LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The state Board of Parole Hearings this week once again denied parole to a man convicted of a 1990 Clearlake Park murder.

Parole was denied to convicted murderer Kevin Coy Iloff, 49, following a hearing this past Tuesday, according to Lake County Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff, who attended the lifer hearing at California State Prison in Corcoran to argue against Iloff’s release.

Iloff has had three previous parole hearings, Hinchcliff reported.

Hinchcliff said Iloff pleaded guilty in December 1990 to the second degree murder of Thomas Conatser and use of a knife,  and was sentenced by Judge Robert L. Crone Jr. to 16 years to life in prison on Dec. 21, 1990.

Iloff originally was prosecuted by then-Deputy District Attorney Andrew Blum – now a Lake County Superior Court judge – and was represented by Mitchell Hauptman. Iloff’s minimum eligible parole date was March 14, 2004, Hinchcliff said.

According to investigation reports, Iloff had been involved in a common law relationship with a woman with whom he had two children, and they had been separated for a few days because of Iloff’s chronic drug use.

On Sept. 22, 1990, the woman was spending the night with the 28-year-old victim, Thomas Conatser, at a home on Fourth Street in Clearlake Park.

At the time of the murder, one of Conatser's children was sleeping in the same bed as Conatser and the woman, and Conatser's other child and the woman’s two children were asleep in another room.

At 4 a.m. Iloff  jimmied the lock to the door, entered the house and the bedroom, and stabbed Conatser under the left arm pit while everyone was asleep.  

After Iloff stabbed Conatser, he told the woman, “I stuck him, don’t call the cops,” and threatened to kill her, too. He then fled the scene and caught a ride back to Vallejo.  

While an investigator from the Clearlake Police Department was at the murder scene with the woman, Iloff called the woman and told her, “If you give me up, I’ll do you like I did him.”  

A friend of Iloff told investigators that Iloff boasted that if the victim wasn’t dead that he would come back and finish him off.

Iloff told another person that he had grabbed the victim by the hair and said, “Wake up, I want you to see who is going to kill you.” Iloff then fled to Reno, where he was arrested five days later.

During Iloff’s time in prison he has had 22 disciplinary actions, including fighting, possession of alcohol, refusal to follow orders, assaulting other inmates, threatening a corrections officer and participating in a riot.

In 1999 Iloff was convicted of attempted murder of another inmate while he was incarcerated at Pelican Bay State Prison.

As a result of that conviction Iloff was sentenced to an additional consecutive five years in prison that he will have to serve if he is granted parole for the murder of Conatser, Hinchcliff said.

At his initial parole hearing in 2003, which Hinchcliff also attended, Iloff got into a heated exchange with the parole commissioners and refused to attend the hearing.  He has since had two other parole hearings scheduled.

At the parole hearing on Tuesday, Conatser’s brother as well as Conatser's two sons – who were asleep in the house at the time of the murder – were present to ask that Iloff's parole be denied, according to Hinchcliff.

Hinchcliff asked the Board of Prison Hearings commissioners to deny Iloff’s parole on the ground that he still presented an unreasonable risk of danger to the public if released.

In addition, Hinchcliff argued that Iloff had failed to sufficiently participate in prison rehabilitation programs that would alleviate the danger to the public resulting from his release.

Hinchcliff said the Board of Prison Hearings commissioners agreed and issued a three-year denial of parole.

Iloff’s next parole hearing will be in 2017, Hinchcliff reported.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild presents Colleen Granger as the “featured quilter” at the guild’s 13th annual Falling Leaves Quilt Show.

The show takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St. in Lakeport. 

Granger works with an assortment of designs both traditional and contemporary.

Her “Bodacious” group starts with a traditional-looking design and kicks it up with eye-catching colors and asymmetrical lines. The spinning patterns and colors in Her “Kaleido-quickies” and “Circle Quilts” dazzle the eye.

“As an instructor and designer it is my goal to break projects down to their easiest form of construction so that everyone can be successful,” Granger said. “While I am sure that I am not one hundred percent, I do strive to make my books and projects easy to construct, but to make them look difficult.” 

She will be present Saturday and Sunday to talk with guests and present demonstrations at the quilt show.

