As part of this year's "living with drought"
project, my folks and I headed out to check the water levels in a couple of
lakes close to Hemet, CA where we stay during our annual trek to the desert.
Two lakes—Diamond Valley Lake and Lake Skinner—are part of California's
state-wide water projects to capture rain and snow melt for use in Southern
California. Both lakes are used for recreation as well as water catchment.
Diamond Valley Lake
Diamond Valley Lake is located southwest of Hemet close to
the intersection of Simpson Parkway and Highway 79. The reservoir is the
largest in Southern California, with a 260 billion gallon capacity. It provides
emergency water for Southern California's 18 million people. To the south of
the lake is a 13,500 acre preserve and watershed called the Southwestern
Riverside County Multi-Species Reserve.
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| The boat launch at Diamond Valley Lake - the 2002 water line is visible in the distance. |
The road to the Overlook was closed on the day we visited,
but we were able to get to the boat launch to take a look at the water level.
The boat launch is steep and long – indicating the low level of the lake. The
high water mark of the lake bed, which indicates where the lake was at its
fullest in 2002, is high above the current water level.
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| Diamond Valley Lake is well below capacity. |
Lake Skinner
A few miles to the south on Highway 79, is Lake Skinner
County Park. Its reservoir, Lake Skinner, has much smaller capacity, and it is also surrounded
by an open park recreational area. The reservoir is operated by the
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and the water is used by
Southwestern Riverside County and San Diego County.
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| We enjoyed the Lake Skinner recreational area. |
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| Dense chaparral of the Lake Skinner recreational area. |
We walked along the lake and enjoyed the views across the
water, and the great examples of chaparral plants along its edge. Plants seemed
to be especially verdant and healthy looking, due to recent rains. The lake
level is low, as we could see from several vantage points along the lake.
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| Bird near Lake Skinner |
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| Hummingbird at Lake Skinner |
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| We saw lots of dodder, a plant parasite |
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| A manroot seed pod - almost ready to eat |
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The lakes are important for supplying daily and emergency
water for Southern Californians, and are an important component in the
state-wide water system. In both cases, the lakes are low due to low rainfall
for the past three years, and reduced snow melt from a dwindling snow pack.
This scenario of thirsty lakes is being played out across the state.
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