Date: May 15, 2012 Time in: 12:54PM
Current Temperature: 82.9F; 84.1F high on 5-14 Sunrise: 5:37AM opening day
Low Temperature: 34.2F Sunset: 8:24PM opening day
Predicted High Temperature: 80/W; 71/Th; 66/F; 70/Sa; 72/Su Moon Phase: New 5-20-12
Current Wind: N 4-8mph; Full Moon on: 6-4-12
Expecting gusts to: N10/Tu; W15/W; W15/Th

NOAA Weather Forecast for Eagle Lake
Precipitation since 1-1-08 10/1/2011 5.35"
Barometer: 29.90 from 29.98
Total snowfall: Since 10-1-11; 44 inches
Watch for deer on the mountain highways. 
****SPEED LIMIT ON LOCAL HIGHWAYS IS 55 MPH****
 Note that road construction and shoulder cleaning projects have begun on the roads.  Be sure to check CA Trans link and plug in your route. 
All the roads have been in good shape. 
Expect to find road work going on here and there if traveling up here.
 
 
USFS Road 21 (A-21 is the county road leading from highway 44 to Westwood) is passable from the lake to highway 44.  County Road 105 (Champs Flat Rd) passable as well.  Passing storms can erode conditions quite fast.
  
A-1 Eagle Lake Road south:   Lassen County Rd department finally opened the gate at Gallatin Road on 4-24.  Saving Spalding residents approximately 24 miles to Susanville.
 
A-1 Eagle Lake Road north: Eagle Lake Road to highway 139 from Spalding.  This route from Spalding to Susanville is 12 miles longer … one way; 24 miles longer for round trip.  45 minutes from Spalding while A-1 takes about 35 minutes unless you are behind a slow vehicle.  
  
Highway 139:  Dry and in good shape to Susanville. NOTE: Deer are moving around and antelope are as well on this route.   This is also open range country in summer and the eyes of cattle do not reflect in your headlights like other animals.  They are generally big enough to total your vehicle.  THE SPEED LIMIT IS 55 MPH (this notice provided by request of those who have been cited for speeding…and a heads up for others so it doesn’t happen to you.  It is very easy to accidentally reach speeds of or over 65mph thru Willow Creek Valley as it is straight and one can see long distances....CHP knows that too. Wildlife can jump out from anywhere and there isn't a lot of shoulder to over-correct in many areas). 

Highway 32: Check CA DOT Road conditions   Watch for pot holes and falling rocks on the roadway.  
 
Highway 36:  In good shape.  Wet when it rains.  Cold temps can cause frosty surfaces even this late in April.  For the most part, winter is over but spring can still bring some nasty thunderstorms with hail.  Worst areas in our neck of the woods are on the Fredonyer grade. Check DOT for road conditions.  
 
Highway 44: Good shape.  See Road Cameras and check conditions.  Intermittent 55 mph and 65 mph speed zones on this highway. Be sure to keep an eye on the signs. NOTE: 55 mph speed limit controlled by radar for vehicles towing in 65 mph zones. 
 
Highway 395:  Good shape and dry to Reno.  Use caution during times of heavy winds.  HEAVY WINDS CAN CAUSE DELAYS FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES ANY TIME OF THE YEAR. CHECK WIND FORECASTS ON THE NOAA LINK ABOVE WHEN COMING FROM RENO.   Remember that deer are prevalent in the Honey Lake Valley not only in summer but it is also their wintering grounds.  The “Locals” name for 395 to Reno is “BLOOD ALLEY”. Drive it often enough and you’ll understand what we mean. This is a prime time as the deer and antelope are moving back to the high country but some generally stay in the area between Susanville and Reno. Be very careful as the deer can run into you, rather than the other way around!
 
