What a difference a rainy day makes
It rained 11.34 inches in a day last week at Loch Lomond Reservoir in the Santa Cruz Mountains. In 24 hours, a great year for recreation there was assured.
The storms created an array of infrastructure problems for the area in the short term and many recreation benefits in the long.
Loch Lomond is one of the prettiest lakes in California. It is near Ben Lomond and nestled at the bottom of a long canyon filled with redwoods and Douglas fir.
It is a sensational destination for kayak fishing and enjoying other low-speed boats; there’s a small marina where rentals are available. The trails for hiking are outstanding. There is even a small island with a picnic table, one of the best picnic sites anywhere. In summer, fishing for bass and bluegill can be a lot of fun.
Loch Lomond Recreation Area traditionally opens for the year March 1. Except, that is, during the drought, when it was closed for three straight years with water levels that were so low and fire danger so high that the city of Santa Cruz branded the area too hazardous to allow access.
Then it started raining. Pounding. Waves of squalls. At 10 inches, the ground becomes saturated. Since 40 inches has fallen there this season, vertical pressure in the watershed’s aquifer has the springs pumping to join with runoff into the lake’s major estuary, Newell Creek.
The lake rose well over the brim and then poured over the spillway and into lower Newell Creek and its pipeline, which provides water downstream to the residents of Santa Cruz. At peak flow Tuesday, the deluge of water damaged the pipeline.
In one of those weird moments, residents found themselves in an emergency water shortage in the middle of a flood. During repair, the city has ordered residents on a 30 percent cutback.
The amount of rain to hit the area can boggle the mind. The San Lorenzo River, which typically runs around 5 to 6 feet at the gauge near Santa Cruz, hit near 21 feet Tuesday.
For Loch Lomond, as at many areas with lake-based recreation, it puts a great year ahead. Recorded information for Loch Lomond Recreation Area is available at (831) 4205320.