Granger’s designs and books can be found on her Web site, www.sewlittletimequilting.com .

The Falling Leaves  Quilt Show will feature about 200 quilts from minis a few inches across to king-size bedcovers executed in a variety of techniques and in all colors of the spectrum.

Other attractions will be the Country Store Boutique, a vendor mall, quilting demonstrations, themed gift baskets and an opportunity quilt. Angelina’s Bakery will cater lunch Saturday and Sunday.

For more information contact show co-chairs Jane Alameda at 707-263-3831 or Martha DeLeon at 707-263-0693. 

More information can be found at http://www.LLQG.org/quilt-show.html .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Respect for the sacrifice and service provided to this country by veterans was on display at the American Legion Hall Post No. 437 in Clearlake on Wednesday, as Lake County's inaugural “Stand Down” event got under way.

The second, and final day of the United Veterans Council's event takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday.

All veterans are invited and encouraged to attend to gain connection with a myriad of resources, made accessible especially for them, in one inclusive location.

More than 60 veterans seeking information about the available services were welcomed to the event before noon on day one, demonstrating what Lake County UVC President Frank Parker said was a clear need for increased accessibility to veteran services.

“The turnout is great for a first-time event. I'm impressed with the amount of providers here and the response from the veteran community,” Parker said. “We have agencies volunteering as far north to Fort Bragg, Mendocino County and south to Sonoma County. We will turn no veteran away and we encourage them to bring their spouses.”

The Stand Down event hearkens to a time in war when combat units, exhausted in battle, are granted a reprieve for rest and recovery, a time for removal from the battlefields to a place of relative security and safety.

“This is about connecting veterans with the services they need,” Jim Yates, veteran volunteer of American Legion Post No. 437, said. “The major theme for today is what we do in the 'Vet Connect' every day.”

The Stand Down event takes the Vet Connect program in Lake County to a new level as it strives to increase access to services to veterans throughout the region.

It unites a variety of organizations and services providers, including on-site health care practitioners, in an collaborative effort to serve those who have served and sacrificed for this country.

District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock, a Vietnam veteran, also was on hand to welcome fellow veterans to the event Wednesday.

“Yes, I am a supervisor for District 1, but that is nothing. First and foremost I am a veteran and I want to thank everyone for being here and the veterans for their service,” Comstock said.

Comstock spoke of the time when he joined the service. He went on to recognize the abundance of homeless veterans in the area, which was a concern emphasized throughout the event Wednesday.

“There are a lot of veterans who are homeless in this county,” he said. “They deserve to be recognized and taken care of, and that's why all of you providers are here.”

The event includes the participation of more than 40 service providing agencies, with representatives offering information regarding Social Security benefits, housing needs, nutrition, mental health services, education, employment and more.

Mobile health and dental care teams are on site, providing a variety of services from dental care to general practitioner services.

Physician Assistant Brad Greaves said the Sutter Health Mobile Healthcare unit is equipped to provide services just as any visit to doctor's office, including electronic medical records capabilities. The unit is wheelchair accessible as well.

“There are so many good things going on here today,” District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith said. “It's so good to get all these services here in a one-stop sort of event.”

The two-day Stand Down event continues, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, at the American Legion Post Hall No. 437, 14770 Austin Road in Clearlake.

Email Denise Rockenstein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – A previously convicted abalone poacher is facing a lengthy prison sentence after pleading guilty to new poaching charges.

Dung Van Nguyen, 41, of Sacramento was charged with poaching abalone along the Mendocino coast and selling them for personal profit.

On Sept. 11, Nguyen appeared in the Mendocino County Superior Court and pled guilty to one felony count of forging an abalone report card and one misdemeanor count of taking abalone for commercial purposes.

Nguyen is a repeat offender with multiple convictions for similar poaching crimes. As a condition of his plea, he will be required to return to the court for sentencing on Nov. 11, where he will be remanded into custody.

The conditions of his sentence will include 32 months in state prison, a fine of $15,000 and a lifetime revocation of his fishing license.

Wildlife officers observed Nguyen take at least 35 abalone in 2013, which is 17 in excess of the annual limit.

The case was investigated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Special Operations Unit, a unique team of officers tasked with investigating persons involved in the black market sales of California’s fish and wildlife resources.

