Lady Gaga gets letter of thanks from Jerry Brown

Backstage at the artRave in New York

The pop superstar, who wanted the iconic but leaky pool at Hearst Castle filled for a "creative project" she is shooting, got approval for the shoot after she and her parents and associates agreed to make a $250,000 donation to help maintain and repair the castle, including repairs at Neptune Pool, according to the Hearst Castle Preservation Foundation.

Gaga also agreed to promote the castle and water conservation on social media, and to shoot a water conservation PSA.

The Hearst San Simeon State Park is part of the California state park system, and the arrangement caught the attention of Gov. Jerry Brown.

"I want to personally thank you for the aid and assistance you are providing to Hearst Castle, the communities surrounding San Simeon and the state as a whole," the governor said in a letter to Lady Gaga on Wednesday. "I've called on all Californians to conserve water in every way possible and the assistance you are providing will aide in that effort."

The castle foundation said the pool was filled with water from storage facilities on the Castle property and that the water will be returned when filming is done.

Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2014/02/lady-gaga-gets-letter-of-thanks-from-jerry-brown.html#storylink=cpy