SAN DIEGO — When CBS 8 reported that the City of San Diego had released 11 billion gallons of water over the past year from Lake Hodges, the emails started coming in.
"Besides the water losses, the lake level is too low to operate the 40 MW hydroelectric facility,” a viewer named Kurt wrote.
He's talking about the Lake Hodges Pumped Storage Facilities, a $208 million hydroelectric plant that uses water from Lake Hodges to generate enough electricity to power 26,000 homes annually.
Now it can't be used because the water level in the lake is too low.
The San Diego County Water Authority operates the hydroelectric facility. The agency said lost revenues from non-operation of the plant amount to $3 million annually. It also costs $3 million per year to maintain the facility.
Another viewer emailed CBS 8 to say he was frustrated that Lake Hodges remained closed to windsurfing, even though it is one of the best freshwater windsurfing locations in Southern California.
“They opened the lake only to kayak and shore fisherman... The reason given was the lake was polluted,” viewer Andrew wrote.
The city's website says, "The state... does not allow water contact activities of any kind, due to water quality."
Windsurfer Kevin Kidd-Tackaberry said Lake Hodges is not polluted and he has the water tests to prove it. The former San Diego city employee said the city should post water advisory signs, not close the entire lake to windsurfing.
“It really ought to be an advisory. That's all they're required to do with the bacterial levels that there are now,” Kidd-Tackaberry said. “Windsurfing is very limited water contact. It's just incidental to a fall occasionally.”
The City of San Diego owns the Lake Hodges dam and the city is supposed to maintain it. In 2019, state regulators ordered the water level lowered because the dam was unsafe. Now, the city says it is making plans to finance, plan and build a new dam.
The city estimates it will take a decade to build the new dam. In the meantime, during heavy rainstorms, the city will have to release water into the ocean in order to comply with the state’s water level order.
WATCH RELATED: 11 billion gallons of water released from Lake Hodges dam