Check the road cameras at the links above.
Or check Cal Trans website for updated conditions for any temporary closures due to rock slides or storm events.
© Copyright protected 2004 - 2012.
Eagle Lake Fishing Information and Network
The “Reel” Weather
& Val’s Blog ©
5-15-12
Fishing season opens May 26, 2012
Call, text and send mobile photos to  530-249-1430
 
….as “Pollution III” Continues for the SIXTH YEAR!
Sadly, USFS Lassen National Forest engineers actions regarding the sewage ponds and water monitoring deserve an award for being the THIRD most pathetic agency department of the Federal Government.
 
><)))(*>   THE "REEL" WEATHER     <*)(((><
AND VAL'S THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY
SEE ACCESSES , QUAD & TOPO MAPS, NEWS AND ISSUES BELOW

JEAN HODGE HAS OUR SUPPORT FOR SUPERVISOR OF DISTRICT 1

5-15-12:  My apologies for a few extra days between updates. I too am preparing for the fishing season and have been bouncing in and out of town this week. The good news is that after Wednesday I will be done!!
 
It looks like we may see a slight cooling down the next few days which is a welcome relief from high temperatures reaching 82 to 84 degrees F during the day. The last few days we have held on to low temps above freezing which has caused the asparagus to simply go crazy to about 3 to 4 pounds every two days. Not bad for 5150 ft elevation as there are plenty of things we can’t grow up here. Asparagus is not one of them! …and there is no comparison to what is bought in the market! So, I am glad to see a cooling trend as continued temps in the 80s will spike it and that will be it for the season.
 
We are expecting to see mostly sunny skies but we have a 10% to 30% chance of seeing thunderstorms the next couple of days. It is during these times that the lake can actually help build clouds, making the weather appear rather than blow in. High temps dropping back down to the low 70’s are just fine. Lows should remain above freezing as long as there is a cloud cover. However, a clearing overnight after we see a little moisture can still cause a nice layer of fog to form over the lake in the morning. Generally, it doesn’t last nearly as long as it does in fall. But, it’s pretty much a given that a light rain one day causes a little fog the next morning.
 
Winds are from the north today but expected to shift to the west for Wednesday and Thursday around 5 to 10 mph with gusts possible to 15. The biggest just we have seen in the last four days has been 12.7 mph.
 
Countdown begins!! Opening day is just around the corner so to speak and less than two weeks away! The campgrounds should be open this week for early birds and stores will be opening up daily before too long. 
 
NOTE: It has been brought to our attention that some business websites have linked us up. Though we appreciate their support, several sites indicate we support them. Let it be known right here and now that we don’t support every site linking us up including local guides who have not asked for permission to do so. Our name has become a brand but we don’t put our brand on just anyone….including but not limited to locals. We see them link us on a website and then bash us publically…be very cautious. We have not authorized ANY linking up of our website with any guide services. 
 
THINGS TO CONSIDER AND THINGS TO BRING FOR OPENING WEEKEND: Spring is notorious for thunderstorms and showers so if you are coming up opening weekend be prepared for nasty weather. It is better to be prepared for it and have it not come than to not be prepared when it gets here. Even if we see high clouds or overcast skies the sun can still burn. Bring sunscreen and use it….Also, bugs, we have lots of biting bugs….bring bug repellent…some for your dogs too…sting eze also recommended. Mosquito coils and citronella candles work well in camp…A wet spring will bring out the buffalo gnats which can drive not only humans crazy but your dogs as well, and leave a nasty red bite mark that shows for weeks. We are already seeing some yellow jackets (the ones that bite and sting that drive one crazy at the fish cleaning stations)…a wet spring causes them to do well too….a quick trap is a disposable cup about a quarter full of a sweet soda or a little beer. Set several stations surrounding your campsite and most of bees will be drawn to the soda or beer…but not all of them.  Meat is an alternative but can be offensive and draw other critters…and we have plenty of them too. I’ll be adding to this list when I think of something else. This not being a “normal” year we could encounter needing things we wouldn’t normally need. But the basics definitely apply. For those of you who don’t have bilge pumps in your small boats, an electric kerosene siphon which is available at any most hardware store is a great alternative.  
 
