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Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD) is partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, City of Lake Elsinore and the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District to restore aquatic habitat in Lake Elsinore.
The Lake Elsinore Continuing Authorities Program 206 Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration agreement allows participating agencies to study, design and construct an ecosystem and riparian habitat restoration project on Lake Elsinore.
The feasibility study is estimated to be completed within two years and cost upwards of $1.5 million, with 50 percent paid by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and contributions of $125,000 each from the remaining partners over the next two fiscal years.
“This project was five years in the making,” said Phil Williams, president of the EVMWD Board of Directors. “With the tremendous support from Congressman Calvert, we established a partnership with the City of Lake Elsinore and Riverside County to participate in this project. This led to success in securing Army Corps of Engineers financial and technical support.”
Lake Elsinore is a shallow lake and is subject to significant evaporation and algae blooms, especially in the warm summer months. The lake is fed by runoff from the surrounding watershed. Rainfall in this semiarid region can fluctuate year to year, and lake levels can decrease significantly if rain is not consistent.
To offset evaporation, EVMWD and the City of Lake Elsinore add more than 5.5 million gallons each day of highly treated and regulated recycled water to supplement the lake levels. This helps maintain the lake’s water levels and the water quality.
“I grew up fishing on this lake and I’m still there every weekend,” said Robert E. Magee, mayor of the City of Lake Elsinore. “Maintaining a healthy habitat is not only important for the environment, but the recreation on our lake, making this a top priority for our entire community.”
