Headed to a SLO County lake for Labor Day weekend? Levels are low, but you can still go
Reservoirs in San Luis Obispo County are dipping to unprecedented levels for this time of year as the drought in the Western United States persists.
The low levels come just in time for Labor Day weekend visitors to fill campgrounds and line the shores of many local lakes.
Lake Nacimiento on the border of San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties is currently at 13% capacity. The last time the lake was lower in the beginning of September was in 1990, according to historical data kept by the Monterey County Water Resources Agency.
Santa Margarita Lake is at about 59% capacity — compared to 77% this time last year, and 88% in September 2017 — the earliest data available on the San Luis Obispo County Public Works website.
And Lopez Lake near Arroyo Grande is sitting at about 32% capacity, compared to 58% in 2017, the county’s data show.
The low levels certainly haven’t dissuaded the crowds from flocking to their favorite lakes for the holiday weekend, however.
Most campsites at Lake Nacimiento, Lopez and Santa Margarita lakes are booked. The only sites available are a few of the remote, no-car-access campsites at Santa Margarita Lake, according to Park Ranger Brandon Young.
Layla Decker, the general manager of the Lake Nacimiento Resort, said that although “we have a full house for the weekend,” they’re hoping visitors come out to the lake for the day-use opportunities as well.
Campfires are banned at all the lakes due to resources being stretched thin as firefighters battle blazes across California.
“It’s disappointing to have to do it, but I think the fire ban is a smart move overall,” said Lopez Lake Park Ranger Keith Kuikun.
Some boaters may need to be more cautious while out on the lakes in order to avoid underwater hazards like rocks and shallow areas that normally would be beneath several feet of water.
Most boat launches at the lakes are still open — levels would have to dip to about 27% capacity at Lopez Lake and 30% at Santa Margarita Lake, according to park rangers.
The private boat launches at Lake Nacimiento are closed, though the public boat launches are still open, according to Decker.
The bright side to low reservoir levels is that there’s more room for activities on the now-exposed beaches, Decker said.
“The water levels are a lot lower than we’d like to see this time of year,” Decker said. “But it’s completely out of our control at this point. We’re just trying to make the best of what we still have.”
This story was originally published September 4, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
