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Improved Water Supply Conditions Have Helped Loosen Drought’s Grip
Metropolitan Water District (MWD) has announced plans to reopen the boat launches at Diamond Valley Lake (DVL) in mid-May thanks to Metropolitan making its first significant water deliveries into the lake in more than three years. DVL, near Hemet in southwest Riverside County, is scheduled to reopen to boat launching on Wednesday, May 18.
“In the wake of the last four drought years, the reopening of Diamond Valley Lake is certainly good news,” said Metropolitan General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger. “Reopening the lake is equally important to the region’s recreational and fishing enthusiasts,” he added. “We look forward to offering people throughout the West the opportunity to put their boats back on the water and sample the world-class fishing the lake offers.”
When Diamond Valley Lake was dedicated in 2000 it nearly doubled the water storage capacity of the lake. Today it has a storage capacity of 810,000 acre-feet of water. (An acre-foot of water is nearly 326,000 gallons, about the amount used by two typical Southland households in a year.) Lake levels have dropped nearly 115 vertical feet in the past four drought years as Metropolitan drew on DVL’s supplies to meet the region’s imported water demands.
Diamond Valley Lake is Southern California’s largest reservoir and covers 4,500 surface acres, is 4.5 miles long and more than two miles wide. DVL can hold enough water to meet the area’s emergency and drought needs for six months. It is an important component in Metropolitan’s system that provides a reliable supply of water to the 19 million people in Metropolitan’s six-county service area.
“We’re keenly aware of what Diamond Valley Lake means to the surrounding region, which was first impacted by the recession and then by drought,” said Randy Record, Metropolitan’s chairman of the board of directors. “Improved supply conditions, particularly in Northern California, have helped loosen the drought’s grip and allowed us to (soon) reintroduce boating and fishing on the lake,” he added.
Since the closure, the MWD took advantage of the low lake levels to extend the middle three launch lanes of the 11-lane ramp. In late March, Metropolitan began making water deliveries to help replenish storage and raise lake levels. By the middle of May, water levels are expected to rise sufficiently to safely allow boat launches on the extended ramps.
Once the lake reopens to launching, all boats—power boats, fishing boats, sailboats, rowboats, kayaks, canoes and certain types of catamarans—and respective engines must pass inspection and be registered. All boats also must be inspected for quagga mussels. However, boats that have been launched at Lake Skinner have to be dry for seven consecutive days prior to launching at Diamond Valley Lake.
Boat owners can have their crafts inspected and registered at Diamond Valley Lake the weekends of May 7-8 and 14-15, between 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Inspections also are available at nearby Lake Skinner Recreation Area, 37701 Warren Road in the Temecula Valley.
For more information on Diamond Valley Lake, the reopening of the launch lanes or to make a reservation, visit www.dvmarina.com or call the marina office at (951) 926-7201 or (800) 590-LAKE.
