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Draining stopped days after our radio broadcast and coverage
By Miriam Raftery
January 22, 2016 (Lake Morena) – Back in February 2014, we ran a story exposing Lake Morena residents’ criticisms of the City of San Diego for draining the Lake Morena Reservoir down to a mere puddle of its former self. We also aired a radio interview (listen at link) with area residents and a city representative, which won an award from Society of Professional Journalists for best talk radio broadcast.
After the recent rains, the water level at Lake Morena is still only 2.6 percent of capacity. But here’s some good news for lakefront residents: Kurt Kidman, public information officer for the City, advised East County Magazine this week, “With respect to Morena Reservoir, the City stopped drafting water out of Morena Reservoir back in February 2014 and we have not resumed any drafting since.”
In our radio interview aired that same month, a city official admitted that San Diego had done essentially nothing to ask its citizens to conserve water before making its decision to decimate a lake popular with recreational users, eliminate wildlife habitat and negatively impact the lifestyle and property values for years to come.
The judges in the SPJ contest said of our interview, “This show serves an important community service by hosting public discussions on-air about controversial issues.”
During our February 2014 interview, the City spokesman told us the City did not intend to allow the lake to refill, but would keep draining it.
Do you think it’s a coincidence that the City changed course and halted the draining of Lake Morena just days after our story ran and our interview was broadcast on KNSJ public radio?
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