Lake Nacimiento property owner doesn’t trust Monterey County

I own two properties on Lake Nacimiento. Because I live in San Luis Obispo County, I am unable to vote on any tunnel issue even though my neighbors and I are affected.

Now I learn they want to move our water over to Lake San Antonio (“Proposed tunnel would move water out of Lake Nacimiento. Residents are fighting back,” Nov. 11) . I pay Monterey County yearly fees for the privilege of boating on the water, but I don’t know where my money is going.

I do know where it isn’t going: Monterey County has delegated law enforcement on the lake to inexperienced contractors; boats aren’t checked for mussel screening paperwork; the dams at both lakes are in disrepair; the campground at Lake San Antonio is in shambles; the water is blue-green — there are warning signs not to swim in it; and the docks are broken.

I wouldn’t trust Monterey County to manage any project, let alone a massive tunnel. Rainfall here is scarce; historically, it rains enough to overfill the dam only about one out of every five years. Thus, if this tunnel project goes through, my beloved Lake Nacimiento will only be 50 percent full, even in a rainy year, and Lake San Antonio will still be uninviting.

This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 1:22 PM with the headline "Lake Nacimiento property owner doesn’t trust Monterey County."