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Lake drinks a lot of water; Chollas, which is used only for recreation, loses millions of gallons each year

Posted by: Maven on December 8, 2008 at 6:34 am

From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

San Diego, a city teetering close to mandatory water conservation, spends at least $140,000 annually to pump about 53 million gallons of drinking water into Chollas Lake for fishing.

The Park and Recreation Department says the lake is an acceptable use of city water and money because it supports youth fishing and is the centerpiece of the much-loved Chollas Lake Park.

Critics question this use of ever-more-precious drinking water when the city is urging residents to conserve 20 gallons a day. “Can we afford to be putting especially treated water that could be used for drinking water in a big man-made hole so people can fish?” said Geoffrey Smith, a San Diego consultant who has worked for consumer activists. “There are plenty of reservoirs in the county where fishing is allowed but water is held for potable use.”

If the city advances to a Stage 2 water emergency in the spring, it might stop replenishing the lake anyway.

A spokeswoman for Mayor Jerry Sanders said the city will re-evaluate all water used for recreation at that point. A comparable water use would be the $135,000 spent annually on fields around Ocean Beach’s Robb Field. “If we need bigger cuts . . . maybe Chollas Lake will be one of them,” said spokeswoman Rachel Laing.

Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.

December 8, 2008 · Filed Under San Diego

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