Lake Casitas#Operations

The lake filled for the first time around the 1970s.{{Cite news |url=https://www.vcreporter.com/2017/04/all-that-the-rain-promises-questions-remain-as-western-ventura-moves-toward-a-state-water-connection/ |title=All That The Rain Promises {{!}} Questions remain as western Ventura moves toward a state water connection|date=2017-04-20|work=VC Reporter {{!}} Southland Publishing|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-24|author= Crawford Coates|author2= Kit Stolz}} The spillway was first used in 1978. As of 2024, it has operated eight times.{{Cite web |last=Carlson |first=Cheri |date=April 23, 2024 |title='At the tippy top:' Ventura County's Lake Casitas hits capacity, highest level since 1998 |url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2024/04/23/lake-casitas-reaches-capacity-highest-water-level-since-1998/73297284007/ |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=Ventura County Star |language=en-US}}

During the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Lake Casitas hosted the canoeing and rowing events.[http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1984/1984v1pt1.pdf 1984 Summer Olympics official report.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101102235952/http://la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1984/1984v1pt1.pdf |date=2010-11-02 }} Volume 1. Part 1. pp. 108–12.

The Thomas Fire at the end of 2017 had a significant impact on operations since the wildfire burned a large area within the watershed of the Ventura River.{{Cite news|url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/special-reports/outdoors/2019/03/28/thomas-fire-damage-lake-casitas-critical-shutdown-diversions-stopped/3273515002/|title=Thomas Fire fallout blamed for second 'critical shutdown' at Lake Casitas facility|last=Carlson|first=Cheri|date=March 28, 2019|newspaper=Ventura County Star|language=en|access-date=29 March 2019}} Rainstorms brought a lot of ash, sandy silt, gravel, and debris into the Robles diversion facility that had collected over several years since the fire resulting in some temporary shutdowns of water from the Ventura River.{{Cite news|last=Carlson|first=Cheri|date=August 3, 2020|title=Longtime incumbent on Ojai Valley water board announces he will not seek re-election|url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/special-reports/outdoors/2020/08/03/election-2020-ojai-valley-water-board-seat/5573090002/|access-date=2020-08-04|newspaper=Ventura County Star|language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Carlson|first=Cheri|date=December 16, 2021|title=Storm delivers small boost to drought-stressed Lake Casitas |url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2021/12/16/storm-gives-small-boost-drought-stressed-lake-casitas-ojai-valley-ventura/8918165002/|access-date=2021-12-17|newspaper=Ventura County Star |language=en-US}}

The Casitas Municipal Water District provides drinking water to the Ojai Valley, parts of Ventura, and the Rincon coast north of Ventura.{{cite news|url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/special-reports/outdoors/2018/08/29/ventura-state-water-pipeline-supply-gaps-metropolitan-drought/1089766002/|title=Drought-stricken western Ventura County may need more than planned $45M pipeline as a fix|first=Cheri|last=Carlson|newspaper=Ventura County Star|date=August 29, 2018|access-date=30 August 2018|archive-date=30 March 2019|df=mdy-all|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330040315/http://www.vcstar.com/story/news/special-reports/outdoors/2018/08/29/ventura-state-water-pipeline-supply-gaps-metropolitan-drought/1089766002/}}{{r|CWRP 2020}} They took over management of the Ojai water system by purchase of the franchise from Golden State Water Company in April 2017 after an overwhelming vote in favor.{{cite news |url=http://www.vcstar.com/news/local/ojai/casitas-moves-to-take-over-ojai-water-system-32a968fe-ef05-0906-e053-0100007fe982-379280901.html |title=Casitas moves to take over Ojai water system |first=Claudia |last=Boyd-Barrett|newspaper=Ventura County Star |date= May 13, 2016 |access-date=13 May 2016}}

The Robles Diversion Dam was constructed on the Ventura River in 1958 to divert up to {{convert|107,800|acre.ft|m3|abbr=off|sp=us}} of water per year through a {{convert|4.5|mi|km|adj=on}} canal to the reservoir.{{cite web |title=Robles Dam |publisher=U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation |date=2009-06-04 |url=http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Facility.jsp?fac_Name=Robles+Dam |access-date=2013-03-16 |archive-date=September 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160928174146/http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Facility.jsp?fac_Name=Robles+Dam |url-status=dead }} About 30 to 40% of the total water in Lake Casitas is supplied from high winter flows in the Ventura River.{{Cite news |last=Carlson |first=Cheri |date=April 2, 2024 |title=Lake Casitas edges closer to spilling for the first time in 25 years |url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/2024/04/02/lake-casitas-lake-piru-water-levels-ventura-county-california/73145597007/ |access-date=2024-04-03 |newspaper=Ventura County Star |language=en-US}}

Human contact with the water is prohibited by the Board of Directors at the Casitas Municipal Water District. The board states that since the Lake is used for drinking water, body contact with water is not allowed, but fishing, boating, rowing and camping are permitted.{{Cite news|last=Carlson|first=Cheri|date=September 23, 2021|title=Review finds rust, safety issues at Lake Casitas water park|url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2021/09/23/lake-casitas-tear-down-slides-play-equipment-water-park-heres-why/5822046001/|access-date=2021-09-27|newspaper=Ventura County Star|language=en-US}}

