It’s been 4 years since Turlock Lake closed recreation. Is there a plan to reopen?
A floating aqua park with inflatable attractions that include a playground, obstacle courses, slides and more may be coming to Turlock Lake State Recreation Area.
It’s been nearly four years since Turlock Lake has been open for recreation. For 70-plus years, the Tuolumne River reservoir west of La Grange had been a place for camping, picnics, swimming, fishing, boating, and more.
Stanislaus County leaders are working to revamp the “underutilized” park, according to Stanislaus County District 2 supervisor Vito Chiesa.
Turlock Lake is one of just two state parks in Stanislaus County, the other being the newly opened Dos Rios State Park. Dos Rios, located on the confluence of the Tuolumne River and San Joaquin River, currently is open only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Turlock Lake’s water belongs to the Turlock Irrigation District, but the recreation area is leased to the California Department of Parks & Recreation.
State Parks has set aside about $7.5 million for facility improvements, mostly for demolition and renovation of buildings, many of which were damaged in a 2022 fire.
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The buildings “continue to deteriorate,” said Tou Her, the irrigation district’s assistant general manager of water resources, during a June TID board meeting. “Anything that they (State Parks) determined was hazardous material, such as asbestos, they have removed,” he said.
In 2012, State Parks assigned operational responsibilities to American Land and Leisure. However, in October 2020, the private concessionaire company terminated its agreement with the state, causing the park to close indefinitely. American Land and Leisure’s action came four months after Turlock Lake was limited to day use because of COVID-19.
Here’s what supervisor says county would like to do at the lake
State Parks is now subletting concessionaire responsibilities to Stanislaus County, which is considering roping off half of the reservoir to the floating aqua park and swimmers, according to Chiesa.
The lake’s southeastern portion would allow motorized boats and fishing. The county is also considering the addition of lake-level campgrounds, similar to Woodward and Modesto reservoirs, which are both county parks. Reasons campgrounds weren’t offered along the lake previously included possible interference with TID’s water operations and the possibility of flooding, Chiesa said.
However, these plans hinge on the extension of TID’s lease with State Parks, which currently runs through 2030. The county is pushing for an extension to secure long-term funding and ensure the project’s success.
“Under a best-case scenario, the improvements are done a year from now, and then the lake opens shortly after,” said Chiesa. “In the worst-case scenario, we just can’t get the deal done,” he said about TID extending the state’s lease.
“I don’t want irrational exuberance for people to think the lake is going to open soon, but I don’t want them to think that everyone’s not trying to come up with something that works.”
This story was originally published August 1, 2024 at 5:30 PM.
