Clear Lake Restoration in Action
The Blue Ribbon Committee guides Clear Lake restoration, improves water quality, protects ecosystems, and supports recreation, agriculture, and Lake County’s economy.
The Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake (BRC) coordinates restoration projects, partners with Tribal governments and agencies, secures funding, protects ecosystems, supports recreation, and strengthens Lake County’s economy and cultural heritage.
Created in 2017 by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, the BRC’s mission is to rehabilitate Clear Lake, one of North America’s oldest species-rich, warm-water lakes. Managed by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), the BRC coordinates research, plans restoration projects, and oversees the lake’s health.
The full BRC meets quarterly in Lake County and submits an annual report to the governor and legislature. There are two subcommittees that meet monthly; the Technical and Socioeconomic, which are comprised of members from the public and chaired by BRC members. It can receive public and private funding for research and restoration. The committee’s work counters environmental hazards, including harmful algal blooms and degraded infrastructure, which threaten water quality, recreation, Tribal cultural uses, and Clear Lake’s role in supporting local agriculture and tourism.
To read the bill, click here.
To learn more about the BRC, click here.
The BRC is the only Lake County entity including representatives from all seven federally recognized Tribal governments with the County. The committee’s 15 member groups are the following:
Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians
California Natural Resources Agency
Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board
Elem Indian Colony of the Sulphur Bank Rancheria
Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake
Koi Nation of Northern California
Lake County Economic Development Corporation
Lake County Farm Bureau
Lake County Resources Conservation District
Lake County Special Districts Administrator
Lake County Board Supervisor
Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians
Robinson Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians of California
Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians
UC Davis
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) and toxic cyanobacteria blooms threaten human and animal health, increase water treatment costs, and negatively affect tourism, Tribal cultural uses, property values, and local businesses. Through 2025, the BRC funded over $25 million in projects, including pilot programs testing HAB treatments:
LG Sonic Hypersonic Algae Treatment for HABs mitigation (offshore City of Clearlake)
Eutrophix Bentonite Application for HABs mitigation
AECOM/Blue Water Sciences Algae Harvesting for HAB mitigation (offshore City of Clearlake)
UC Davis’ Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) Early Warning System for HABs and Hypolimnetic Oxygenation System (offshore Clearlake Oaks)
These projects may protect public health and advance scientific understanding of HAB mitigation.
Additional projects include the following:
Lake County Water Resources Department: Stormwater Planning Program, Natural Shorelines Stewards Program, Dredging of Boating and Waterways, Groundwater Basin Surveys, and Dilapidated Structure Abatement on Clear Lake (docks, piers, retaining walls, etc.)
The Seigler Springs Community Redevelopment Agency in partnership with the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians: Cobb Mountain Watershed Education and Restoration Program.
Clear Lake Keys Property Owners Association revitalization in the Keys.
U.S. Geological Survey: watershed modeling.
Other projects focus on habitat and aquatic management:
Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians: Tule Replanting/Invasive Aquatic Vegetation Removal and Review Existing Best Management Practices.
Robinson Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians of California: Clear Lake Common Carp and Goldfish Management project, highlighting that releasing aquarium fish or plants into Clear Lake can harm ecosystems.
UC Davis with Tribal and County guidance: Creation of the “Caring for Clear Lake” curriculum for 3rd – 5th grades, available to all instructors through the Lake County Office of Education. The curriculum promotes science literacy, stewardship, and awareness of lake conservation.
From 2023–2025, BRC projects received significant state funding:
2021 Lake County Stormwater Planning Program, $1,021,515
Eutrophix Bentonite Application for HABs mitigation, $3,379,671
LG Sonic Hypersonic Algae Treatment for HABs mitigation, $404,000
AECOM Algae Harvesting for HABs Mitigation, $1,259,920
UC Davis Early Warning System for HABs, $300,000
Cobb Mountain Watershed Education and Restoration Program, $393,251
Clear Lake Keys POA Revitalization, $2,300,000
Clear Lake Management Plan, $168,000
Limnological Sampling, $452,718
Natural Shorelines Stewards Program, $755,091
Dredging of Boating and Waterways, $585,000
UC Davis Hypolimnetic Oxygenation System, $1,261,000
Pacific Union College Grebe Monitoring and Environmental Education, $288,988
The BRC demonstrates how collaboration, science, and targeted funding can restore Clear Lake, protect ecosystems, support agriculture and tourism, and create jobs. Its work ensures Clear Lake remains a natural, economic, and cultural cornerstone for Lake County and the region.