Wednesday June 25, 2025
SF Gate —
Clear Lake is the heart of Lake County, a popular spot for bass fishing and water sports about 2.5 hours north of San Francisco.
It is also, according to a recent letter sent to the California Legislature, “choking on past pollution and toxic blooms” and “exceedingly malodorous.”
That description comes courtesy of a coalition of stakeholders in Lake County who are requesting upward of $15 million in state funds to rehabilitate Clear Lake. In the warmer months, the lake turns dangerous when toxic algal blooms and cyanobacteria surge. Tests have found cyanotoxins in 56% of homes that draw water from the lake, posing health risks ranging from rashes to liver damage.
Brad Rasmussen, Lake County’s District 4 supervisor and a member of the Blue Ribbon Committee, told SFGATE the odor of the algae blooms “can be pretty overwhelming in certain parts of the county along the lake.” He described the odor as “very strong” and having its own smell. “I wouldn’t really know how to describe it compared to anything else. It’s just an offensive smell.”