Diamond Valley Lake ramp opens early

Excitement was evident on sunny Tuesday afternoon at Diamond Valley Lake, Metropolitan Water District's $2 billion reservoir near Hemet that closed to boat launching in October 2008.

Employees bustled about and gawkers admired the lake's newly lengthened launch ramp.

Boat launching resumes Dec. 12 for a fundraising fishing tournament at the renowned bass lake that also is a great place to sail and paddle. Launching ended when water levels fell below the half-built ramp. It was not scheduled to reopen until February.

The lake will open to the public Dec. 20 after annual pass holders have an opportunity to play on the water beginning Dec. 13.

"Yeahhhh!" was Megan Merchant's response when asked about her feelings about the reopening.

Merchant is an owner of Last Chance Bait and Tackle, a first-rate fishing store in Hemet. Her business fell by as much as 50 percent when the economy went into a freefall and the ramp closed during the same month.

The only way fishermen could cast for bass and trout was from a small fleet of rental boats, kayaks, canoes and the shore.

The closure was frustrating to boaters because Metropolitan failed to build the ramp to its full length when work wasn't finished before the lake was filled.

With wailing sounding everywhere about the sad economic times, MWD's board of directors initially announced that the ramp would not be extended after the closure even though concrete could be poured on the dry lake bed rather than be installed underwater by divers.

Merchant started an effective petition drive that helped persuade MWD officials to spend $1.1 million to extend three of the ramp's 11 lanes. The action was a relief to San Jacinto Valley civic boosters who were concerned that Metropolitan was not delivering the boating promised when the massive reservoir was proposed.

The ramp is opening two months early because the work was finished quickly and MWD began moving Northern California water into the lake following the September opening of the 44-mile Inland Feeder pipeline.

It is good timing for Merchant, who recently moved her store to a new, larger space at Wentworth Plaza, a little closer to the lake on Sanderson Avenue. She expects her regular customers who used to fish the lake to return with the opening.

Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District officials will not miss a fundraising opportunity.

The regional park district, which is based in San Jacinto and operates an aquatic center and ball fields at the reservoir, staged a First to Fish fundraiser when the lake opened in 2003.

Valley-Wide later sold admission to a First to Fish at Night fundraising event.

On Saturday, Dec. 12, the first anglers to resume boat launching will compete in what Valley-Wide's general manager, Jeff Leatherman, is calling the First to Fish Again tournament, presented by the National Bass West organization.

Entry fees, not including $10 hazard insurance per boat, are $210 for bass, $50 for stripers and $60 for trout. About half the fees go to Valley-Wide and the other half to anglers as prize money.

Information and registration is available at Last Chance Bait and Tackle, 951-658-7410.

Leatherman, the former manager of the lake's marina, said fishing is superb because of light boating pressure.

He said anglers can hope for the same sort of big catches when the lake first opened.

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