… According to a 2021 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and California Water: Assessment of Toxins for Community Health, more than 50% of tested homes drawing drinking water from Clear Lake had detectable levels of cyanotoxin, posing risks ranging from skin irritation to liver damage. … The Clear Lake hitch (also referred to as Chi by native peoples since time immemorial), a native fish species that holds deep spiritual and cultural significance for local tribes, is now at risk of extinction. … This crisis is decades in the making, but solutions are within reach: In 2017, the California Legislature established the Blue-Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake through Assembly Bill 707, championed by Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, which is composed of a diverse coalition of voices, including tribal representatives, Lake County officials, agricultural leaders, scientists and state agency partners.
--Written by Eric Sklar, chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake, and Sarah Ryan, environmental director of the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians who represents the Tribe on the Blue Ribbon Committee.