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By Jessyka Heredia
Friends of Loveland Reservoir invite public to meeting, hike Dec. 28
December 17, 2023 (Chula Vista) – 
Monday, the Sweetwater Water Authority held a public workshop to see how the community would like to use the $750,000 in state funding recently awarded by Assembly Bill 102 (AB 102) to Sweetwater Authority for Loveland Trail Improvements.
Carlos Quintero, General Manager of Sweetwater Authority, started off the workshop stating, “It’s very rare to get a grant with very few strings attached. So, we are looking at the community, certainly the East County community and our rate payers to give us feedback.”
Quintero explained the process moving forward, such as getting a workplan to the Department of Water Resources. Once that work plan is approved, then Sweetwater can start getting money to do what needs to be accomplished from that work plan. This workshop is the first of more planned in the Alpine community where Loveland Reservoir is located.
Mary Hicks, Chair of Friends of Loveland Reservoir, expressed disappointment over the short notice for this workshop and the inconvenience of making Alpine residents travel to Chula Vista for their voices to be heard.
Quintero addressed the concern over short notice, stating, “This is the start of a conversation. We do expect to continue this dialog, so we are committed to going to East County.”
He explained that “any type of construction takes significant impacts to get heavy equipment” into the area due to its terrain. Quintero suggested to the audience to keep that in mind. If they need funding for the chosen improvements that they want, they may want to look for “additional funding from the local, state, county or federal government.”
Also in attendance were Senator Brian W. Jones’ representatives Andrew Hays and Kyle Hermann, and Alan Pellacani from the office of Congressman Darrell Issa.
Quintero gave praise to Senate Minority Leader Jones for spearheading the grant.
Quintero stated, “Our intent, I’ll be really frank here, is we did work with our legislative advisor and try to get a request for funding to rebuild a bridge. Basically, the area was eroded and there’s no way to get from one side of the trail to the other. So, we do hope that there’s interest in funding the bridge using this grant.”
Representative Hays reminded the attendees, “I want to make sure that we’re really being thoughtful about criteria, and this is the stuff the Senator wanted me to portray to you all. We want to make sure that we’re being helpful and drilling down those ideas. That way we try to get community consensus.”
The room was filled with East County residents; Sweetwater Authority did not seem to be expecting so many in attendance. The residents were given their chance to speak about their concerns, however Quintero said he would not answer any questions regarding operations to keep on topic of how to spend the grant funds.
Susie Murphy, the Executive Director of the San Diego Mountain Biking Association asked, “Can you explain what property that Sweetwater Authority has jurisdiction over and how the adjacent state property and federal properties with Cleveland National Forest interact, because existing roads and trails cross through different properties, and I don’t quite have a handle on how that works with Sweetwater.”
Quintero responded, “The actual trail is Sweetwater’s property. An easement was granted to the Forest Service. The Forest Service is the administrator of the easement. That is really the link here.”
East county resident John Allen stated, “I’ve invited the Mountain Bike Association and the equestrian users.” He said there is hope for cyclists and those on horseback to “get off of Sycuan Truck Trail and back onto Sweetwater property, where it’s a much safer passage. It would be well within the limits of state and water board regulations and everything else. There’s a number of utility and service roads and alternate alignments to get off at Sycuan Truck Trail.” Allen added, “There is more than just this easement that’s being used here.”
Quintero asked, “So your proposal is to try to enhance not necessarily the Loveland Trail but working to enhance the California riding and hiking trails?”
Allen clarified, “To enhance the County Trails Master Plan as well as the regional recreational access hub, as Senator Jones had granted the money for Loveland Reservoir, not for the service easement. It’s to improve access to Loveland Reservoir.”
Bonita resident and retired professional engineer Karen Henry stated she has several decades of public agency experience. Henry told the attendees that she had given advice to General Manager Quintero back at October’s community meeting that was not later included in the work group meeting summary. Henry shared her suggestion, stating, “I believe these trail improvements would benefit from a charrette. A charrette is a meeting in which all stakeholders attempt to resolve conflicts and map solutions. A charette is an intensive multidisciplinary workshop with the aim of developing a design or a vision for a project or planning activity.”
Henry stated that the charrettes she has attended are usually conducted near the project and included nearby residents as well as included a facilitator that the community held in high regard.
Henry said, “I believe my suggestion did not get traction for two reasons. One is the Sweetwater Authority does not view Alpine residents as stakeholders and number two; the general Manager has decided how best to use these grant funds.”
Allen addressed the representatives from Senator Jones’ office saying, “If you want Alpine residents to have a say in these trail improvements, you need to make your expectations crystal clear and stick around to ensure things happen to your satisfaction.”
East County resident Carolyn McGavock asked Quintero if it is possible to project a map image on the screen. McGavock stated, “Since we are talking about trails, it is really hard to have the conversation if we don’t have a map to look at.” McGavock claimed she sent an image via email and provided a flash drive at the beginning of the workshop.
