Fishermen Fight Plan to Open Lake Casitas to Swimmers, Skiers

A group of Lake Casitas fishermen is stepping up a campaign to sink plans to turn the scenic reservoir into a playground for water-skiers, jet skiers and recreational swimmers.

Members of the Lake Casitas Preservation Society plan to crowd Wednesday’s meeting of the Casitas Municipal Water District to lobby against the proposal, which is moving closer to reality as a new water treatment plant comes on line.

“I have very strong emotional ties to the area and to the lake,” said Walter Stowe, who organized the society a few months ago. “It’s known worldwide as one of the top lakes in the world for largemouth bass.”

What’s more, Stowe said, allowing water-skiers and swimmers to mingle alongside bass anglers at Lake Casitas could prove dangerous.

“I’m worried about water quality, public safety and protecting a world-class trophy bass fishery,” he said. “I’m also concerned about the number of deaths and accidents that are occurring on other lakes.”

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Fishermen have had the lake to themselves for years. But water-skiers and jet ski owners say they are tired of driving 100 miles or farther to do their thing.

“I’ve never had any run-in with fishermen ever, and I’ve skied all the lakes within a 200-mile radius,” said Jeff Norcott, a Ventura County firefighter who lives in Oak View.

“They’ve had it for so long, they’re protective of it,” Norcott said. “They don’t want to give it up.”

For now, directors of the Casitas Municipal Water District have not made up their minds. But they have directed General Manager John Johnson to study the impacts of allowing more uses at the lake.

“I’m not sure it matters to us whether it’s allowed or not,” said Johnson, who wants the $9.3-million water treatment plant to begin operating in July as expected.

“If the board ultimately decides they want it there, we need to develop rules about how to allow it so it doesn’t affect water quality,” he said. “If the board decides it’s not going to be there, then that’s OK too.”

Board member Bill Austin said he supports allowing water-skiers and others to use Lake Casitas, once environmental issues are resolved.

“I would rather see the lake and the recreation area be taken advantage of to its full extent,” Austin said. “It will enhance our revenue, but it will also be a step in the right direction as far as enhancing recreation.”

Several impediments to opening the reservoir to swimmers and skiers remain even after the treatment plant goes on line this summer.

Specifically, health officials would require a year’s worth of water-quality test results before endorsing such a move, and the state Legislature would have to pass a bill to allow the new recreational uses.

State Sen. Jack O’Connell (D-San Luis Obispo) just last month declined to carry a bill that would have permitted water-skiing and other sports on the lake. But his top aide said Monday that it was simply too soon.

“The plant’s not supposed to go on line any time soon, and there is some community work that still needs to be done,” said Gavin Payne, O’Connell’s chief of staff.

David Johnson, a spokesman for the state Department of Boating and Waterways, said the tug of war between fishermen and water-skiers comes up all the time. But there are compromises available, he said.

“You can segregate the various activities, and that’s worked out very well in many places,” said Johnson, who added that local officials will make the final determination about what to allow at Lake Casitas.

“Mission Bay in San Diego has used that extensively, and there have not been many problems,” he said.

Nonetheless, Johnson said there seem to be fewer injuries at lakes that do not allow mixed uses.

“Fishing tends to be more passive,” said Johnson, who is no relation to the district’s general manager. “So I would guess there would be fewer accidents.”

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Susie Ungaro, an activist who lives below Casitas Dam, said she plans to attend Wednesday’s meeting and urge directors to preserve the lake. But she is not opposed to compromise.

“I’ve seen islands in other lakes that were totally destroyed by body contact, and that would really be an awful thing to see,” she said. “We would love to stop it completely, but compromise for now? Absolutely.”