Martin took the action in his capacity as director of Emergency Services, citing the drought this year and the fact that the state of California is in the second consecutive year of extremely dry conditions due to historically low rainfall totals.
Martin issued the emergency proclamation on Thursday night. It will be considered for ratification by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday at 11 a.m.
In his two terms as sheriff, he’s issued numerous emergency declarations for fires, storms and floods, public safety power shut-offs and the pandemic. This is his first emergency declaration for drought.
The Board of Supervisors last approved a drought emergency declaration in March 2014.
“The water levels today are just slightly lower than they were in 2014,” although not as low as the 1970s, Martin said.
Lake County Water Resources reported Clear Lake was at 0.77 feet Rumsey — the special measure for Clear Lake — on Friday, compared to 4.43 feet Rumsey on May 7 of last year.
On March 4, 2014, when the board approved the last drought emergency, the lake was 1.60 feet Rumsey.
On April 21, Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a regional drought emergency for the Russian River watershed in Sonoma and Mendocino counties, where reservoirs are at record lows.
Martin said his new proclamation doesn’t do anything but declare an emergency, and he’ll discuss what that means with the board on Tuesday.
“This is meant to start triggering some things,” Martin said.
He said he will ask the board to be able to close county-maintained boat ramps either at his discretion or that of Public Services Director Lars Ewing, with approval from Public Works Director Scott De Leon.
The ramps that could be closed due to the low-water conditions are at Lakeside County Park, Lucerne Harbor Park and Clearlake Oaks, among others, Martin said. The county also will ask the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport to monitor their ramps and water levels.
The conditions that could lead to closures at some point will be different for each of the ramps, Martin said, adding that he wants to keep recreation opportunities available for people as long as possible.
Martin said there are parts of the lake that are already exposed this early in the year and some boat ramps are no longer usable. He said they’ve had reports of boats running aground or hitting rocks and they don’t want people to damage their boats or trailers, or get stuck.
The sheriff’s Marine Patrol division is already having its own problems with storing boats, getting them into and out of the water, and even reaching some areas due to the low water levels, Martin said.
He said a boater recently ran aground in the Rodman Slough about 300 yards out. “We can’t get in there with our regular boat patrol vessels.”
On Tuesday, Martin said De Leon will give a presentation comparing the current lake level to levels in 2014 and the late 1970s drought. He’ll also give a projection of how the lake level will change in the months to come, when evaporation is expected to draw it lower.
Martin said another goal of the proclamation is to raise the public’s awareness and ask community members to take their own initiatives to conserve water and pay attention to conditions.
He said he hopes to minimize the actions that they could be forced to take to save water.
“I don't know what all the impacts are going to be but I know there’s going to be a bunch,” he said, noting potential impacts ranging from drinking water to water supply for farming and cannabis production.
The language of the proclamation follows.
WHEREAS, Chapter 6, Article 1 of the Lake County Code empowers the Director of Emergency Services to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency when Lake County is affected by, or likely to be affected by a public calamity and the County Board of Supervisors is not in session, and;
WHEREAS, the Sheriff, as Director of Emergency Services of Lake County does hereby find that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property have arisen within the County of Lake, caused by extreme drought conditions since March 5, 2021; and
That these conditions are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of Lake County, and;
That the County Board of Supervisors of the County of Lake is not in session and cannot immediately be called into session;
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIMED that a local emergency now exists throughout Lake County, and;
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that during the existence of said local emergency the powers, functions, and duties of the emergency organization of Lake County shall be those prescribed by state law, by ordinances, and resolutions of the County; and that these emergency proclamation shall expire seven days after issuance unless confirmed and ratified by the Lake County Board of Supervisors.
AND, IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that said local emergency shall be deemed to continue to exist until its termination is proclaimed by the Lake County Board of Supervisors.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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