Atascadero officials say lake fill pipe is blocked; staff pursuing permits and funding after summer fires highlighted firefighting reliance

Atascadero residents urged the City Council on multiple occasions during the community forum to repair the pipe that fills the city lake, saying the reservoir is an important firefighting resource after two recent wildfires threatened neighborhood homes.

The speakers described close escapes this summer and credited firefighters and aerial water drops for protecting residences. "On the second one, we were shocked to notice that one of the drops looked more like mud than water," resident Mark Fraser said, urging the city to keep the lake usable so helicopters do not draw mud instead of water.

Camille Farrington, who said her home on Corriente was threatened during the Llano fire, described watching helicopters repeatedly draw from the lake. "What a relief it was to see that helicopter come and dump water again and again and again," she said, adding that fuel reduction and weed-abatement around homes made a clear difference in what burned.

Fire Chief Bryson told the council the lake "definitely is, very usable and convenient for that initial attack, those first few hours," and said other refill options exist for extended operations. "It could be at the Paso Robles Airbase. We do have a fillable tank at the top of San Marcos. It takes a little bit of time, so it's not necessarily the quickest or easiest in the first, you know, hour or so." He said crews would use other systems if the lake were unusable.

Public Works Director DeBarr said the lake fill line was damaged during the 2023 January and March storms and is currently blocked. "This pipe is located in the creek bed. So, there's a lot of environmental permitting and other things that go along with that," DeBarr said. He told the council staff are working on permitting and looking at alternative pipe layouts to restore flow.

City Manager Lewis said the city is pursuing grants and other funding opportunities to speed repairs. "We are pursuing, if there are funding available for fire reservoirs, emergency reservoirs, to see if we could utilize that dollar to more quickly fix the fill line," Lewis said, but added that the lake does not have a year-round flowing source, which complicates fixes.

Speakers and staff also noted past work on the reservoir: Lewis reminded the council that the city previously spent about a half-million dollars removing tens of thousands of cubic yards of sediment to increase lake depth during a prior dry period.

Residents asked for faster repair because they see the lake as a safety amenity as well as a recreational one. Gene Stroll, a member of Friends of the Lake, urged the council to address the intake pipe that he said has "fallen apart and needs repair." Council members asked staff to provide updates as permitting and funding efforts develop.

No formal action was taken at the meeting; staff said they would continue permitting work and pursue funding options, and would return with additional information when available.

Ending: The council closed community forum after staff outlined steps underway. Residents urged continued progress on reestablishing lake inflow to support both recreation and wildfire response.