As the month of July pushes South County thermometers to the triple digits, the glistening lakes nearby, with their emerald green waters that reflect the sun, beckon locals to take a dip.
But that would be breaking the law.
“No swimming” and “No wading” signs surround the lakes and creeks all over Santa Clara County, and park rangers are there to make sure the signs are obeyed.
Swimming has been prohibited for decades in four of South County’s larger lakes – Anderson Lake, Coyote Lake, Calero Reservoir and Chesbro Reservoir – by the California Department of Public Health to protect the public’s drinking water supply from contaminates.
“As part of the approval process to use these reservoirs as a drinking water supply, Santa Clara Valley Water District agreed to restricted recreational use, including a ban on body contact recreation,” said Bruce Barton, chief of the CDPH’s drinking water operations branch.
Human urine and feces is the health department’s main concern. Boating and jet skiing are allowed, but no “body contact” activities such as water skiing or tubing are permitted.
The “risks of boating,” such as oils and spent fuels, are less of a hazard and are more easily mitigated through treatment processes, Burton said.
The remaining lake in South County, Uvas Reservoir on Uvas Road west of Morgan Hill, is not used for drinking water, but swimming is forbidden nonetheless on by the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation department.
“The biggest challenge would be coming up with the infrastructure, like parking and bathrooms, to allow swimming,” said Tamara Clark, county parks and recreation public information officer.
The county hasn’t studied much yet whether it has the resources to provide that needed infrastructure, Clark admitted.
“We haven’t looked into it in depth to look at challenges and advantages,” she continued. “But it would a be very popular thing, and parking would be an issue.”
Other concerns the county would have to research before opening Uvas Reservoir for swimming are the mercury levels in the water and other possible safety and liability issues, she said.
There is a 63-car-parking lot at Uvas Reservoir, but Clark says it’s not large enough to accommodate the demand if the lake were to become the only legal swimming hole in the county.
“In regards to the issues of using a reservoir like Uvas for swimming there is also the issue of transportation. The road is a two-lane road that is narrow and curvy,” she said.
Clark also mentioned that building restrooms on the park, which currently offers only portable bathrooms, could be a challenge to pass county regulations because of the parking lot’s proximity to the lake itself.
Anglers and picnickers can relax along the shore at Uvas Reservoir, watching Great Blue Herons hunt for bluegill – but on those 100 degree plus summer days, visitors better bring a water spray bottle to keep cool: the no swimming rule is enforced by roaming county park rangers.
“We enforce it when we see it,” Clark said.
Because compliance is the county’s goal, a citation is generally only given in the case of repeat offenders, Clark said.
The ordinance applies to all bodies of water within the county’s jurisdiction and is a $25 fine plus a $100 court penalty assessment.
Almaden Lake in San Jose, the only lake in the county where swimming was permitted, was banned to swimmers in 2007 because of reports from the Santa Clara County Water District indicating extreme levels of pollution and toxic mercury in the water.
The district is in the midst of planning what to do with the 32-acre man-made lake off the Almaden Expressway in South San Jose. One plan is to section off the lake and chlorinate a small part of it to make it safe for swimming, which would cost about $150,000 annually for chemical treatment, according to reports from the water district.
The cleanup and construction of Almaden Lake would take one-and-a-half to three years, according to the water district’s website.
Clark maintained she receives few complaints about the county-wide swimming ban.
Santa Cruz County and San Benito County don’t offer swimming, either. The only public lake in Santa Cruz county of any size is Loch Lomond Recreation Area, which also prohibits swimming because the reservoir is used for drinking water. Glen Cole, facilities administrator at Loch Lomond, said the water from the lake goes directly to the treatment plant for the area’s drinking water supply.
Cole said it would cost Santa Cruz County $5 million a year to decontaminate the water if swimming were allowed.
“Plants and animal contaminates are one things. Human pathogens are something else entirely,” Cole said. “But we have a very, very large ocean nearby to swim in.”
The nearest lake swimming is San Luis Reservoir’s North Beach, which is about 38 miles from Gilroy.
In lieu of lake or creek swimming, the CDPH suggests swimming in public pools to cool down on a hot day. A trip to the one of the four community pools in Gilroy and Morgan Hill however can make a sizable dent in the wallet for families with multiple children. Prices vary depending on the facility, ranging from $3 to $11 per person.
The priciest swimming pools in the area are the Morgan Hill Aquatics Center (16200 Condit Road) – which features two slides, a sloping beach entry, fountains to play in, a small heated pool, and an Olympic-sized competition pool – and the indoor pool at the Centennial Recreation Center at 171 W Edmundson Ave.
“We factor in operational costs as far as staffing and maintenance,” said Nick Calubaquib, recreation manager for the City of Morgan Hill. “And people seem pretty willing to pay. We’ve continued to see an increase in numbers.”
Feel like swimming? Don’t step foot into any lakes or creeks in Santa Clara County. But here’s a few alternatives:
• Sunset State Beach, Watsonville. About 28 miles from Gilroy, this beach offers picnic tables in a eucalyptus tree grove adjacent to a wide sandy beach. The Pacific Ocean may be cold, but those brave enough to dip in will certainly beat the heat.
• San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area, North Beach, 31426 Gonzaga Road, Gustine. 38 miles east of Gilroy on Highway 152, this designated swimming area offers picnic tables and a grassy area for beach lounging.
