Santa Margarita Lake: Swimming doubtless by subsequent summer season

Thinking a couple of lake day? Santa Margarita Lake might quickly be open for swimming after years of being off-limits, due to a new state law that expands recreation whereas maintaining the water secure.
  
“It’s one of the most beautiful lakes — quiet, there’s no skidoos [Sea-Doos], skiing and all that junk — and it’s wonderful, so what are you gonna ruin it for?” mentioned Creston resident and avid fisherman Ted Ratcliff.
 
For many years, this man-made reservoir has been off-limits to swimmers as a result of it provides consuming water for the realm, however Senate Bill 1253 might change that. 
 
“That bill now is going to allow for body contact in Santa Margarita Lake which, effectively, is swimming,” mentioned San Luis Obispo County interim Parks & Recreation Director John Diodati. “The lake has not allowed body contact, per state regulations, prior to now.”
 
Friday, the ambiance at Santa Margarita Lake was because it at all times is, in accordance with locals: peaceable, quiet, serene, and nonetheless.
 
“A lot of us are concerned with that going away,” mentioned fisherman Eric Minks.
 
Minks frequents Santa Margarita Lake with a number of different fishing buddies a number of instances per week. He says that it’s not the swimming that’s making waves for him and his crew; it’s the opposite actions, like jet snowboarding and wakeboarding, that the invoice might permit for. 
 
“It’s 105º, you wanna jump in the lake? Cool. You know, go ahead. But the part of speedboats and wake boats and waves beating on the shore, changing the bird’s habitat and all that, people leaving trash, partying more on the beach, and stuff like that. That’s kind of what the concern is,” he mentioned.
 
Currently, the lake is open to fishing, boating, canoeing and kayaking, however it is going to be as much as the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors to determine what new actions the lake will see. 
 
“We are not envisioning jet skis, we are not envisioning turning this into a Lake Nacimiento,” Diodati mentioned. “Water skiing, wake surfing — those cause shoreline erosion, they impact water quality, so we don’t want to see those activities as well. This is still gonna remain a very beautiful and quiet reservoir for all users to enjoy now.”
 
What’s extra more likely to be seen on the lake might be swimming, paddleboarding, windsurfing, sail or foil boarding, water entry from the seashore or shore and body-contact fishing, which fisherman Mike Knodl doesn’t appear to thoughts. 
 
But even the slight risk of different actions exhibiting up on the lake considerations him, particularly for native wildlife.
 
“I’m just worried about the watercraft, you know,” he mentioned. “The water skiing and the jet skis, I think, would be devastating. Jet skis can run over, you know, the wildlife. It can be birds or some of the mammals, the bears and the deer, they’ll swim across the lake.”
 
While the county has explored permitting swimming at Santa Margarita Lake for many years, county officers say the formal push started earlier this yr when supervisors added assist for leisure swimming to its legislative platform, main Senator John Laird to sponsor a invoice.
 
The lake provides consuming water to the City of San Luis Obispo, so SB 1253 additionally requires native officers to proceed to watch and deal with the water.

“When they brought on Nacimiento reservoir, which is another water supply for the city, they upgraded their treatment facilities, because that is a body-contact reservoir,” Diodati mentioned. “This water from Santa Margarita is going to the same water treatment plant in the City of San Luis Obispo.”

The new entry takes impact Jan. 1, however Diodati says folks doubtless gained’t have the ability to dive in till the summer season of 2027, after ordinances and tips are in place.