Sweetwater Reservoir (Sweetwater Authority)

Loveland Reservoir water transfer at 21% but coming to an end, SWA says

Photo of Loveland Reservoir by Ostan Patton

By Karen Pearlman

Dec. 9, 2025 (Alpine) – Sweetwater Authority’s plan to leave Loveland Reservoir with at least 25 percent of its water capacity during the most recent transfer of water into the Sweetwater Reservoir has not gone as originally planned, as shared with East County Magazine on Dec. 5.

Sweetwater Authority (SWA), the special district that oversees Loveland Reservoir and Sweetwater Reservoir as well as the Sweetwater Dam, reports on its website that the reservoir has dipped down to 21.2 percent of total capacity (as of 8 a.m. Dec. 9) before the water transfer was stopped just after 3:30 p.m. Dec. 9.

SWA manages local water from Sweetwater and Loveland reservoirs, pumps from aquifers like the San Diego Formation and uses a desalination plant for brackish river water.


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Loveland Reservoir draining underway brings pushback from East County residents

Loveland Reservoir showing what is left of the public fishing zone. Photo by Ostan Patton

By Karen Pearlman

Dec. 5, 2025 (Alpine) – It’s been three years since Loveland Reservoir was drained by Sweetwater Authority to “deadpool” level for the first time ever, leaving the area susceptible to environmental challenges, killing fish and increasing fire hazards.
 
Now another extreme draining is underway by Sweetwater Authority (SWA), the special district that oversees Loveland Reservoir and Sweetwater Reservoir as well as the Sweetwater Dam.
 
Locals are concerned again now, with the Alpine-housed reservoir dipping below 32 percent of capacity as of Thursday morning. The reservoir has been steadily dropping from its 63 percent capacity in mid-November, as water transfers continue with water flowing downstream to serve drinking water customers in Chula Vista, National City and Bonita.
 

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COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY SEEKS TO USE COPPER-BASED ALGAECIDES AT 5 LOCAL RESERVOIRS

 

East County News Service

April 9, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – The San Diego County Water Authority is proposing to apply copper-based algaecides to control algae blooms at five reservoirs that supply drinking water, including Lake Jennings(Helix Water District), Sweetwater Reservoir (Sweetwater Authority), Lake Poway (City of Poway), Olivenhain Reservoir (County Water Authority) and San Dieguito Resrvoir (Santa Fe Irrigation District.)


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.