare to other bodies of water?
Clear Lake Facts
- Clear Lake was once called Lypoyomi, meaning big water in Pomo language. Early settlers named the lake Clear Lake because of the region's clear air.
- Clear Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in California, with 63 square miles of surface area, and more than 100 miles of shoreline. Average depth is 28 feet.
- Clear Lake is a eutrophic, meaning rich in nutrients and supporting a dense plant population.
- Clear Lake is also polymictic meaning well mixed.
Clear Lake's Grigsby Riffle
The natural level of Clear Lake has been maintained by the Grigsby Riffle, which is a rocky area sill located at the confluence of Cache and Siegler Creeks near Lower Lake.
The Grigsby Riffle's low point is set as “Zero Rumsey.” All subsequent lake measurements are based on this elevation, called the Rumsey Scale.
Geological Origins: Clear Lake's Volcanic Start
Clear Lake has been a shallow, productive system, essentially similar to the modern lake since the end of the Pleistocene Period, (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago). Clear Lake is the oldest continuous existing lake in the Northern Hemisphere. The water of the upper basin has stayed about the same level for about 475,000 years!
The lake sits on a huge block of stone which slowly tilts northward at the same rate as the lake fills in with sediment, thus keeping the water at roughly the same depth.
At one time Clear Lake was even bigger than it is now and included the Blue Lakes (to the northwest of Clear Lake). Volcanic eruptions and subsequent landslides changed the landscape dramatically, forever separating Clear Lake from the Blue Lakes and from its former westward drainage into the Russian River. Overall, this had profound implications for how water flowed through local watersheds- both in terms of where there were water sources and where they ended up.
Pomo Origin of Clear Lake
It's just as important to know the Indigenous creation story of Mount Konocti and Clear Lake as the ecological. The origin varies by region, dialect, and side of Clear Lake they're being told.
The Sun Man, Kabel of the Bartlett Mountain tribe, saw a beautiful maiden walking along the shores of the lake. She was Princess Lupyoma, and her father was the Chief named Konocti. Konocti refused to let Kabel marry Lupyoma but she was in love with Kabel and they decided to elope.
In the evening dusk, Kabel and Lupyoma stole away in Kabel’s canoe, attempting to return to Kabel’s people. Konocti saw them escaping when he came out of his longhouse and in a rage he started throwing mighty boulders at Kabel. Kabel retaliated by shooting arrows from his strong bow.
Kabel was struck with a boulder and fell dead, but he was able to shoot off one more arrow which flew and struck Konocti in the heart. The rocky shores along the Buckingham Peninsula and Anderson Island are remnants from that great boulder and arrow battle.
Konocti’s body fell and created the great Mount Konocti that shapes the southern edge of Clear Lake. Kabel’s body fell into the land on the north side of the Narrows and his blood creates the color of the red rocks within the hills of the Eastern North shore.
Lupyoma was stricken with grief and threw herself into the water, being swept away in the current, her tears pooling and bubbling and creating the springs and vents in the vicinity of today’s Soda Bay. Her tears are still bubbling and filling the lake to this day.
Pomo Indians: Myths and Some of their Sacred Meanings by Clark and Williams (Vantage Press Inc., New York, 1954).
Lake County WaterSheds
Lake County is divided into 3 major watersheds:
Eel River
Located in the northern part of Lake County, and drains 35% of the county’s land. Starting at Lake Pillsbury, The water from this watershed flows north, and to the Pacific Ocean.
Cache Creek
Most dominant hydrologic feature, representing 40% of the county’s drainage. Within this watershed is Clear Lake, the largest surface water source, and the collection point for water from the west and central portions of the county.
Putah Creek
Located in the southern part of the county, this watershed collects water from the Mayacamas Mountains and drains east-southeast towards the Central Valley of California.
Waste Management
Lake County recycles millions of gallons of water every day that has been treated from sewage and recycled through geothermal power. This act of recycling saves millions in carbon emissions annually.
