Diamond Valley Lake Recreational Development Plans Take Shape

HEMET, CA - Riverside County, the city of Hemet and other entities will work in concert on plans for the future development of Diamond Valley Lake, it was announced earlier this week.

"This agreement is pivotal toward ensuring that the respective agencies are coordinated, so we may better accommodate development opportunities of the area surrounding Diamond Valley Lake," said Randy Record, a member of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California board. "By having clearly defined responsibilities, we can ensure we act efficiently at the appropriate time that funding sources dictate the advancement of various projects."

The MWD, county, city, Perris-based Eastern Municipal Water District and Valley-Wide Recreation & Park District are in the process of finalizing a memorandum of intent under which the entities will formalize their shared responsibilities in expanding recreational facilities at the lake, which serves as an MWD reservoir for southwest Riverside County.

The joint agreement calls for the formation of a committee in the next three months to hold hearings on prioritizing goals for lake-area development and identifying potential sources to pay for it.

The committee would be composed of representatives from the entities signed onto the memorandum of intent, as well as a representative from the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians, an official from the Western Science Center in Hemet, a member of Sen. Jeff Stone's staff, a local resident and a spokesperson for the area business community.

The committee would focus on creating trail extensions between Diamond Valley Lake, Salt Creek and Lake Skinner; establishing a recreational lagoon and an RV park; expanding the nearby sports complex and widening existing roads leading into and out of the lake area, or building new ones, according to the agreement.

"Our agencies are committed to aggressively pursuing available funding opportunities and working with private developers to help expedite this process, so that our region may continue to enhance what is already one of Southern California's premier recreation destinations," Hemet Mayor Linda Krupa said.

The lake is currently off-limits to swimmers and others wishing to engage in any activity that would involve wading or even standing in the lake.

"Diamond Valley Lake (is) a drinking water reservoir and, therefore, body contact within the lake water is prohibited," the MWD states on the lake's official website.

The agency emphasizes that the "primary purpose of Diamond Valley Lake ... is to ensure reliable supplies of high-quality water for Southern California."

It's unclear whether the committee will seek to change the bodily contact prohibition, which calls for criminal charges against anyone who violates it.

Stone introduced legislation two years ago that would have lifted the restriction, but the bill failed to gain traction.

Fishing and boating are permitted on the lake, which spans 4 1/2 miles in length and 2 miles across, with the potential to hold 810,000 acre feet or 264 billion gallons of water, according to the MWD.

"Along with our partner agencies, we have been able to develop a plan that will provide a unified vision for the future of recreation in this community," Valley-Wide President Matt Duarte said. "Valley-Wide looks forward to continuing these collaborative efforts and doing its part to further enhance cost-effective recreational opportunities in the region."

- City News Service / Image via Lvi56-Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)