Casitas closing to private boaters?

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WRB
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Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by WRB »

Lots of rumors and the lake staff won't deny it that Castias may be closed to private boating by years end. Anyone know if this is true?
Tom
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by ash »

Closed to public boating and open to private only is that what you meant? Hasnt this been the goal of the homeowners at Casitas since the Aguaga muscles to keep public boats at bay and themselves a government funded private lake
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WRB
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by WRB »

Yes, no public boat launching requiring the use of a ramp or engine powered boat that could hit something under water do to the low water hazardous boating conditions appears to be the excuse being given.
Castias has wanted to be a private lake for decades, the low water may give them that goal.
Tom
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by Kwin »

It is my belief if their boat launching facility was funded through CA Dept of Boating and Waterways (http://www.dbw.ca.gov/BoatingFacilities/Details/115) then they cannot restrict public access. They can make you jump through their ridiculous Aquatic Invasive Species hoops, but cannot outright close it off to the public. If hazards are a concern, they can mark them like most lakes or impose a reduced speed limit.
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by WRB »

Thanks for the sat link, the Coyote ramp looks better then it did my last trip.
I started going Casitas in '58 when it opened and the lake is now lower then it was back then.
The original marina and launch ramp was at the south end of Arrow Island, parking on the top. Coyote ramp was a road back then, not a launch ramp.
It's my understanding Casitas dam and Robles diversion dam used to devert Ventura river water into Casitas were biult using public money, not local money, so the lake shouldn't be privatized. This doesn't mean the lake can't be closed to boating for public safety and that is what I am hearing.
I have a long history at Lake Casitas catching a lake record 12 lb 4. oz bass in '71 and another 18 lb 11 oz in '81 both lasted a short time. Easly caught his 21 lb 3 oz giant March, mine was in Feb. The mis management of this special lake the past decade is sickening and I don't simply trust them.
Tom
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by Jboutfishn »

Why would Casitas be closed to the public? Follow the money. Who would gain financially by such actions?
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by mark poulson »

Jboutfishn wrote:Why would Casitas be closed to the public? Follow the money. Who would gain financially by such actions?
It's all about risk.
The politicians on the water board don't want to be held accountable if there are Quagga Mussels found in the lake. Casitas is the drinking water supply for Ventura, and the mussels would clog the water system equipment and cost a lot in ongoing/continuous maintenance to keep the system working.
So they want it closed to possible contamination, or at least as closely as possible.
That way, when the Quaggas do make their appearance, they can say, "It's not my fault, I did everything possible to prevent it", and no one can use the mussels against them in an election.
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by WRB »

Recreational income from boating and camp site permits is minimal compared to developing the lake front for private residences.
The 35 day quagga mussel quarantine period and severe clean & dry inspection process discourages private boaters use at Casitas for several years now. Don't believe they worried about loss of income.
Tom
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by mark poulson »

WRB wrote:Recreational income from boating and camp site permits is minimal compared to developing the lake front for private residences.
The 35 day quagga mussel quarantine period and severe clean & dry inspection process discourages private boaters use at Casitas for several years now. Don't believe they worried about loss of income.
Tom
I never thought about real estate development! Are they allowed to sell or lease the land around the lake for private homes?
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by WRB »

Several years ago there was a planned development in Ayers bay that was stopped because access roadway would be on Open Space US Forest service managed. From what I understand 3,500 acres are Open Space along the north and west areas of the lake, private ranch and Indian owned land along the south and east sides of the lake, all under a land management plan requiring
amendments and approvals.
Tom
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by mark poulson »

WRB wrote:Several years ago there was a planned development in Ayers bay that was stopped because access roadway would be on Open Space US Forest service managed. From what I understand 3,500 acres are Open Space along the north and west areas of the lake, private ranch and Indian owned land along the south and east sides of the lake, all under a land management plan requiring
amendments and approvals.
Tom
So, if they get the right people on the right boards and committees (grease the right palms), it could happen.
That would be a betrayal of the public's trust, and a crying shame.
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by MikeR »

If any of you are TRULY interested in what is going on at Lake Casitas, there is a Facebook page, Save the Lake Casitas that you should take a look at. https://www.facebook.com/groups/241036226322817/ You can review back over the last few months to see the effort that was put into an election campaign for Angelo Spandrio, who we (Signarama-Ventura) and I personally supported and donated signs to his campaign for the Casitas Board of Directors in an effort to replace one of the incumbent, set in their ways board members, Mary Bergen. Mary Bergen favored the interests of agriculture which has led to the continued selling of the water and was one of MANY reasons that has contributed to the demise of Lake Casitas, but not the only reason. The agricultural community definitely have a need, an interest, and a right to some of the water at Casitas, but we feel Angelo has our interest and the future of the lake at heart and will eventually help make changes that will sustain the lake for ALL.

