Supplemental water deliveries slated for Canyon Lake Reservoir

Dry weather and evaporation are causing a decline in levels

LAKE ELSINORE, CA., Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD) is taking the unusual step of adding imported water to Canyon Lake to curb dropping reservoir levels. The 387 acre reservoir provides drinking water for residents of Canyon Lake and Elsinore Valley. EVMWD has used the Canyon Lake water filtration plant to treat and produce nearly 10 percent of its total supply over the last year.

EVMWD stopped drawing water from the reservoir several months ago because of drier-than-normal conditions. Even with water conserving measures in place, evaporation has continued to deplete the lake. With no rain in the immediate forecast, EVMWD is purchasing untreated water supplies for the next several weeks to add to Canyon Lake’s decreasing reserves.

Within the next month, residents of Canyon Lake may notice the steady stream of imported water from Metropolitan Water District entering the lake via the San Jacinto River. EVMWD plans to add approximately 1,800-acre feet of water to the reservoir. This is the first time in eight years that EVMWD has supplemented the lake via the pipeline.

“The Canyon Lake reservoir is an important drinking water source for our community, particularly during periods of peak demand,” said John D. Vega, EVMWD’s general manager “Supplementing our supplies during this extraordinarily dry summer will allow us to maintain levels into the rainy season.”

Typically, the lake is replenished by runoff from the Lake Elsinore-San Jacinto Watershed, which begins in the San Jacinto Mountains.

Learn more about Canyon Lake as a drinking water supply at www.canyonlakefacts.com.