Quintero was hesitant due to security reasons to utilize the flash drive, but did allow a staff member to pull up a Google Earth image from the internet.
Once the map was up for the attendees to see, Hicks asked Sweetwater Authority, “What is your intention on restocking the fish?” Quintero reiterated that he would not be talking about operational issues but did suggest, “If there is an interest in using some of this grant for restocking the lake, you can bring it up as an idea.”
Hicks continued, “You guys wiped out the fish, wiped out the stock and you guys should bring them back and separate from the grant for trails.” Quintero shut the topic down as the attendees kept pressing for an answer.
Back in November of 2022, ECM reported, “Sweetwater Water Authority (SWA) on November 16 began draining down the lake with an intent to reduce it to “dead pool” level – less than one-half of one percent of the reservoir’s capacity.” As a result, all the fish died leaving behind massive erosion and damage to the dock. Residents have been urging Sweetwater to restock the fish as part of the fishing program the reservoir is supposed to offer.
Resident and frequent fisherman at Loveland reservoir, David Thomas expressed, “I’ve been fishing at Loveland for 40 years, I’ve hiked the trails out there, so I know the area pretty well. My biggest problem with what is going on out there is the fact that it is dangerous. I’ve seen many times where kids see fish on the other side, and they go off and try to get around to the other side,”he said of times before the fish kills. One day you’re gonna have a problem out there, because there will be young kids that get hurt.”
Thomas offered, “That $750,000 can go a long way in hiring crews to go out there to cut a trail around that lake that makes access to the whole fishing area. “Thomas also suggested adding a bridge so there would be access over the reservoir to higher ground areas as waters rise.
Quintero had Thomas show him where he suggested a bridge go on the map provided. Quintero then showed Thomas an area far from where Thomas suggested and stated that they could submit this as an idea but that it would still have to comply with “jurisdictional waters of the U.S. it would have to be Army Corp. of Engineers buying this. “
Quintero continued, “These are certainly good ideas...if there is an opportunity to reach out to our partners and enhance the money that we have.”
East County resident Russell Walsh suggested doing improvements to make it “ADA accessible, wheelchair accessible” to help people get around easier and safer.
Many of the attendees suggested using volunteers and non-profits to help with saving money to get more done. Murphy suggested the Mountain Biking Association, as this is work they are already doing for other local governments.
Representative Hays confirmed, “There’s partnerships with non-profits and other things, so it is just a matter of what that looks like. It can be, and I think it should be, part of the discussion. That is certainly something the Senator supports.”
Darlene Cossio, member of Friends of Loveland Reservoir, suggested a “volunteer organization or group to manage the parking lot” and to manage unlocking the gates from sunrise to sunset as part of the agreement for the easement between Sweetwater Authority and the U.S. Forestry Service that residents say has not been upheld on Sweetwater’s end.
Quintero said he was open to that discussion, as long as the Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) would allow it.
Representative Pellacani said, “Congressman Darrell Issa is really interested in the potential for sunrise to sunset, whether it’s volunteers or whatever it may be to access the easement. There are people interested in doing it, so we’re more than interested in helping with that. “
Quintero expressed concerns with liability and “how much we can trust the volunteers to protect the water quality. That is our requirement. “
Resident Elisa Peskin asked Quintero, “When did the hours for Loveland change? I’m a 23-year resident and I can tell you that the sunrise to sunset used to be adhered to. I can tell you when I came down here today the gates were being locked up at 4:15 p.m. instead of 5 p.m.”
Quintero responded, “We’re not talking about that right now,” even though the group of attendees were talking about asking volunteers to assist to open and lock gates to adhere to the agreement with the Forestry Service just seconds before Peskin’s question.
By the end of the almost two hour workshop, the public made clear that they wanted better details on what parameters these plans should consider as far as water level, and that they intend to find a facilitator to help them sort through the ideas and execute a charette, so they can find a final project that will be fair to the community and satisfy all parties while increasing access to Loveland Reservoir to the public trail and fishing program, which is granted through the easement agreement between both the U.S. Forestry Service and Sweetwater Authority.
Quintero said, “We hope at the next opportunity we continue having our partners here and continue this dialogue. We are committed to getting something positive out of this. We hope this is an opportunity to help build bridges, no pun intended.” The audience laughed.
Friends of Loveland Reservoir to hold meeting and hike Dec. 28
Friends of Loveland Reservoir has announced on the group’s Facebook page that it plans to hold its first public board meeting on December 28 at 9:30 a.m. at the Loveland Reservoir parking lot. “We will start with a board meeting and then have a short hike led by Board Member Kim Hales, Biologist. Listen to our plans, find out how you can get involved and learn about Loveland from a Biologist's point of view. Please bring a chair and hiking shoes.”
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