Snakes are out of their dens. Some still shedding their skin. For the most part we have a lot of water snakes or stripped racers. These are not venomous but can scratch the skin and catch you by surprise when being mishandled by kids. We do have rattlesnakes too. We have prairie rattlers which look very similar to gofer snakes not diamond backs (although we have seen some diamond backs in the back country). For the most part, they want to get as far away from you as you want to stay away from them. But, when cornered or surrounded while coiled up at the base of a sage or bitter brush will strike. Notably, Wildcat Pt can have a few lingering among the rocks. Be sure your dog doesn’t get bit. I begin limiting the dogs run amok to staying closer to me. My dogs have the rattle snake vaccines which allow for a longer time to get them medical treatment, however depending on the bite location IE nose, neck or head, I still have as great of chance of losing my dog as you do…leg bite, I have about 6 hours rather than 6 minutes…  
 
All pages are now being updated. We may make some changes along the way.  The fishing report will be just a detailed as it has always been and we may still have something new for the mobile crowd this season as well.  I am always looking into how to serve you all better. 
 
There isn't anything like our website on the internet to use as a guideline so I am inventing it as I go along.  No matter what folks, we are still the leading website for fishing Eagle Lake and despite a few others trying to copy what we do, we lead rather than follow.   There is a reason we stay on top of the search engines for information for Eagle Lake, it is because of you...not me.  So we must be doing something right....perhaps it is the honesty, dedication, true passion for the lake and the fact we don't make any money off what we do.  By not making money on our visitors we have nothing to lose or gain from your visit...we just want to catch fish, have a good time, be safe on the water and come back again.  But we believe you will have a better experience if you know what to expect and see it in photos rather than finding out after the fact and never returning.  We are not a tourism site, we’re just regular folks that have fished Eagle Lake for generations, decades of guiding in the past and live year round in Spalding right at the lake and we want you to have a good time and catch fish. Simple enough.
 
Lake Conditions for water temps & Lake elevation by date
Ramp Conditions for launch ramp info.
Tips and Tricks for ideas & set ups dialed in for fishing Eagle Lake. Most methods are covered. We make no claims of knowing everything about Eagle Lake, but we do know a lot about catching Eagle Lake trout in their native waters.
Eagle Lake Fishing Report on “Best Fishing Locations and Depths”
 
So, let's see how the 2012 fishing season is shaping up for Eagle Lake: 
1: Less fish being planted due to low water levels, smaller fish (as per DFG) and higher catch rate since 2006.  A MAJOR SPENDING OF EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL TO NET TROUT OUT OF THE LAKE AND COLLECT EGGS BECAUSE THE YEARLY SPAWN DIDN'T HAPPEN AS PLANNED.  THERE WASN'T ENOUGH WATER COMING DOWN PINE CREEK LONG ENOUGH OR AT A LOW ENOUGH WATER TEMPERATURE TO GET THE ATTENTION OF MASSES OF SPAWN READY TROUT.  Note: Fortunately DFG was successful in their attempt on 4-16 thru 4-18 and recovered more eggs than needed just for Eagle Lake…APPROX 600k TO 700k..
2: limited public launching,
3: dangerous lake conditions and unmarked rock piles 
4: Lassen National Forest engineers incapable of controlling or monitoring raw and treated sewage leaking into the groundwater above the lake. 
5: Awaiting pH tests from CDFG to see if the Catch and Keep Recommendation is near.
See what the jewel of California has become?  Enjoy it while you can folks, Eagle Lake as we knew her, is dying.  
 
