EVMWD to import water to Canyon Lake

Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD) announced Wednesday that it is purchasing water to import to Canyon Lake for the first time in eight years.

Within the next month, residents may notice the steady stream of imported water from the 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.

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.

Typically, the lake is replenished by runoff from the San Jacinto Watershed, which begins in the San Jacinto Mountains. With no rain in the immediate forecast, EVMWD is purchasing untreated water supplies to add to Canyon Lake’s decreasing reserves.

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

EVMWD owns all water rights in Canyon Lake. The Canyon Lake POA leases the recreational surface rights through an agreement with EVMWD. Per the lease agreement between EVMWD and the Canyon Lake POA, EVMWD can take water from Canyon Lake down to 1372 feet above sea level. The lake level was 1375.20 on Thursday, according to EVMWD’s website.

To learn more about Canyon Lake as a drinking water supply, visit canyonlakefacts.com.

EVMWD provides service to more than 144,000 water, wastewater and agricultural customers in a 96-square-mile area in Western Riverside County.

The District is a sub-agency of the Western Municipal Water District and a member agency of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. For additional information, visit evmwd.com.