Since 1997, Lake County has led the nation when it comes to environmentally friendly methods of disposing used water, by recycling its waste water for environmental and energy benefits.
Every day an average of 8.5 million gallons of wastewater are sent to the Geysers for reuse in geothermal steam production that has a CO2 content 90% lower than conventional fuels.
Effluent: Effluent is sewage that has been treated in a septic tank or sewage treatment plant.
Make-up water: Make-up water is water that is added to plant processes to compensate for losses.
Where does Waste water go in Lake County?
What's that growing on Clear Lake?
Cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae is a naturally occurring microscopic organism, which is found in all fresh water and marine aquatic ecosystems.
Sometimes, conditions are favorable to the algae, causing “blooms” to form, which can be toxic to animals and people.
Cyanobacteria is naturally occurring. Seasonal in nature, brought on by summer’s high temperatures, and it disappears in the fall.
Sometimes the blooms are not clearly visible, but when they are you will see what looks like bright blue/green paint, foam, or scum on the surface. As the algae die off they release a musty-smelling odor.
Importance of Marshlands
Along Clear Lake, 85% of the shoreline’s wetlands were removed during post-colonial settlement. These wetlands played a major role in the ecology of the lake, especially the Tule also known as Bulrushes or Rushes.
They provide a habitat for birds, fish and mammals. Tule also improve the water quality by preventing pollutants from entering the lake, and allow for the lake to cycle nutrients.
With its abundance and diversity of natural habitats, including wetlands, Clear Lake is a major resource for birds in northwestern California.
'Reed'ly Important: Tule
Protected on the shores of Clear Lake, the Tule Reed is responsible for maintaining the health of the lake.
Tules played an important role for the Native American tribes in Lake County, being used for clothing, shelter construction, and boat building.
Tules also were used as food and medicine and provided habitat for juvenile Clear Lake hitch. There fish provided a major food source, as well as had a cultural significance.
Balanced Lake Health
When ecologically balanced, Clear Lake has the correct nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron for its native plants and aquatic ecosystem.
Wildfires allow slopes to erode and cause nutrient-rich sediments to run off into streams and creeks, and excessive fertilizer use can also run off into the water.
The presence of pollutants can cause cyanobacteria to bloom. Run off, destruction of marshland, and other activities can upset this balance.
Damming Clear Lake
In 1865, Clear Lake Water Works Company (CLWWC) owner John Bensley sent an agent to purchase the dam and grist mill of a Mr. Fowler in Cache Creek with the intent of building an extensive canal system to supply the city of San Francisco with water.
That summer CLWWC replaced Fowler’s small earthen dam with a stone one and built a saw and planing mill in addition to Fowler’s grist mill.
The grist mill and dam at Cache Creek would have looked similar to this photo.
While the dam was constructed, Lake County was experiencing a drought and a population surge. New settlers staked claims along the lakeshore and built their homesteads in the low water mark.
Flood of 1866/67
That winter, the drought ended, and dozens of properties were swept away, and water-borne diseases, such as malaria and cholera, spread along the shoreline. Citizens of Lakeport and Upper Lake blamed the dam, and CLWWC, and lawsuits followed with a demand they cease and desist from the operation of their dam. On October 9, 1867, they returned with an indictment against the company, with a trial planned for January 1868.
Flood of 1867/68
This winter was as wet as the one previous, with further damage, disease, and discontent against the dam. When the court resumed in January 1868, the judge recused himself, citing a conflict of interest, sending the case to Mendocino County. By that summer, two separate Lake County grand juries (and possibly two Mendocino County ones) had ruled that the case needed to be heard in court. Rather than sending it back to Mendocino, the case was moved to the 7th District court—also located in Lake County. Each time the CLWWC was able to prove that there was a conflict of interest between jurists and the judge.