“Our team exists to stop people from stealing the state’s fish and wildlife for profit, and to stop people like Nguyen from engaging in this type of behavior,” said Capt. Nathaniel Arnold, head of the Special Operations Unit.

Tim Stoen, the Mendocino County deputy district attorney who prosecuted the case, said, “I commend the hard work of the department’s Special Operations Unit on this case.”

CDFW appreciates the effort of the vast majority of abalone divers who comply with the regulations, particularly the use of the abalone report card, which was an integral part of successful prosecution in this case. Their cooperation helps to keep the fishery healthy and sustainable for future generations.

An appropriate and correctly installed child passenger safety seat may be the one thing that makes the difference between life and death for a child involved in a traffic collision.

In 2012, 45 percent of all California children under the age of eight who were killed in a collision were not properly restrained. That total reflects a significant increase from the previous year.

To help raise awareness of the importance of these lifesaving devices for children, the California Highway Patrol will observe National Child Passenger Safety Week, Sept. 14 to 20.

Throughout the week, CHP offices will be conducting child safety seat events statewide.

“Protecting a child is a parent’s primary responsibility,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “No child should die in a collision or suffer serious injury because they were not properly restrained. As a parent or guardian, a child’s survival may depend on you.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), collisions are the leading cause of death for children 1 to 13 years old.

The CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System data indicates that 60 children, 13 years of age or younger, were killed in collisions in California in 2012. Approximately 43 percent of those children were not safely secured in the vehicle.

California law requires that a child be properly restrained in an appropriate child safety seat in the back seat until they are 8 years old. A child who is 8 years, and 4 feet, 9 inches or taller may ride in the back seat with a lap/shoulder belt.

“We want to help you do all you can to best protect your child in your car. During Child Passenger Safety Week, we are encouraging all parents and caregivers to have their car seat checked by a certified technician,” said Rhonda Craft, director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. “When it comes to the safety of your child, there is no room for mistakes. A car seat checkup will ensure that your child is safely and securely buckled in your car.”

The CHP and OTS recommend the following safety tips for proper car seat selection and installation:

– Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size, choose a seat that fits in your vehicle, and use it every time.
– Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions; read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH system and check height and weight limits.
– To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight requirements.
– Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.

For more information or a free inspection of your child safety seat, contact the CHP office nearest you to make an appointment with a certified child passenger safety technician.

The CHP's Clear Lake Area office can be reached at telephone 707-279-0103.

The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of safety, service, and security to the people of California.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – An Upper Lake community member who last week lost her home in a wildland fire is the focus of a newly launched fundraising effort.

Leslie Sue Humphrey escaped the Saratoga Fire – which began on the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 3 – with just the clothes on her back and her cat, Maow Maow.

Officials said the fire was sparked along Highway 20 near Saratoga Springs Road when a vehicle driven by Jackson resident Shellie Boulais, 52, went off the road and into a ditch shortly before 4 p.m. on Sept. 3. Boulais later was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Humphrey moved to Upper Lake in 1985, initially living in the Hunter Point area.

In 1998 she purchased the property at 4020 Highway 20, on the highway's north side, and developed it to include a modular home, shed, greenhouse, pump house and water storage tank.

Her brother had lived the last years of his life there, and her son also was a resident, along with  2-year-old Maow Maow, who showed up as a kitten in the engine bay of her son's vehicle.

On the day of the fire, Humphrey said her son had just left to go to the grocery store when she smelled smoke, which prompted her to call 911. The dispatcher told her to leave immediately.

She said the fire moved “incredibly fast,” estimating it was four minutes from the time she noticed the smoke to the point where she left the house, after having stuffed the nervous Maow Maow into a cat carrier.

Humphrey got in her car and headed down the driveway, meeting up with a neighbor along the way who she urged to leave immediately with her children and animals.

Then Humphrey said she drove to Pet Acres to get a phone to try to call her son. As it turned out, both of their cell phones were still in her home.

“I knew the house was going to go,” she said. “The fire was just going so fast.”

The fire did, indeed, move quickly. Northshore Fire Protection District Chief Jay Beristianos said Humphreys' house was almost completely consumed by the time he got to the fire scene.