Through the efforts of two individuals, Max Excamilla and Zump Shane Barry, who began the Save The Lake Casitas FB page, and the unrelenting pressure this group has placed on the lake management, changes in management have occurred at the lake including the resignation of Ron Merckling, the Public Affairs/Resource Manager, who stepped down earlier this year, and now the election of Angelo.

Change will take time. Angelo Spandrio is the first step in getting new blood and new ideas on the Board of Directors. Russ Baggerly needs to be our next target on the board of directors and we are all hoping Larry Elshere will take on Russ during the next election cycle. Many of you in the bass fishing community know Larry, he lives within the district, was instrumental in the cabling system that was approved and allowed boaters to still use the Lake Casitas. He will have our back should he choose to run and is elected, and Signarama Ventura will donate signs and banners Larry will need for his campaign as we did for Angelo.

The lake is currently hovering at 30%. https://www.casitaswater.org/lower.php?url=lake-level . That number can be argued due to the silt build up. There are no homeowners around the lake...No docks, no private residences, no private interests, that's all B.S. The only private house that I can remember was the house overlooking Wadleigh Arm across the street from the lake that has since been torn down. I believe the owners were allowed to live there until they chose to leave or passed on, grandfathered in, and were compensated by the Casitas Municipal Water District for the property, kind of like an eminent domain situation. There are a few properties that overlook the lake's east shoreline that I believe are ranches or farms but I believe the property lines are set back quite a ways from the lake, not directly in the watershed.

Over the last 35 years, the community of Ojai Valley has written a check against their water resources that they cannot cover. They have allowed more homes and building over the last 30 years without truly and scientifically addressing where water will be derived from to support the increased population. That, combined with the, FEDS/ NOAA policies that Casitas was forced to implement, the CMWD's policies of continuing down the path of "business as usual" with the sale of water to the agricultural community, have now strained and drained the lake making it almost impossible to SUSTAIN Lake Casitas. If the current policies regulating the release, the use, and the sale of that water/resource to ALL interests including agriculture and residential interests, does not change, I feel I will never see the lake full again in my lifetime.

Currently, the lake is able to divert water from the Ventura River during any storm. There apparently had been damage due to the Thomas fire almost a year ago, but all is fixed now. Granted the storm forecast for Wednesday night will not generate much run-off, but subsequent storms will and it's good they are ready.

The Board of directors for the lake, the City of Ventura, the city of Ojai and the Ojai Community are looking for many short and long term solutions to take pressure off the lake or to possibly add water to the lake. The city of Ventura is looking at hooking up to the State Water project. This will take some pressure off of the lake but a pipeline will have to be built and that will take years. Another study has shown water is within the layers beneath the surface of surrounding mountains that can be tapped to fill or add water to the lake. I believe the Callegus Water District has also offered to pipe water to Casitas if CMWD will allow the Callegus Water district to store their water there (for emergencies) and allow them access to that water in the event of said emergency.

Keep in mind the current policies governing access to the water and the stringent inspections and quarantine period. I see no way Lake Casitas will accept water from a source that could possibly be contaminated such as the State Water project unless the water is somehow treated before entering the lake. Most of these solutions are designed to take pressure off of the lake to slow the rate of water used and to allow Mother Nature to gradually restore the lake.

With the Casitas Municipal Water district, recreation has always played second fiddle to the agricultural and residential interests of the community of Ojai Valley. The district is in the business of selling water.

There are no conspiracies theories to float by anyone here, no hidden agendas by either the lake management or the board or any kind of FAKE NEWS. Both the management of the lake and the Board have had to become much more transparent with the attention and pressure they are now receiving as a result of Max Escamilla and Zump Shane Berry and the FB page.

The lake is currently open to launching.

More change is needed to the board and the management so that this once great bass fishery will be saved. We as a group, collectively can effect change. We've shown we can. Social media was instrumental in getting the word out. We need to have board members in place that have everyone's interest at heart! We are tired of having the CMWD fail to manage the lake and the facilities properly, and fed up with board members that continue to have the "business as usual" attitude with the hope that rain will come and solve all the woes.

