The Boggs Lake Ecological Reserve is a nature reserve in Lake County, California. The land area is about one quarter of a square mile and contains a large vernal pool as well as endangered plants such as the Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop. Boggs Lake is managed by the Nature Conservancy and the California Department of Fish and Game. It is south of Clear Lake and has a small parking area and hiking trail loop. The protective fence and interpretive display boards were installed by the Nature Conservancy. The lake lies in a volcanic depression lined with a very fine covering of volcanic ash a few feet deep that has compacted to become impervious to water. The lake surface covers about when it is full. Originally a plant preserve of that resulted from the California Native Plant Society's (CNPS) efforts to save the land from development in 1973, it is today a protected area of sensitive habitat for several endangered plants and animals. History of Boggs Lake The lake is named after Henry C. Boggs, who bought a combination grist mill and sawmill on the edge of the lake in the fall of 1866. The area was formerly owned by the Fibreboard Corporation until the early 1970s when a group of California Native Plant Society (CNPS) members, botanists from the University of California and local residents asked the company to consider setting aside the vernal pool and an adjacent forest. Although an undisturbed area, there were logging operations in the forest as well as geothermal and recreational activities that posed a threat to the fragile ecosystem. Fibreboard agreed to the offer, donated the land in 1973 and CNPS contacted The Nature Conservancy to assist with stewardship and legal matters. Named the Boggs Lake Preserve, it was a little more than in size, included most of the lake and was immediately added to the portfolio of preserves managed by The Nature Conservancy. The Boggs Lake Preserve Committee was created soon afterwards and spent the next 10 years mapping and monitoring rare plants of the preserve. The result of these scientific observations over a decade showed that the boundaries of the preserve were inadequate and did not protect some unique plant species growing outside the preserve. Off-road vehicle activity was increasing, both inside the preserve and in the surrounding area. Also, a housing development proposed near one side of the lake could cause algae