Initially, Humphrey stayed with her friend Claudine Pedroncelli, and now is staying at a Ukiah motel while she works with her insurance company to work out the details about rebuilding her home.

“I don’t know how long all of this is going to take,” said Humphrey.

Humphrey said that, in addition to the house, the shed also burned. However, her pump house and water storage tank are still standing. “Water is necessary for life so I feel very encouraged about that.”

Beristianos pointed out that, usually after a structure fire, there are some things left and residents can go in and sort them out.

“This poor lady lost everything,” Beristianos said, noting that Red Cross can help cover some of her immediate housing needs.

Beristianos and Pedroncelli both said that Humphrey is a person who has given a lot to her community.

Humphrey, a retired Mendocino College senior programmer analyst, said she tries to make herself available to help.

She has been working with Pedroncelli at Upper Lake Senior Support Services for the last year and a half, helps out at the library and during monthly food giveaways at the senior center, and also worked with Pedroncelli on a disaster preparedness plan for the lake's north side.

“I kind of feel like I'm a poster child of what you shouldn't do,” she said, looking back on her fire experience, for which she believes she should have been more prepared.

This week, she gave her friends the OK to begin an online fundraiser to help her get back on her feet.

The fundraiser can be found at http://www.youcaring.com/help-a-neighbor/saratoga-fire-victim/231200 .

As of early Thursday morning, the fundraiser had raised $920 of its $2,000 goal, with 51 days left.

While Humphrey is living on a small pension, she said she doesn't like the idea of taking money away from people who may be more in need of money than she is.

However, Beristianos – citing her contributions to the community – sees it differently.

“It’s an opportunity for the community to give back to her now,” he said.

The effort to get Humphrey help has centered on cash donations rather than donations of clothes and other items. Humphrey said she doesn't need any additional clothes at the moment, and isn't sure of just exactly what she will need since she's early in the process of rebuilding.

“I'm in a hotel right now so everything's incredibly temporary,” she said.

In discussing her experience, Humphrey has focused on the positive, and the good she has experienced thanks to friends and neighbors.

“People have been so incredibly generous. It’s just mind-boggling to me,” she said, noting the many offers of help and places to stay. “I think we live in one of the best communities in the world.”

She's also very grateful to be alive, also expressing gratitude that her son and cat are both safe. Humphrey said she was glad her son was off running errands, otherwise he would have tried to go back to the house to save things.

“This is actually a good experience for me, to know how wonderful everybody is,” Humphrey said.

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.

State officials confirmed that a mountain lion killed this week was the same animal that attacked a child last weekend.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has completed forensics testing of the mountain lion killed by wildlife officials in Cupertino on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

Test results from the department’s Wildlife Forensics Lab confirmed this was the same lion that attacked a 6-year-old boy on Sunday, Sept. 7.

The animal also tested negative for rabies through the UC Davis California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory.

DNA testing was necessary to confirm the lion dispatched by authorities was indeed the one they sought. Mountain lion saliva samples gathered from the boy’s shirt after the attack were a perfect match to the DNA taken from the lion.

The male cat was 74 pounds, about 2 years old and healthy.

The lion was killed with a rifle shot near the Picchetti Ranch Zinfandel Trail.

Two families were hiking on a marked trail in that area on Sept. 7 when the mountain lion attacked one of the children, officials said.

According to the adults in the group, the 6-year-old boy was walking only 10 feet in front of the others, when the mountain lion jumped from a hidden position and attacked him.

The boy was transported to the hospital with serious but non-life threatening puncture wounds and released the next day.

Wildlife experts went to the scene of the attack and picked up the cat’s scent. After three days of investigating within a one-mile radius from the attack site, the experts and specialized tracking dogs found a cat and treed it approximately130 yards from the attack site.

The cat was about 70 feet up in the tree and tranquilizing it was not a reasonable option and the fall would have killed it anyway.

The cat displayed unusually aggressive behavior while treed, crouching and fixating on a wildlife officer.

The fact that it was so close to the attack site, coupled with the territorial behavior, indicated to officials that this likely was a local lion involved in the incident as opposed to one that was passing through the area.

No one at the department wanted to destroy this animal but protecting public safety is a first and foremost priority. Relocation of mountain lions is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. In this instance, the lion was not eligible because it had attacked a human.