The "no body contact with water" lake policy was established by The Casitas Municipal Water District in the 1950s and 1960s because the lake did not have a filtration system in place. In the 1990s a multimillion-dollar filtration system upgrade was made to the Lake Casitas facility. The US Department of the Interior conducted a 10-year study on the lake where allowing body contact with water was explored. The study reported, "The capabilities of the current water filtration system to handle the additional burden of body contact were called into question. The system was shown to exceed current regulatory standards, and would “probably” be sufficient to mitigate body contact pollution as well".Bureau of Reclamation (February 2010) [http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/documentShow.cfm?Doc_ID=5268 "Lake Casitas Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement"] United States Department of the Interior The Casitas Municipal Water District has not significantly changed the "no body contact with water" regulations in response to the facilities upgrade.

File:CaliforniaLakeCasitas.png]]

What is believed to be the only nesting pair of bald eagles on the mainland of Ventura County uses a large nest in a eucalyptus tree at the lake.{{Cite news |last=Kisken |first=Tom |date=October 9, 2024 |title=Finding a 'Majestic' sight as bald eagle spreads wings at Lake Casitas near Ojai |url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/2024/10/09/finding-a-majestic-sight-at-lake-casitas-ojai-bald-eagle-comes-into-view/75586488007/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |newspaper=Ventura County Star |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Kisken |first=Tom |date=January 27, 2022 |title=Updated: Ojai Valley's walking, talking eagle cam awaits babies in the nest |url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2022/03/27/bald-eagle-watcher-ojai-anxiously-waits-babies-nest/7099545001/ts-babies-nest%2F7099545001%2F |access-date=2022-03-29 |newspaper=Ventura County Star|url-access=limited}} Two baby birds were born in the spring of 2022 and 2023.{{Cite news |last=Kisken |first=Tom |date=July 5, 2023 |title=Baby eagles at Lake Casitas near Ojai learn landing is harder than flying |url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/2023/07/05/eaglets-at-lake-casitas-near-ojai-learn-landing-is-harder-than-flying/70383890007/ |access-date=2023-07-09 |newspaper=Ventura County Star |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Kisken |first=Tom |date=March 29, 2024 |title=Forget the cigars, these birds need trout: Eagle chick hatches at Lake Casitas |url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/2024/03/29/the-nest-is-full-again-as-a-bald-eagle-chick-hatches-at-lake-casitas/73110293007/ |access-date=2024-03-30 |newspaper=Ventura County Star |language=en-US}} Ospreys fly around as they hunt fish.{{Cite news |last=Kisken |first=Tom |date=January 19, 2025 |title=Feathered star feasts on bass, hauls in attention at Lake Casitas |url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/2025/01/19/ospreys-marathon-feasts-are-a-lake-casitas-showstopper/77415807007/ |access-date=2025-01-20 |newspaper=Ventura County Star |language=en-US}} Bears are rare around the lake, but they have been spotted multiple times. {{Cite web |title=Lake Casitas Recreation FAQ |url=https://www.casitaswater.org/lake-casitas-recreation-faq |access-date=2025-01-20 |publisher=Casitas Municipal Water |language=en}}

• List of dams and reservoirs in California
• List of lakes in California
• List of largest reservoirs of California

{{reflist|refs=

{{Cite report|author=Stantec Consulting Services Inc.|date=June 8, 2020|title=Draft Casitas Municipal Water District Comprehensive Water Resources Plan |publisher=Casitas Municipal Water District |url=https://www.casitaswater.org/home/showdocument?id=2553}}

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• {{cite report | author=Bureau of Reclamation| title=Ventura River Project| url=http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Project.jsp?proj_Name=Ventura+River+Project| publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior| year=2009| accessdate=2009-09-29| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150719050626/http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Project.jsp?proj_Name=Ventura+River+Project| archive-date=2015-07-19| url-status=dead}}
• {{cite web | author=Department of Water Resources | title=Station Meta Data: Lake Casitas (CSI) | url=http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/profile?s=CSI&type=dam | work=California Data Exchange Center | publisher=State of California | year=2009 | access-date=2009-10-11}}
• {{cite report | author=U.S. Geological Survey | title=Feature Detail Report: Main Island | url={{gnis3|1870560}} | work=Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) | publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior | date= 13 June 2000| access-date=2009-10-12}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{gnis|240317}}
• [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/NO+SLIP-SLIDIN'+AWAY%3B+CASITAS+DAM+TO+GET+$42+MILLION+UPGRADE.-a083613075 Casitas dam to get upgrade]
• [http://www.casitasrowing.org/ Lake Casitas Rowing Association]
• [https://www.casitaswater.org/recreation Lake Casitas - Recreation]

{{Ventura River}}

{{1984 Summer Olympic venues}}

{{Olympic venues canoeing}}

{{Olympic venues rowing}}

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