Visited on 9/13/2018,
during a visit to the San Diego area proctoring Drinking Water Operator
Certification examinations in the evening after the exams I explored several
lakes in the area. Lake Morena and the Lake
Morena County Park is a 1,475 surface acre reservoir that is a popular camping
and fishing park located in East County San Diego. Because of its location –
southwest of the Laguna Mountains – the park shows characteristics of desert,
coastal, and mountain habitats. Lake Morena sits at an elevation of 3,000 feet.
It is the most remote reservoir in all
of San Diego County. Lake Morena is the
highest and most remote of the city's nine reservoirs. Its dam dates to the
late 19th century.
When full, the lake
has a depth of 157 feet. After the
drawdown, plus loss to evaporation, the lake is now at 83.6 feet. The City of San Diego uses this as a water
supply to service the water demands of the public.
On the day I visited
this reservoir the Park Ranger told me that the water level was at only 6% of
capacity. Even though it is late in the
season….Wow, that is really low water level.
In 1916 the city of
San Diego hired Charles Hatfield, a man known as the "Rainmaker", who
had offered to fill Morena Reservoir at a cost of $10,000. Although the city
council doubted his ability, Hatfield was hired and set to work
"rainmaking" on January 1. By January 10, flooding rains began to
fall throughout San Diego County. Rising at a peak rate of two feet per hour,
Morena Reservoir filled and spilled on January 26, a mere 5 inches from the top
of the dam. In the rest of the county, flooding washed out bridges, inundated
neighborhoods and killed over 50 people. The city subsequently deemed the rains
an "act of God" and determined that if Hatfield were to collect the
fee for filling Morena reservoir he would also have to pay for the damages
caused by the rains. Hatfield never took the money and left town!
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