An estimated 4,000 to 6,000 mountain lions live in California. Typically they avoid interaction with humans, and attacks like the one that occurred Sunday are very rare.

CDFW’s mountain lion policy includes non-lethal and relocation options, but prioritizes public safety in the event of attacks or threats on humans.

Established in the 1950s, CDFW's Wildlife Forensics Laboratory uses forensic science procedures to examine and analyze physical evidence of wildlife attacks on humans, as well as evidence seized by wildlife officers in criminal cases.

For information about how to stay safe when living or recreating in mountain lion territory, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/lion.html .

Federal funding will be coming to California to help rebuild areas damaged by the 6.0 Napa quake that occurred last month.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Thursday night that federal disaster aid has been made available to the state of California to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the area affected by an earthquake during the period of Aug. 24 to Sept. 7.

President Obama's action makes federal funding available to state and eligible tribal and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the earthquake in Napa and Solano counties.

Federal funding also is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties and tribes within the state.

Stephen M. De Blasio Sr. has been named as the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

De Blasio said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The fourth annual Cardinal Sports Night, held this past Saturday at the Lake County Fairgrounds, once again broke fundraising records.

Sponsored by the Clear Lake High School Sports Foundation, more than $30,000 was raised during the evening's activities.

This very unique fundraiser gives the various athletic teams at Clear Lake High School to raise money for their respective programs through silent auction items, the basket raffle and the sale of “Coaches Competition” leis.

This year, the teams succeeded in raising more than $16,000 in the competition, which will be deposited directly to their accounts this week by the CLHS Sports Foundation.

“This is an amazing event not only to raise much-needed funds for our school’s athletic teams, but also the spirit and the energy in the room as all of the student-athletes clad in their various uniforms interacted with the members of the community was electric,” said Foundation President Derek Butcher. “The school spirit was overflowing!”

The annual Coaches Competition was, once again, the high point of the night.

This crazy, crowd-loving competition incorporates a scavenger hunt with musical chairs where each team sport coach can only grab those items from one of their lei wearing “team members” before rushing back to sit it in one of the remaining chairs.

This year’s competition was spirited to say the least and, for the second year in a row, it came down to boys basketball and golf.

Golf prevailed as the returning champion and took home the coveted perpetual plaque due to a penalty on basketball called by the referees and took home the coveted perpetual plaque.

The Sports Foundation thanked the community for its continued support, with special thanks to Lakeport Rotary, DJ Jeff Cerini, auctioneer Tim Wynacht, Lake Event Design, Cache Creek Vineyards, the Lakeport Fire Department and sponsors De Leon Engineering, Shore Line Realty, The Ice Water Co. and Dr Keith Long DDS.

Fire is inanimate, yet anyone staring into a flame could be excused for thinking otherwise: Fire dances and swirls.

It reproduces, consumes matter, and produces waste. It adapts to its environment. It needs oxygen to survive.

In short, fire is uncannily lifelike.

Nowhere is this more true than onboard a spaceship.

Unlike flames on Earth, which have a tear-drop shape caused by buoyant air rising in a gravitational field, flames in space curl themselves into tiny balls. Untethered by gravity, they flit around as if they have minds of their own.

More than one astronaut conducting experiments for researchers on Earth below has been struck by the way flameballs roam their test chambers in a lifelike search for oxygen and fuel.

Biologists confirm that fire is not alive. Nevertheless, on August 21st, astronaut Reid Wiseman on the International Space Station witnessed some of the best mimicry yet.

“It was a jellyfish of fire,” he tweeted to Earth along with a video.

Wiseman was running an experiment called FLEX-2, short for Flame Extinguishment Experiment 2.

The goal of the research is to learn how fires burn in microgravity and, moreover, how to put them out.

It's a basic safety issue: If fire ever breaks out onboard a spacecraft, astronauts need to be able to control it.

Understanding the physics of flameballs is crucial to zero-G firefighting.

“Combustion in microgravity is both strange and wonderful,” said Forman Williams, the PI of FLEX-2 from UC San Diego. “The 'jellyfish' phenomenon Wiseman witnessed is a great example.”

