Local, state and federal officials over the years have launched numerous efforts to address the problems and avoid potential new ones like invasive mussels, with limited success. The efforts have included three failed county tax measures since 2012 aimed at improving lake quality, an ongoing federal cleanup of a mercury mine and a long-awaited wetlands restoration project.

Now, a bill sponsored by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, is offering new hope for lake improvements. AB 707 doesn’t currently include funding, but local and state officials say it could make such financing easier to obtain by getting multiple agencies and groups to work together on a common goal.

“This is a big deal,” said Lake County Supervisor Jim Steele, a former Fish and Wildlife scientist and manager.

AB 707 would create a “blue ribbon” committee that would bring together a battery of scientists, elected officials, tribal members, environmentalists and others to study the problems and come up with potential solutions.

Aguiar-Curry said she launched AB 707 because of concerns she heard from Lake County residents and officials during her election campaign last year. The input was mixed, leading her to believe further study was necessary. But one thing was clear: The lake is a beautiful asset that is crucial to the county’s economy, Aguiar-Curry said. The bill was approved this week by the Assembly’s Committee on Natural Resources. The bill heads next to the Assembly’s Committee on Appropriations.

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