Loveland Reservoir dewatering and wildlife harm raised during public forum; resident asks State Water Board to investigate

A resident and community advocate described a multi-year incident at Loveland Reservoir during the State Water Resources Control Board’s public forum on March 4, urging the board to investigate alleged harms from reservoir drawdown and to use the board’s enforcement and legal authorities if appropriate.

Russell Walsh said Loveland Reservoir was drained to roughly half of 1 percent of capacity for the first time in 75 years, an event he described as resulting in extensive fish kills, black sediment moving into downstream and protected wildlife zones, and damage to fire-safety functions where the reservoir had historically been used for fire response. Walsh told the board that the reservoir’s minimum pool had not been preserved and that erosion and invasive weeds had taken hold in the emptied basin.

Walsh said an earlier CalEPA complaint that he filed in 2020 had requested that state agencies evaluate actionable threats to the environment and public trust. He said he had later been in contact with the regional executive officer and “chief counsel Laufer” and asked the board to support renewed investigation by the board’s counsel and enforcement staff. His comments referenced protected species including the southwestern pond turtle and arroyo toads.

Board Chair Joaquin Esquivel thanked Walsh for raising the concerns and said staff would review the complaint and follow up; he noted that formal enforcement decisions are not issued during public forum. Walsh asked the board to consider a moratorium on reservoir drawdowns that he said harm wildlife and public safety.

The board did not announce enforcement action at the March 4 meeting; the statements were entered into the public record and flagged for follow-up by counsel and enforcement staff.