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Residents launch petition to keep lake open
By Karen Pearlman
Photo, left, by Miriam Raftery: Lake Murray
May 12, 2025 (San Diego) – Lake Murray is one of several local reservoirs that may see their hours of operation get slashed starting next year because of budget issues in the city of San Diego.
To cover the city’s $258 million deficit in its budget, the San Diego City Council is considering reducing the hours of both Lake Murray and Miramar Lake from seven days a week to just two – Saturday and Sunday.
Other outlying bodies of water overseen by the city of San Diego, including the El Capitan Reservoir, Lake Sutherland and Barrett Lake, are also slated for reductions in hours.
The reservoirs are owned, operated and maintained by the city of San Diego and fall under jurisdiction of the city’s Public Utilities Department (PUD).
The preliminary budget also outlined closures of all city libraries on Sundays and Mondays and a reduction of hours for city recreation centers from 60 hours a week to 40 hours a week. Select public restrooms in city parks would also be closed seasonally.
In a letter shared with city constituents regarding the preliminary budget released in April, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote that “We are responsibly addressing the serious fiscal challenges before us — with transparency, discipline, and a focus on preserving the neighborhood services that matter most to you and your families.”
Gloria wrote that after voters last November did not pass Measure E, which would have increased the local sales tax by 1%, “the City of San Diego is adjusting its budget to reflect that outcome.”
The budget shortfall in the city is projected to be a $1 billion deficit over the next five years.
Measure E aimed to raise the city’s sales tax from 7.75% to 8.75%. East County cities sales tax rates, by comparison, are 7.75% in both Lemon Grove and Santee, 8.25% in El Cajon and 8.5% in La Mesa.
San Diego officials estimated that the additional revenue from the sales tax increase would have been from $360 to $400 million annually. The funding from the increase would have been designated for essential city services like public safety, infrastructure maintenance, parks and libraries as well as compensation for employees.
Making Waves for the Lakes
Frequent users of the lakes have been banding together to fight the closures.
Local attorney Alexander Olander said his wife walks Lake Murray nearly every morning with their dog, Milo.
“My wife, Debra tells me that a very large number of citizens use the lake daily and are very concerned about this,” Olander said.
A group called Friends of the San Diego Lakes have taken to starting a petition to fight the proposed reduction in hours at Lake Murray, and have collected nearly 3,900 signatures at a Change.org petition at https://www.change.org/p/save-lake-murray-oppose-the-proposed-closure.
To date, more than 3,800 people have signed the petition.
Stefanie Benvenuto, consultant for Friends of San Diego Lakes, said the coalition is “dismayed by the significance of the lakes cuts, and the restricted access.”
Benvenuto said the group is working with the mayor’s office and PUD to identify a path forward.
“As an enterprise fund, we recognize the limitations of PUD, and the fact that these lakes are reservoirs that hold drinking water first and foremost,” she said. “We believe that recreation and water storage can coexist and be productive parts of the city’s portfolio.
“The fact is, the anglers and boaters that are the heavy users of these lakes (particularly El Cap, Sutherland and Otay), pay fees that generate revenue to balance their access. In no way is the group looking for a free ride.”
‘Living Within Our Means’
In his letter to San Diegans, Gloria wrote, “We are committed to living within our means. This draft budget takes decisive, responsible steps to preserve essential services, operate more efficiently, and place San Diego on a sustainable financial path — making thoughtful, strategic decisions that protect our core responsibilities.”
Gloria is expected to release an updated version of the proposed budget this Wednesday, May 14. A public hearing on the budget is also scheduled for Monday, May 19. The final budget for the city is expected to be up for approval by June 10.
For decades, Murray Reservoir, which shares a border with La Mesa, has been open daily from sunrise to sunset, outside of the second Tuesday of each month. Miramar Reservoir, off Scripps Lake Drive in the Scripps Ranch community, has been open daily from sunrise to sunset, outside of the first Tuesday of each month.
According to Jennifer McBride, city of San Diego supervising public information officer, PUD’s reservoir recreation program has a budget of $3,110,927, which is funded through the city’s general fund.
McBride said Gloria’s proposed budget shows several measures that will likely be incorporated in order to achieve a 20% cut – or $622,185 -- to the city’s recreation budget for fiscal year 2026.
She said that in the proposed FY26 budget, cutting out access to Lake Murray and Miramar Lake Monday through Friday would provide savings of $414,176.
Rob Magargal, a frequent lakes visitor and who has spoken directly to the city of San Diego about the proposed changes, wrote on his Facebook page, that “trying to cut 20%... is a massive cut should not happen.”
“It’s not a free program. 90% is paid for by boaters fees and day use fees,” he wrote. “Only 10% is taxpayer funded. This far reaching in how it hurts more than it helps. This is not what needs to happen. Murray and Miramar, jogging and walking….. no one pays the day use fee. If they did, which states on the lakes’ websites, if only a fraction of them did, we would be 100% funded. It’s not a right or entitlement to walk and jog there. It’s a privilege allowed by the boaters’ fee and day use fee paid each week at the other larger lakes. The savings is waste removal at Murray and Miramar and the boaters’ fees and day use fees pay for that.”
Other East County Lakes Face Hours Cutbacks
Other changes in hours are also planned for San Vicente and El Capitan reservoirs in Lakeside, which are also owned and operated by the city of San Diego. Both have been open for recreational use five days a week, 12 months a year.
Photo, right by Miriam Raftery: El Capitan Reservoir
In the proposed FY26 budget, they will be open four days a week -- saving $36,898, McBride said.
Other waterways owned and operated by the city of San Diego include Lake Sutherland, Lake Hodges, Otay Lakes and Barrett Lake.
Lake Sutherland is open three days a week, seven months a year. In the proposed FY26 budget, they would be open two days a week. The change would mean $11,753 in savings.
Lake Hodges is open three days a week, nine months a year. In the proposed FY26 budget, they would be open two days a week. The change would provide $65,322 in savings.
Otay Lakes, comprising Lower Otay Reservoir and Upper Otay Reservoir, is open three days a week, 12 months a year. In the proposed FY26 budget, they would be open two days a week. The change would provide savings of $24,261.
Currently, Barrett Lake, whose water is diverted through the Dulzura Conduit, a 14-mile-long aqueduct, to the Lower Otay Reservoir, is open three days a week, nine months a year. In the proposed FY26 budget, they would be open two days a week. The change would provide $14,350 in savings.
McBride said that regarding the proposed budget cuts for recreational reservoir usage, “on closed days, the reservoirs would be closed to all public access.”
McBride said the proposed cuts would reduce city staff and services related to recreation. Parking lots are not accessible on closed days and restrooms at the recreation stations at the reservoirs are locked on closed days.
Portable toilets, however, will stay unlocked on closed days, to protect water quality.
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