FISHING ACCESSES, TOPO MAPS
 
EAGLE LAKE ACCESSES, QUAD MAPS AND TOPO MAPS: USFS QUAD MAPSOF OPEN ROADS AROUND THE EAGLE LAKE AREA: The links below go to maps saved from Lassen National Forest website. Any questions you have should be directed to Eagle Lake Ranger Station staff. I am only providing them for quick access for our viewers. More information on road closures in the Forest is available on their website. All these maps have the access roads pretty well lined out for you to access say, Wildcat Point (Pikes Pt Quad and Topo) or the Youth Camp from Gallatin (Gallatin Quad and Topo). On the larger maps, one can enlarge a specific area and crop and print the selected area on regular paper.
 
CHAMPS FLAT QUAD MAP LINK (popular drive to see wildlife; County Road 105 & ends at USFS 21)
 
USFS ROAD CLOSURESZOOM IN You can also zoom up and crop specific areas of these maps to print. I personally did this myself to use to compare to other maps I had when bumpin’ along the dirt roads & believe it or not, there was some very good information on all these maps. USGS has just about everything you could ever need or want for maps…. Hunters might just benefit very well from downloading some of these maps and satellite images.
 
LNF HAS NEW ROAD MAPS OUT NOW ON THEIR WEBSITE. WE WILL HAVE THE NEW MAPS AVAILABLE FOR YOU ALL NEXT SEASON!
 
USGS TOPO MAPS SURROUNDING EAGLE LAKE: The following maps are from the usgs.gov site and are free for printing.  I simply put them in one location for you.  The following topo maps up to 8mb so dialup users may have difficulty downloading these files to print.  There is a pop up from the map site’s Adobe Reader regarding viewing these maps AND YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO INSTALL ANYTHING TO VIEW THESE IN ADOBE 8.1 OR HIGHER. CLICK NO AND THE MAPS WILL OPEN JUST FINE. Large file size around 8 MB or so for each map.
     
EAGLE LAKE SHORE FISHING ACCESSES  
 
The jetty and Pikes Point at Eagle Lake Marina. The parking area on Gallatin Road past Camp Ronald McDonald to access the gravel bar south of The Springs. Eagles Nest, The Youth Camp/Biology Station. Between Merrill Camp ground and Christie Day Use Area is the Circus Grounds and between the Day Use and Little Merrill Creek are several rocky points with good structure…all the way to Wildcat Pt are awesome steep ledges. Tubers can easily launch and access some remarkable water if willing to work for it. Wildcat Point is the ONLY access where vehicles can drive closer to the lake. Lake of the Woods (north of Wildcat) is closed to vehicles, but open for walking or horseback after Sept 15.  Further north there are two accesses for Rocky Point which will improve again once fall rolls around. There is one on each side, Bucks Bay and Spalding. There are several accesses in the north basin but generally the area along highway 139 fishes better in times of higher water levels. “Fred’s Road” near Spalding is closed to vehicles but The Strand basically continues but turns to a recently improved graveled road  to the mouth of Pine Creek just west of Spalding’s marina with several turn outs for parking before getting to the end parking area where the Y use to be. All roads along Pine Creek Slough (which is entirely closed to fishing) are closed to vehicular traffic although people have moved rocks to drive quads upstream…LNF is aware of people doing this but they are going to have help getting bigger, heavier rocks dug into the ground to prevent movement this summer.
 
EAGLE LAKE NEWS, ISSUES,
PROBLEMS AND USFS POLLUTION Publishers opinion may not be that of our supporters. Our supporters believe in free speech.


PUBLISHERS POINT OF VIEW REGARDING PINE CREEK WATER IMPOUNDS VS EAGLE LAKE: Now, I am not against agriculture, however I am against a one sided "water sharing" when Eagle Lake is footing the bill and becoming a much less attractive tourist destination.  Heritage trout are secondary to open range.  Oh, the powers that be protected Pine Creek from cattle by fencing the creek off from them as well as other wildlife.  Prior to that fencing we regularly saw hundreds of antelope in Pine Creek Valley.  Well, for those of you who may not know this, antelope don't jump fences, they will go under as long as there is enough room.  Hence, "antelope fencing" in which the bottom wire of the fence is 18 inches above the ground.  I have occasionally seen an antelope go under one of these fences, and I have cut one out of a fence in the past.  But, mostly it takes more effort than they want to put out so just to get to the other side….now most of the antelope we see up here hold very close to the forest fringe.  Now for the geese....they did great along Pine Creek in a natural habitat and were quite content.  Another project on Pine Creek was slowing the water down to improve the upper reaches where the scientists had determined was their natural spawning beds....but 2011 spawn season showed that the trout actually spawned much lower downstream....and only about 3 to 5 miles upstream from the lake.  But, by slowing down the water in long slow flowing stretches warms the water temperature up. 
 
