What closed Turlock Lake in 2020, and what it might take to reopen it to recreation
Turlock Lake has been closed to recreation for a year and a half, and there’s no timeline on when it might reopen.
The Tuolumne River reservoir west of La Grange had provided boating, camping, picnics, swimming and other activities for 70-plus years. The water belongs to the Turlock Irrigation District, but the recreation is under the state park system.
Public access stopped in November 2020, when the concessionaire running the site, American Land and Leisure, withdrew from its contract.
The California Department of Parks and Recreation has been working to find another operator, information officer Douglas Johnson said. It is currently negotiating with Stanislaus County government to take over.
Tera Chumley, interim director of county parks and recreation, summed up the situation in an email to The Modesto Bee:
“The county is currently in discussions with the state and TID regarding the lease agreement and needed facility improvements and repairs to allow the county to operate safely for the public. TID and the county have a strong working relationship, but Turlock Lake remains a state park, which adds more complexity to finding an agreement. Due to this level of complexity, we have no timeline for reopening at this time.”
Similar reservoirs in low foothills
The county department already oversees recreation at similar sites in the low Sierra Nevada foothills. One is Modesto Reservoir, owned by the Modesto Irrigation District. The other is Woodward Reservoir, which stores water for the South San Joaquin Irrigation District.
Turlock Lake has just 2.5% the capacity of Don Pedro Reservoir, the main storage for TID and MID. But the site has long been popular for water skiers, anglers and the like. The portion close to the river has native oaks to shade visitors.
The reservoir was built in 1913 and became a state park in 1950. It feeds water into canals serving about 150,000 acres of farmland in Stanislaus and Merced counties.
Previous operator is based in Utah
The reason for the withdrawal of American Land and Leisure, based in Utah, was not clear Thursday. The closure came four months after Turlock Lake was limited to day use because of COVID-19.
TID’s current lease agreement with the state was signed in 2000 and runs until 2030, said Constance Anderson, communications division manager with the district.
“State Parks continue to express their desire to keep Turlock Lake as a state recreation area and has been working through the process of securing a new operator for the park,” she said by email. “... We are hopeful that some arrangement can be reached soon.”
This story was originally published May 27, 2022 at 6:30 AM.