He points out some of the key elements of the video:

“Near the beginning we see two needles dispensing a droplet mixture of heptane and iso-octane between two igniters. The fuel is ignited … then the lights go out so we can see what happens next.”

“The flame forms a blue spherical shell 15 to 20 mm in diameter around the fuel. Inside that spherical flame we see some bright yellow hot spots. Those are made of soot.”

Heptane produces a lot of soot as it burns, he explains. Consisting mainly of carbon with a sprinkling of hydrogen, soot burns hot, around 2000 degrees K, and glows brightly as a result.

“Several globules of burning soot can be seen inside the sphere,” he continues. “At one point, a blob of soot punctures the flame-sphere and exits. The soot that exits fades away as it burns out.”

There is also an S-shaped object inside the sphere. “That is another soot structure,” he says.

The “jellyfish phase” is closely linked to the production of soot. Combustion products from the spherical flame drift back down onto the fuel droplet.

Because sooty material deposited on the droplet is not perfectly homogeneous, “we can get a disruptive burning event,” said Forman.

In other words, soot on the surface of the fuel droplet catches fire, resulting in a lopsided explosion.

Remarkably, none of this is new to Forman, who has been researching combustion physics since the beginning of the Space Age.

“We first saw these disruptive burning events in labs and microgravity drop towers more than 40 years ago,” he said. “The space station is great because the orbiting lab allows us to study them in great detail.”

“Tom Avedisian at Cornell is leading this particular study,” Forman said. “We're learning about droplet burning rates, the soot production process, and how soot agglomerates inside the flame.”

At the end of Wiseman's video, the soot ignites in a final explosion. That’s how the fire put itself out.

“It was a warp-drive finish,” said Wiseman.

For more amazing tweets from the ISS, follow Wiseman @astro_reid.

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

COBB, Calif. – Firefighters are working to get a small wildland fire that was sparked Thursday afternoon by a vehicle fire under control.

The incident – which radio reports indicated may have begun with a vehicle crash – was first reported shortly before 4:30 p.m. in the area of 10974 Fawn Court on Cobb.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Greg Bertelli said at around 5:30 p.m. that the fire – which was putting up a lot   of smoke – had burned about a quarter of an acre.

He said the area's heavy – and extremely dry – vegetation is a concern for firefighters. However, at that point there were no winds driving the fire.

A Cal Fire air tanker is remaining in the area as a contingency, Bertelli said.

Bertelli said Lake County Fire Protection District sent a water tender and Kelseyville Fire sent a type three engine to assist with the incident.

He said nearby Gifford Springs Road remains open.

Additional details will be posted as they become available.

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.

Congressman John Garamendi (CA-03) this week joined Congressmen Jerry McNerney (CA-09) and Ami Bera (CA-07) in introducing legislation that would prohibit FY 2015 federal funds from being used for California’s Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP).

The BDCP includes the twin tunnels plan, which Garamendi – who represents part of Lake County – has termed a “boondoggle.”

The state administration has requested $4 billion to help implement the BDCP.

“California’s woefully inadequate water infrastructure definitely needs more federal investment, but the twin tunnels are a boondoggle and poor use of taxpayer dollars. Investments in water conservation, recycling, and storage are needed across the state. Instead of reigniting the California water war, let’s build consensus and invest in the priorities that create more reliable water for the entire state. We can increase supply without destroying the Delta or undermining water rights,” said Congressman Garamendi, former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The BDCP includes a proposal for two 33 foot-wide, 35 mile-long tunnels that would divert 112,207 gallons of water per second from the Delta and send it south.

Just two weeks ago, the state delayed the plan’s implementation due to concerns from the federal government about the environmental and economic impact of the tunnels, including the potential for salt water intrusion.

Both the Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA raised objections to the BDCP’s assumptions and called for major changes to the plan.

The BDCP is estimated to cost $25 billion, but analyses by independent groups show that the final expense could be more than $64 billion.

Water from Clear Lakes its way to the Bay Delta through Cache Creek and the Yolo Bypass.

Congressman Garamendi is the author of “A Water Plan for All California,” a comprehensive water strategy that invests in water conservation, recycling, and storage, makes needed levee improvements, protects senior water rights, preserves the Delta, and relies on a science-driven process.