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By Miriam Raftery
May 24, 2024 (Alpine)—By a unanimous vote and without discussion, the Sweetwater Authority board of directors approved restoring the floating fishing dock at Loveland Reservoir in Alpine. Audience members applauded after the votes were cast.
The dock was severely damaged in a January 2023 storm, shortly after the reservoir was drained to dead pool status, an action which left the fishing float on dry land and which also killed off fish, much to the dismay of residents and visitors.
Russell Walsh, who has long advocated for restoration of floating fishing dock, said the vote reflects “a travesty being corrected by persistent citizens and hopefully increasingly willing Sweetwater Directors and upper management.”
Rains have restored water levels at the reservoir, which were used earlier this month to extinguish a brush fire.
The draining prompted formation of a nonprofit, Friends of Loveland Reservoir, as well as hearings held by the Alpine Community Planning Group and Sweetwater.
At Wednesday night’s Sweetwater meeting, supporters of Loveland traveled to Chula Vista to testify in favor of restoring the fishing dock, as staff had recommended doing after insurance California Joint Powers Insurance Authority paid from $96,538, nearly all of the estimated $99,000 repair cost.
“We did also continue to press the directors for restocking of the fish that their unnecessary decisions badly impacted,: Walsh told ECM, “and to open the lake from sunrise to sunset as they agreed to in order to induce the public to accept to a transfer of Federal land to the Sweetwater Authority.”
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