In drought years, one would think that a natural resource would have some sort of protection over artificial avian habitat….I’ll guarantee that the avian habitat lost to low water levels of Eagle Lake is hundreds of times larger than the seasonal artificial habitats.  Once water temps are 50F and above reach the trap in Spalding, the trout lose their inclination to spawn as they  know their eggs need a specific temperature to hatch.  Most the activity at the trap in Spalding happens when the creek temp is 41F to 47F and at 45F to 47F the trout just go nuts.  But, push that temp up and they will turn around and head back to the lake.  If they are already above the trap, they keep going and if flow allows, they come back to the lake.  DFG generally transplant around 400 trout from the trap in Spalding upstream to their historic spawning beds when the flow allows and the numbers of fish allow for it. But, there wasn’t enough flow or fish to do any transmitter run or load up a tank truck.  
 
So, we need to bring a balance to preserving Eagle Lake and the Heritage trout fishery as well as our many other recreational opportunities.  Lassen County is losing millions of dollars in tax revenue that used to come in from Eagle Lake area.  For the last many decades, the water use shifted to preserving grazing and alfalfa production for a handful of ranchers over protecting Eagle Lake and a threatened heritage trout.  Officials cry "extended drought" for several years caused the condition of the lake, well, that is half right. If we had the accumulative amount of water that has been impounded over the last several decades, and what was lost out of the Bly Tunnel, we could be in a lot better shape. This lake is at her prime around 5106 ft to 5108 ft elevation and should have been protected. Even now, the water impoundments for “avian habitat” have the water they need and the grazing has been protected by securing impounded water for the birds....but insuring the health of Eagle Lake fishing, recreation, businesses and public safety on the water wasn't even a fleeting thought in the past or present.  Now look at our lake and a bleak future.  Businesses are suffering greatly, Spalding's new marina may become unusable by fall and LNF continues leeching sewage into the ground water above the recreation area....heck, look at Susanville....more than half the business space in uptown is vacant and boarded up....and most were, well before the recession.... It has been the same people running Lassen County for decades so if you want more of the same, keep them. If you want to change things for the people, vote them out.  Susanville used to be a nice little town, now it is a dead little “Prisontown” where the people have to shop out of town if you want something better than Walmart or Ross. 
 
 If you live in Lassen County, this upcoming election for board of supervisors is critical.  For the first time in decades, you have the chance to make changes that all the people in the county will benefit from, not just a limited few.  It is time for Lassen residents to make a choice to either stay the same by voting for the incumbents or make a change for a better future for Lassen County as we have so much wildlife, fishing and outdoor opportunities to share that has been neglected to promote agriculture in lui of recreation…there can be a better balance. The lake is now only a shadow of what it used to be.  I know what we have had for decades and I am certainly willing to give these folks running for supervisor a chance to consider options for a better future for everyone in Lassen County.  My district is District 1 and Bob Pyle has been our supervisor a long time.  Stones Landing is in a different district…. I personally met with Jean Hodge who is running against Bob Pyle for supervisor and we met for over 2 1/2 hours.  I found her to be honest, sincere, energetic and very intelligent.  She understands the problem that we have in Lassen County.  She also has my upmost and total support as well as my vote! If you want to help improve and balance Lassen County for all the people, wildlife and businesses, Jean Hodge is up to the task.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT  POLLUTION CONTINUES
 
