Lopez Lake, Santa Margarita Lake boat ramps reopen

The boat launch ramps at Lopez Lake and Santa Margarita Lake reopened this week.

The ramps at the lake near Arroyo Grande have not been usable since August because the water level was so low, park ranger Glenn Simpson said. The rain this month has caused Lopez Lake to rise 10 feet and Santa Margarita Lake to rise 35 feet.

Lopez Lake began the month of January at 22 percent capacity and has since risen to 33 percent capacity. Santa Margarita Lake saw a 604 percent increase in capacity — from 9.5 percent to 67 percent full.

Anyone wanting to take advantage of the ramps should watch out for debris and submerged hazardous objects in the water, especially during stormy periods, according to a news release from the San Luis Obispo County Parks and Recreation Department.

This story was originally published January 25, 2017 at 3:47 PM with the headline "Lopez Lake, Santa Margarita Lake boat ramps reopen."