Some people visiting Vasona Lake in Los Gatos are surprised to find it's nearly dry as the rainy season is winding down.
The Santa Clara Valley Water drained it so that crews could make repairs on the dam. It also means people cannot be able to use the paddle boats this Easter weekend.
Los Gatos resident Jeanette Rasmussen told NBC Bay Area Wednesday that she was caught off guard.
“It’s the first time in 30 years I’ve seen it this low,” she said. “So I was pretty shocked to be quite honest.”
The Santa Clara Valley Water District drained the lake last week to repair a nearby dam built in the 1930s.
“The Division of Safety of Dams does inspections with us, and so there were some areas of the dam that they said required some sealing. So, we are doing that and the concrete. While doing that, we are also removing alot of the debris that collects at the bottom of the dam and also at the outlet pipes,” said Matt Keller with Valley Water.
The dam is the district’s smallest reservoir, holding just 463 acres feet of water at capacity. It was lasted drained in 2005.
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With the water gone, people can see debris left behind in the lake including construction cones. The district said water released from Vasona is now flowing into the creek downstream and will be used to recharge percolation ponds.
On Wednesday, district crews were walking the creekbed, searching for invasive plants to try to remove while the water levels were low.
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While it’s much easier to find crawdads, some are concerned it’s harder for birds and other wildlife to find food. But the district said it purposely left a small area of water for fish.
Valley Water is expected to start filling the lake back up next week, with water from Lexington Reservoir.