POLLUTION III CONTINUES AS SEWAGE CONTINUES TO LEACH INTO THE GROUND WATER AT USFS LNF SEWAGE PONDS THAT SERVE EAGLE LAKE RECREATION AREA:  Merrill flushed local drainage for two days and that was it.  But, it appears that we do not want ANY water from Merrill Creek until Lassen National Forest can demonstrate by data collected from inadequate monitoring that the old sewage ponds adjacent to the headwaters above Merrill Campground are not draining into the groundwater and the lake.   See the letter from Lahontan to LNF on 3-20-12.  This same pattern of behavior from the exact same FEDERAL employees who allowed the sewage ponds to rot and leak raw and treated sewage into the ground water in the first place, continues SINCE 2007 and several years before that.  2007 is when, after multiple attempts by us, Lahontan actually saw the rot, holes and leakage for themselves...then the missing documentation and lack of proper testing and inspections.  Yet, after 6 years of the same, what appears to be ILLEGAL action of Lassen National Forest employees listed as the first two names on the last page of this letter, Lahontan is no less responsible for allowing what seems to be gross sewage pollution of groundwater to continue....there is no data indicating that the sewage has not traveled toward the lake...just as there is no data showing that it has NOT flowed into the lake...THAT HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE...WELL, EVER. This has been the pattern all along…..no data, no problem. I seriously doubt that Lahontan has even made a surprise inspection or even physically looked at the site since issuing the violation leading to the Cease and Desist Order, surely if they had, their findings might answer their questions in this letter. 
 
 Personally, I cannot believe that the two LNF engineers that have been involved with the problems regarding the condition of the sewage ponds continue to collect taxpayers money for wages....as well as continue the same practice outlined in Lahontan’s letter......and smile all the way to the bank....and we complain about the illegal aliens raping the taxpayers? Ha! see what a handful of federal employees can tally up.  If a citizen polluted a fraction of  1/1000th of what the federal government has willingly and knowingly done, we would not see the light of day for quite some time, fined $1000 per day for every day the sewage continued.....and forced to pay for clean up and disposal, monitoring if need be....our federal employees should be held to the same standards as the citizens.   6 years of fines at $1000 per day (citizen rate):  365x6x1000= $2,555,000.00 .....I think these federal employees need to start paying us back! Or clean up the mess they have left and find out how much damage has been done as requested (but in actuality unenforced) by the State of California….see folks, that’s the point…LNF doesn’t want to know the extent of the polluted groundwater as if they did, they would have to clean it up and that appears to be too much work for this branch of governmental agency to perform.  I am curious as to how many gallons of Clorox bleach that will require?
 
Now, as a taxpayer, do you think you're getting a 5 to 6 digit job from these federal employees....hell, these people are supposed to be engineers for our behalf?  How about your state employees and engineers? Going on 7 years of sewage leaking into the ground water without ANY clean up, decontam or water monitoring or enforcement other than words on paper that hold no value.   

In the past, in the present and in the future we proudly expose pollution and abuse of Eagle Lake by government agencies:  THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF POLLUTION PROBLEMS WE HAVE DISCOVERED IN THE PAST AND IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER HAVE GOTTEN CLEANED OR CEASED THE ACTION THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. WE DID NOT GO LOOKING FOR THESE THINGS, THEY SHOWED UP IN OUR BACK YARD SO TO SPEAK. OUR PERSONAL ETHICS AND MORALS FORCED OUR ACTIONS IN ORDER TO MAKE THE
NECESSARY CHANGES AT HIGH LEVELS OF AUTHORITY. POLLUTION lll IS STILL IN PROGRESS.
 
