Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
February 10, 2009
3. Watersheds –
Without financing, plans flounder
DEVELOPMENT UNFULFILLED: A gem of an Inland body of water goes barely used after 6 years, generating little money for
Riverside Press
About two decades ago, proponents of a gigantic freshwater reservoir south of
After opening to much fanfare in 2003, with about 1,000 boaters and fishers from around the Inland region and beyond showing up on opening day, the vision of a major recreational complex never materialized.
Perhaps exacerbated by the closure of boat ramps due to low water levels last fall and the $7 parking fee, fewer people are finding a reason to go to the lake.
A lone boat makes its way toward a
Some Inland residents and
MWD officials insist they have not abandoned those plans but say the wait could be years more.
"I'm very, very disappointed that nothing has happened," Hemet Mayor Eric McBride said. "I think Metropolitan, as an institution, would rather forget what they promised. But there are many here who remember. ... They sold it to us as an economic boon, but that's not what's happening."
Henry Moody, 54, of
"It's a fantastic lake, but to let it go like this is just a shame," Moody said.
Gilbert Ivey is assistant general manager and chief administrative officer for MWD, the Los Angeles-based water district that supplies water to a majority of the 19 million people who live in Southern California, including
Ivey said his agency expects to fulfill its promises regarding
"We have not turned our backs on
Ivey said MWD cannot afford to build the recreation facilities itself and needs a private developer's participation.
He said that in the years since the lake was completed, MWD has twice attempted to move the recreation project forward but both times the negotiations with developers failed. In the most recent attempt, a developer had agreed to build the recreation facilities in exchange for being able to build housing on a portion of the site, but negotiations broke down after the local housing market tanked.
He said he's confident that the projects will eventually be completed, since MWD has started the process of identifying what could be built on the site and getting permits from the city. Obtaining permits would provide a road map and help attract developers, Ivey said.
He said that could take up to three years, after which a plan to build the facilities could be pursued.
BIG PROMISES
Diamond Valley Lake, southwest of downtown
Constructing it, which took from spring of 1995 to fall of 1999, meant condemning large tracts of ranches and farmland, displacing a number of homeowners and having residents put up with thousands of dynamite blasts and dirty air while crews carved the lake out of nearby hills.
"We put up with a great loss of revenue (from property not being developed), our residents put up with all the dirt, people gave up their farms and ranches for the lake," said Hemet Councilwoman Robin Lowe, who was on a citizens committee on recreational plans.
As part of efforts to create public goodwill, MWD proposed building a number of amenities.
Although plans shifted over the years, the main proposals called for a developer to set up a major recreational complex that would include campgrounds, smaller lakes suitable for swimming and permanent marinas.
As far back as the early 1990s, MWD was planning what to build and gathering input from the public. The first set of plans was unveiled in 1994, and throughout the next decade, MWD officials regularly held public meetings to present revisions and new ideas.
McBride said he remembers seeing an exhibit at the Hemet Valley Mall years ago showing people frolicking around the lake.
However, a recurring theme from MWD officials was that the proposals were tentative.
BIG PROMISES
When the lake finally opened to boaters and fishers in the early morning of Oct. 3, 2003, a caravan of headlights and boats stretched down
The lake became a feature of
A 1992 study by Foster Associates estimated that tourism generated by the lake and its recreational facilities would put about $28 million a year into
McBride said the lake has been an underwhelming economic generator for
"Some fish and tackle shops benefit from it, but that's about it," he said.
Tom Kanarr,
BIG PROMISES
MWD did construct some amenities, including marinas and trils for equestrians, hikers and bikers, as well as infrastructure such as roads and parking structures, Ivey said.
The water district also has given property for ball fields and an aquatic center operated by Valley-Wide Recreation District, as well as support for a visitors center and the
But the major recreational complex has not materialized.
Ron Running, who has been
The plan to build the recreation facilities was included in the lake's environmental impact report, Running said. However, no timetable was specified.
He said he does not know why
Megan Merchant, owner of Last Chance Bait and Tackle in
Not helping the situation is that as the drought lowered water levels, the lake's boat ramps had to be shut down last year, eliminating most boating opportunities. #
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_lake10.47f416c.html
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