LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, one of the top fishing destinations in Southern California will soon be back in business as the Metropolitan Water District today announced plans to reopen Diamond Valley Lake to boat launches in mid-May.
With Metropolitan making its first significant water deliveries into the lake in more than three years, Diamond Valley Lake near Hemet in southwest Riverside County is scheduled to reopen to boat launching on Wednesday, May 18. Boat launches were suspended in April 2015 as water levels receded to record lows, dropping below the lake’s launch ramp.
“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 reintroduce boating and fishing on the lake,” he added.
Nearly doubling the region’s surface water storage capacity when it was dedicated in 2000, Diamond Valley Lake 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.) As Metropolitan drew on DVL’s supplies to meet the region’s imported water demands over the last four drought years, lake levels dropped nearly 115 vertical feet, dipping below the existing boat ramp last April.
Since the closure, the district 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 ramp.
“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. “Replenishing our primary drinking water storage reservoir is essential in helping maintain the Southland’s water reliability.
“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.”
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.
To beat the May 18 rush, 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. However, boats launched at Lake Skinner have to be dry for seven consecutive days prior to launching at Diamond Valley Lake.
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.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state-established cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving nearly 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