Pollution or not 1   Revisiting the Past. Creosote and toxic dumping practices of USFS. We proudly took care of some other pollution issues at Eagle Lake…personally, without the assistance of any other local residents who for one reason or another didn’t care about the potential for sewage to enter the lake or protecting the main polluter (less repercussions that way). From creosote barriers being left by LNF in a watershed so they could leach out the old creosote near the lake only to be burned in place three years later by LNF are no longer here. Now, at least, they are sitting out in Honey Lake Valley and their watershed, at least they no longer will pollute Eagle Lake. The top dog responsible for it as well as the other pollution problems is no longer working for the USFS! And, we can’t be happier about that unfortunately collecting a taxpayer retirement….but some of the expertly tutored students still remain. Pollution III is the perfect example of keeping people on the payroll responsible for not being responsible at their duties.
 
Pollution or not 2 Just what were they putting in the water of Merrill Creek? A change in campground rules were necessary. Despite denial, the changing of the rules where campers dump their dishwater and wash water were needed to prevent soaps and toothpaste residues from entering Merrill Creeks “intermittent springs” from the gravel cisterns at the drinking water faucets. The “intermittent springs” are now at the lowest flows we have seen in years during the summer months and the muddy red water appears to no longer be a problem. Denial was not the best option in this case either. Top dog responsible no longer works for USFS. But, LNF refuses to do proper water monitoring at the sewage ponds above Merrill Campground so we have a good idea what is destined to come down. At least soap and toothpaste no longer goes into the open drainage from the water faucets…but it is taking time to clear.
 
Pollution or not 3 POLLUTION NOW AND THEN  Personally, I believe that these constitute to some degree, criminal actions by government employees AFTER SIX YEARS OF DELIBERATELY ALLOWING SEWAGE TO FLOW INTO THE GROUND WATER. But, it now appears that Lahontan’s unenforceable “rules” continue to be unenforceable and  getting to the point of wasteful spending just paying the salaries of these employees.  LNF will never test or monitor the ground water and Lahontan will only throw out meaningless words on paper just as they have for the last six years as well.  But all the while these individuals spend taxpayers dollars to spit out meaningless words the sewage continues to leak and LNF only has half of one of what is supposed to be 8 monitoring wells and it appears refusing to even follow their own plan.  But the sewage ponds continue to leach into the Merrill Creek watershed. Someone once asked me “just what will get you off the back of LNF regarding the sewage leaching into the groundwater?”  My answer is quite transparent; all they have to do is comply and stop polluting and clean up your mess…YET, both LNF and Lahontan has allowed the sewage to continue leaking through the holey pond-liners since 2005.  Denial had to be reckoned with and to this day has not been resolved by LNF supervisors or staff...denial appear to be more like criminal cover-up at the highest levels of Lassen National Forest....coruption at it's best .  Foot dragging is still a problem and work? What is that? LNF hasn’t shown much desire to even partially take care the problem, let alone all of the problems. For having had several years to take care of the problem or at least minimize the sewage leaking capabilities, the stewards of our land have not done a good job at all in protecting Eagle Lake. The photos show the real situation so inaccurate statements were never an option even though it was tried. Our government agencies only took 6 years just to get to this point and the sewage continues to flow. 
 
Six years of sewage leakage was allowed to happen to get this systems paperwork (not finished yet) repaired (not started yet) and another year or more (depending on the weather) before sewage might flow into a newly lined sewage pond. I hope those who allowed the system to degrade to what it is now are very happy with their decisions not to do anything about it or chose not to have higher standards not only for the last 5+ years, but considering the damage, several years before that.  Perhaps Eagle Lake Guardians need to present some plaques of our own when “refirement” comes to those who linger on the system sucking the taxpayers dry for little to no physical or mental labor what so ever.   However, I no longer believe that personnel changes are any better than anyone in the job previously, exception of the gross polluter who retired several years ago. (one of our best achievements).  Unfortunately, there are a lot of good people who work in other departments at LNF who do want to take care of the environment and fishery.  Unfortunately, the person(s) in charge sewage system reflect poorly on everyone else who actually work hard for the public.
 