Dam Destruction
“I see no redress for the injured parties on the margins of the Lake, in civil law; but there is such a thing as a higher law.” District Judge Southard, November 1868…allegedly
Following years of unending court cases, and no resolution of the dam question, the people of Lake County gathered a mob to end their frustrations. Securing any official that might attempt to stop them, the crowd descended upon Cache Creek to CLWWC property.
There, they prevented any employees from escaping and taking word outside of the county.
Stone by stone they dismantled the dam and mills, and by the end of the next day three years of work was dismantled, and the dam was gone.
When word reached John Bensley in San Francisco it was too late.
After identifying 184 of the culprits, CLWWC sued all of them for a total of $250,000 worth of damages and lost in 1869.
Then CLWWC tried to sue the Lake County Board of Supervisors. Between suits, countersuits and appeals in 1870 alone there were four active cases, two of which were being heard in the California State Supreme Court.
In the end, the CLWWC settled with the Board of Supervisors, who agreed to pay only $20,000 over the course of 20 years.
Bensley would maintain for the rest of his life that Clear Lake was the best source of drinking water for the city of San Francisco, and Lake County settlement was still paying out when Bensley died in 1894.
Was the Dam to Blame for the flooding?
Short answer: No.
In addition to building in areas of unusually low water, the geography of Cache Creek plays a major role in Clear Lake’s tendency to flood. Rainwater drains into the creeks throughout the county, which themselves drain into Clear Lake. From there, the only escape is Cache Creek. Cache Creek has a slow flow rate caused by the presence of a riffle (Grigsby’s Riffle), Siegler Creek enters Cache Creek nearly at a right angle less than two miles from the mouth of the creek and lake.
When Siegler Creek meets Cache Creek, its flow rate is much faster than that of Cache Creek. The result is that debris from flooding is pushed along Siegler until it is deposited into Cache Creek. This problem was identified by a USGS survey in 1901 but in the winter of 1866/7 the residents of Lake County appeared completely unaware of the problem, blaming the dam.
Dam consequences
Water in Clear lake is Owned By Yolo County.
The destruction of CLWWC’s dam is the moment in which Lake County lost the water rights to Clear Lake. When Yolo came with plans to build Cache Creek Dam in 1912-1915 no one in Lake County had a strong enough claim to hold up in court against Yolo County.
Appropriative rights: The notion of “first in time, first in right.” The first person to start using a watercourse was granted appropriated rights to that water. A person maintained appropriative rights on a watercourse by continuing to use it for a beneficial use. As soon as s/he stopped using the water — like, for example, if a dam and mill were destroyed — appropriated rights were ceded to someone else.
Riparian rights: Bestowed on someone who simply owned property through which a river or creek flowed. They needn’t actually use the water to maintain their riparian rights over that water.
Lux v. Haggin, 1886: Ruled riparian rights were superior to appropriative rights, but with some caveats. An appropriator can possess a superior right to a riparian if the appropriator had begun to use the water before the riparian had acquired his property.
When CLWWC eventually sold the property on Cache Creek but without the dam and mills the new owners used the property for other purposes, losing the claim to the rights. This break in the water rights along Cache Creek allowed Yolo Water and Power Company’s an older claim than anyone in Lake County.
Credits:
Created with images by Longhorizonsphotos - "alage on lake" • henk bogaard - "Grey heron at a lake in the late aternoon in Zimanga Game Reserve in South Africa" • Adi - "The great white pelican" • imaton - "Western Grebes" • doncon402 - "The Loggerhead Shrike / " • MikeFusaro - "Lewis's Woodpecker perched on a tree pecking a hole" • Harry Collins - "An osprey fishing in Florida " • Fred - "Nesting wood ducks" • Natalia Kuzmina - "The yellow-headed blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)" • srckomkrit - "Lesser reedmace ( Bulrush,Cattail,Elephant grass,Reedmace tule ) in the pond with water reflection" • pabrady63 - "Historic Yates Water Mill"