Mike Reese
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by WRB »

Informative response and hope all your efforts pays off for the good of Lake Castias.
The west end of Ayers bay had a boat dock and a redidence, don't see it anymore on the sat map.
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by MikeR »

I wonder if what you had seen is a dock near where the dam tender office is Tom? The lake management should open the Ayers creek arm and cordon off the dam area just as Pyramid and Castaic lakes are cordoned off to open up more of the lake to boating and fishing. They can still rope off and protect specific spawning areas in the Spring if they want to continue managing the lake's spawning areas for bass. I'm not clear as to whether Lake Casitas Municipal Water District has any fishery management program or policy in place now. I'll reach out to a few and see what if anything is being done.

Whatever solutions are implemented to counter the drought and find new sources of water could eventually affect the current restrictive policies for boating and fishing there. If State water, or water derived from the State Water Project is allowed to be put directly into the lake without some form of treatment to assure all invasive species are eliminated, the restrictive inspection and quarantine policy could be challenged to be more in line with what other lakes in the region currently have as an inspection process.

Mike
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by mark poulson »

Thanks for the detailed response, and the Facebook page link.
I'm glad to hear that the lake cannot be privatized.
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by WRB »

MikeR wrote:I wonder if what you had seen is a dock near where the dam tender office is Tom? The lake management should open the Ayers creek arm and cordon off the dam area just as Pyramid and Castaic lakes are cordoned off to open up more of the lake to boating and fishing. They can still rope off and protect specific spawning areas in the Spring if they want to continue managing the lake's spawning areas for bass. I'm not clear as to whether Lake Casitas Municipal Water District has any fishery management program or policy in place now. I'll reach out to a few and see what if anything is being done.

Whatever solutions are implemented to counter the drought and find new sources of water could eventually affect the current restrictive policies for boating and fishing there. If State water, or water derived from the State Water Project is allowed to be put directly into the lake without :oops: some form of treatment to assure all invasive species are eliminated, the restrictive inspection and quarantine policy could be challenged to be more in line with what other lakes in the region currently have as an inspection process.

Mike
The property was at the backend of Ayers on the south shore or left side going into the backend and another small cabin on the right side. About 15 years ago, when the lake was nearly full, I was asked to help with a few Japanese anglers who rented the closed area to catch giant bass for photos. Caught a couple DD's around that dock and nearby submerged trees and rock wall across from it. Those days are long gone :(
Tom
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Kelly Ripa
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by Kelly Ripa »

I had a fellow nutcase out on Cachuma years ago. He worked for the water treatment or had something to do with the waters that go into Dixon if I remember right he said they used gamma waves etc. to kill off anything and everything on this earth the last 1/4 mile of state water runoff into the lake. I thank Mike Reese for giving a very informed response that puts to rest a lot of the speculation that gets passed on.

What I don't get is the navigation hazard angle. Folks I just drove through Louisiana along Lake Ponchartrain and Lake Maurepas and it looked like a place I wouldn't fish unless I had my S### straight...You could die a hundred ways there and that's just at the boat ramp :lol: . Seriously. no gators or old civil war wrecks.. our lake is pretty simple to navigate safely and I had the occasion to meet the new guy in town running the patrol boats. A retired cop saltwater guy as he put it. He asked us if we knew about the place out in the middle of the lake that was about 3 feet deep. We did. I asked when they were going to put a buoy on it and his answer floored me. He didn't get there until 3 in the afternoon and by then the wind was blowing and he could not see the bottom. Wait...What? You guys have 3 $100,000.00 dollar jet patrol boats but no electronics on any of them. That's right was his answer. The other guy with me went out the next day with him and they got that buoy put in. If all you need is one friki'n set of electronics for one of the boats than get it done girls. The clock is ticking ...Have they done anything about the drainpipes that placer mine the hills with drain water? Easy fix with a little welding but Nooooo lets let all the 2 foot drainpipes that divert water from the roadway to ditches along hwy 150 shoot water in the air for 100 feet before it hits the ground on the sides of the hills on the lake side of the road. It effectively blasted away the backs of many areas last year filling in the backs of coves with fine sand and we havent had a taste of real rain in 7 years? When it comes this year I expect a wave of silt and fire retardant as we lost like 97% of our watershed?
I would gladly back Larry. I hate the board and would run against them myself if I could. Jerks :D
I tell folks that don't know much about our sport of a man I met in the parking lot here at Casitas about 11 years ago now...He was from South Africa and he had come HERE to fish :o . It used to be a world destination now it's a water resource.






Rip
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Re: Casitas closing to private boaters?

Post by WRB »

Hi Kelly, hope you had a thankful Thanksgiving Day and should be up to the lake soon. Nothing changes the inmates are running the asylum.
Tom
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