Water level and fishing at Lake Piru?

[gillisbeach]

Does anyone have a report on the current water level and the fishing at Lake Piru?

[crappiemike]

very low, launch is usable,
water is nasty looking....



cm

[tpfishnfool]

Castaic is at full pool. Looks great !

[DarkShadow]

very low, launch is usable,
water is nasty looking....



cm


If the info I'm getting as of Feb 11 is correct, how on earth is Piru still at 25%?!

It's not like we haven't received a ton of rain in our state or anything. Where is this water being routed to? Where the hell are we putting all this water?

Don't tell me that they're using the water to throw down into Castaic so water district gets money off the hydroelectric production, and then don't direct not a drop into Piru?

Oh wait, http://www.dreamflows.com/graphs/mon.338.php
(http://www.dreamflows.com/graphs/mon.338.php)
So with ALL this rain, the CFS into Piru Lake is still at single digits?!

Someone's making some real good money from all this water that we've received, but apparently Piru is still in drought mode.

(And my water rates are still expensive)

[shinbob]

Don't tell me that they're using the water to throw down into Castaic so water district gets money off the hydroelectric production, and then don't direct not a drop into Piru?



You use the term "they" as if it's all one big entity -- although slightly connected, Piru is a wholly different animal than Castaic, run by a different entity, and beholden to a different set of interests.

Piru, and the water within, is managed by United Water District, and it's sole, primary purpose is to recharge groundwater aquifers in the Piru/Fillmore area for agricultural use. That's why the Santa Felicia dam was built to begin with. As I understand it, the water comes primarily from local watershed runoff via Piru Creek (which has been virtually nil for the prior 4-5 years), with occasional water purchases from the DWR from Pyramid during times of surplus (where we're hopefully headed this year).

Due to the drought, flows from Castaic through the Santa Clara river have been almost non-existent for years, which further depleted the groundwater, requiring even more water to be drawn from Piru.

They also have to keep minimum flows on lower Piru creek year-round for the steelhead, which further limits the amount of water they can hold in the lake.

We definitely should be on an upswing, hopefully this year is followed by more wet years. But don't expect Piru (or Cachuma for that matter) to be refilled instantly, even if we do get 4-8 inches of rain on Friday. It might take years and years.

[Browntrouter]

The water that comes in from upper Piru Creek to Pryamid is supossed to be let go to Piru durring rain season. I think Pryamid has been holding back at the start of the rain season. As of February 1 2017 Lake Piru had only gone up 6". Give mew a break. I just returned from Piru this afternoon and I would guess it's up 20', now that Pryamid and Castaic are totaly full. The state worries only about itself, Lakes like Piru will only get their share if their lakes are full.

[Browntrouter]

Also forgot to report the Lake is full of debree. I mean really bad.

[gillisbeach]

Browntrouter, thanks for your report, and, is there water in San Felecia cove?

[JS_]

Heard most of the water coming into the lake was being pumped down into the aquifer (Ag Water for Oxnard Plans) and good amount water is also being released down to lower Piru Creek (Stealhead thing just like Lake Casitas is being mandated to do?). Also, they have already let water in from Pyramid, I believe last week and a few weeks prior too.

If they let all the water stay in the lake, it should have been completely full sometime ago. Been fishing Piru for +25 years and it fills quickly if they would just allow it to stay in the lake....

The rumors is they will fill it through Pyramid??....hopefully that is correct...

[Browntrouter]

San Felecia is about half way full. Still has a way to go but it is a cove once again