 
It is what it is. All I do is photograph the evidence. The more time that the leaking ponds leak, the greater risk potential for contaminating the lake and ground water…at the largest most improved RV compliant campground at Eagle Lake. NOTE: 122 to 132 holes detected in each sewage pond including primary sides have already done their damage to the ground water and if we see heavy rains wash that down from the headwaters (springs) that are adjacent to the sewage site). One would think our tax dollars would go further?
 
PUBLISHERS NOTE
 
PUBLISHERS NOTE:  We are not a tourism website. We are independent folks and simply write (blog) about what we do, how we’re all catching fish, and what we see & feel. We are glad our site is popular, but please understand, we don’t update the fishing report if we have not actually been out on the water. We are glad that some of you miss us when other things come up….but we do have life get in the way of fun just like everyone else. If four days go by between updates of the fishing report, we apologize. But, we believe it helps to actually go fishing to update a report.  We have no employees, we don’t actively sell advertisements, if you want it, ask about it. If you don’t, we’re not offended if you don’t want your business name in front of our thousands of viewers. We are not competing for or advertising a guide service  and we make nothing on tackle sales or any other commodity for any financial gain. When referring to Val’s flies & color combinations, it is what to look for and for those who tie their own flies. But, here is what we do do: Besides our detailed fishing and lake reports, we fight for Eagle Lake’s rights which historically has always costly to do in one way or another. Not depending on your money, allows us to say it like it is and not follow the age old game of fabricating our information.   It also allows us to take on the issues that others only complain about but don’t have the wherewithal to follow through to help save Eagle Lake from those sworn to protect her. Eagle Lake is worth more to us than anything or anyone. That said, we chose to save the lake.  Oh, we hear plenty of lies about us up here, but our viewers know us better than anyone else and we let it rest at that. Plain and simple, one can either be part of the problem, or part of the solution. We chose to be part of the solution, no matter what it takes and no matter what some folks say or think about us.  
 
 EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS INFO  
 
Now, we have formed a new nonprofit to get everyone involved which will give Eagle Lake her voice and that is through Eagle Lake Guardians. We didn’t want a fancy, friendly title we wanted one that would let the agencies know we mean business. Our members now span 8 states and growing!   So, all in all, Eagle Lake and everything that affects her IS our passion. Teaching others and giving them something to respect is our profession. Just about everything Eagle Lake is located on our websites (which will be undergoing some changes over winter). All one has to do is look. 
 
2-2-12 BLM CLOSES THE VALVES IN THE BLY TUNNEL!!
 
12-27-11 EAGLE LAKE PREVAILS.  STATE WATER RIGHTS SAYS TO BLM "CLOSE THE VALVE ON THE BLY TUNNEL"  SEE GUARDIAN WEBSITE AT www.eaglelakeguardians.org
 
Co-founders of The NEW NON PROFIT for EAGLE LAKE: Eagle Lake Guardians.   SEE EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS WEBSITE HERE! Our members ARE the future of Eagle Lake.  Our objective is the enhance and protect Eagle Lake water level, water quality, heritage trout fishery and avian habitat. We may seek legal advice and legal action to get our lake back in the hands of those who own her….the people
 
ALL EAGLE LAKE, ALL THE TIME
  © REGISTERED
Copyright Registered 2004-2012 by the author, Valerie Aubrey. The website’s http://www.eaglelakefishing.net/ and http://www.eaglelakefishing.info/, All old and new Maps, Articles and Photographs contained therein are copyright protected and are published exclusively on the Internet by the author and may not be copied, displayed, reproduced or published in any other form without the express written permission of the author who reserves all rights. Viewers may print for personal use. Commercial use of any map or story is strictly prohibited without permission. Any “free Map” from our websites must be a permitted copy for commercial redistribution. Material supplied by others is the copyrighted property of the respective authors.  Re-use of any articles, maps and photographs on Eagle Lake Fishing Information and Network without written permission by the author(s) for any purpose is strictly prohibited.
2012-05-15

 

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