Do you ever wonder-
- Why does Lake Almanor’s shore seem to move?
- Will I ‘get’ anything if I go swimming in Lake Almanor?
- What the heck is this thermal curtain I keep hearing about?
- Can I eat the fish?
- Can I do anything to help the lake stay clean and so pretty?
- Why is the Lake dammed and how much of the lake flows downstream?
- Who is working on issues and management?
If you have wondered about any of these, especially numbers 6 and7, then this blog is for you.
We at the Sierra Institute are launching this blog to share information about the Almanor Water Basin and to promote conversation with residents who live in the Lake Almanor Basin and visitors. We welcome your comments on everything we publish. Our goal is not only to share information about Lake Almanor, but also to stimulate fruitful involvement among members of the Lake Almanor community and others.
- Information about the regular activities of the Almanor Basin Watershed Advisory Committee (more about this below)
- Pictures and maps of Lake Almanor and the basin
- Public outings, field trips and other outdoor events open to the public
- Links to relevant newspaper articles and other media
- News about upcoming public meetings
- Interviews with people with a stake in Lake Almanor’s future
- Links to relevant organizations, groups and government agencies concerned with management of the area
What I share in this blog reflects what I’m learning about Almanor, what I find important, and even my opinion on such matters. One of the nice things about a blog is that information about Lake Almanor will be accessible to everyone, regardless of geographic distance.
The Almanor Basin Watershed Advisory Committee (ABWAC)
Perhaps the most importance voice Lake Almanor has is the Almanor Basin Watershed Advisory Committee, aka ABWAC.
If you are unfamiliar with ABWAC, I will bring you up to speed:
In 2005, the Plumas County Board of Supervisors created ABWAC, an advisory committee to the board to address water quality, land use, and critical habitat issues in the Lake Almanor Basin. ABWAC has 11 members who volunteer their time to protect Lake Almanor and ensure that it remains healthy and vibrant for all generations to come. That’s a big job as the basin is about 500 square miles!
Current ABWAC Members
Here’s a list of the current members of ABWAC:
Aaron Seandel
Carl Felts
Lorena Gorbet
Ryan Burnett
Rich Rydell
Mike Mitzel
Peggy Fulder
Dick Daniel
Dick Fording
Vince Gannon
David Durkin
This blog does not represent or attempt to portray the opinions of ABWAC members or the official recommendations of the ABWAC, unless expressly stated. However, I will from time to time share information from or about ABWAC.
A Little about Me
Who am I, you ask? My name is Emily Creely, and I’m a project manager at the Sierra Institute for Community and Environment. But equally important, as far as this blog is concerned, I am ABWAC’s coordinator. That means I do what I can to help the committee members do their jobs well. That includes taking minutes at ABWAC meetings, maintaining all records and documents, and helping to organize their efforts, as well as maintaining the informational kiosk at the Chester library, and posting new Lake Almanor information on the Sierra Institute website. We maintain a lot of basin data on the website.
Just a bit about myself: I’ll relate my life to the California Water System since it’s pretty relevant to Lake Almanor.
I was raised in Costa Mesa and drank my northern California water, happily ignorant of its origin. I chose Humboldt State University to attend simply because it was the farthest away from Orange County I could get without leaving the state. Escaping the fog on weekends took me into the Trinity Alps and River, which contributes water to the system.
I lived in Santa Barbara while restoring urban creeks as an AmeriCorps volunteer, which took me back to being a consumer. I also spent a summer taking people into the northern portion of Yosemite National Park and the Hoover Wilderness on horseback. When not pulling mules along, I camped outside of Bridgeport and got to explore the Mono Lake area. Ground zero of all water fights.
For 13 years I lived in Alaska and didn’t hear a peep about water, unless it was related to the ocean and oil pollution. There my drinking water came from a well, so I actually never paid for my water. What a concept!
On the resume side, I have a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and an undergraduate degree in journalism. For more, see ‘about me’ page.
Back to Lake Almanor
I welcome your thoughts, questions, and comments about this blog, ABWAC, and Lake Almanor in general.
Emily Creely
Sierra Institute for Community and Environment
Lake Almanor photo by Bud Turner
