Lake County water resources director reviews 2024 accomplishments, outlines 2025 priorities

Lake County Water Resources Director Juan Upadhyay reviewed a slate of 2024 accomplishments on behalf of his department and described priorities for 2025 during a presentation to the Board of Supervisors. He highlighted a two-day Clear Lake Integrated Science Symposium, new grant awards, ongoing restoration planning and steps to address invasive mussels and creek vegetation.

The presentation matters because the department oversees lakebed leases, ecosystem restoration and flood-damage work that affect drinking water, shoreline property owners and recreational use of Clear Lake.

Upadhyay said the Clear Lake Integrated Science Symposium at Robinson Rancheria in August 2024 ran two days, featured "more than 60 talks" and drew "more than 500 attendees," with participation from "more than 25 agencies" and a dozen sponsors. He said the event was free, recorded and remains available on YouTube, and that a documentary also was posted.

Upadhyay described several grant awards and contracts the department obtained or pursued in 2024: $2,500,000 from the Wildlife Conservation Board to fund habitat improvement, hydrological studies and educational campaigns; roughly $500,000 from Congressman Mike Thompson's congressional fund for the Big Valley Hitch Habitat Improvement and Groundwater Recharge Project; a $260,000 contract for the Clover Creek diversion channel; and an approximately $200,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data-exchange grant carried out in collaboration with the tribal government. He also said supervisors approved an urgent $20,000 allocation to respond to recent concerns about the golden mussel and to support mussel monitoring alongside existing quagga mussel efforts.

On restoration and capital projects, Upadhyay said the department continued acquiring parcels for the Bridal Creek flood-damage and ecosystem-restoration project and is seeking state Department of Water Resources responses and permits. He said repair of the Kelsey Creek detention structure is a priority for 2025 and that the Upper Lake feasibility study is in its final phase and expected to wrap up in the coming months. He also noted continuing work on vegetation and gravel removal in creeks and channels to address community concerns, but said those activities require completed paperwork and permits before work proceeds.

Upadhyay summarized program metrics for 2024: 41 new lakebed applications received; 34 violation notices sent; 15 new enforcement actions (violations and warnings combined); 86% of lakebed lease payments received to date; roughly 1,700 billable accounts; annual rental revenue near $300,000; total outstanding from citations about $400; roughly 104 department activities (meetings, conferences and field work); and 10 public outreach efforts. He said the department will add grant-count and total grant-value metrics to future reports to reflect the diversity of funding sources.

Supervisors pressed for additional monitoring and detail. Supervisor Spate said the Upper Lake feasibility study "left off where there was quite a few different alternatives" and expressed hope the study will nail down a preferred approach. Supervisor Pai asked that annual trend data on the Big Valley hitch populations be added to future metrics and requested information on water-quality exceedances for the lake because it is used for drinking water. A supervisor asking about late lakebed lease payments sought information on delinquencies and the status of payment plans; Upadhyay said the department has sent reminders and is following up but that collections are an ongoing process.

A public commenter, Margo Kambara, thanked Upadhyay and staff for their leadership on the symposium and for outreach presentations made to a local community advisory council. Board Chair Crandall and other supervisors thanked department staff for work done amid recent turnover.

There were no formal votes or motions tied to this presentation. The department listed planned 2025 actions including completing the Upper Lake feasibility study, repairing Kelsey Creek detention structure, continuing vegetation and debris removal pending permits, pursuing funding from a blue-ribbon committee and Proposition 1/4-style allocations (referred to in the presentation as "prop 4 funding"), and enhancing maintenance of watershed-protection facilities.

Looking ahead, the department will report additional metrics on grants managed and funding totals, provide multi‑year trend data for biological monitoring where available, and follow up on delinquent lease accounts and enforcement actions. No new board directives or formal approvals were recorded during the presentation.