Hours: Open daily, sunrise to sunset
Size: The capacity of the lake is 12,000 acre feet. Lake levels will fluctuate with the amount of water stored. There is no local runoff into the lake, all water is imported through the San Diego County Water Authority and paid for by the District.
Location/Access: 2 miles Northeast of Lake Poway, 3 miles from Espola Road in Poway; access to the lake can only be obtained by hiking through the Blue Sky Ecological Reserve in Poway.
Fee: None. A valid California fishing license is required.
Fish: Various1-2 lb species. No fish are stocked. Limits: State of California limits apply to all species.
Restrictions: No boating or float tubes. Do not violate private property owner rights to access the lake.
History: Lake Ramona is a reservoir built by Ramona Municipal Water District during the 1980’s to impound as much as 12,000 acre feet of water behind an earthen dam. In comparison, Lake Sutherland holds 29,680 acre feet and El Capitan Reservoir 112,800 acre feet of water.
Planning for the lake, located in Highland Valley north of Mt. Woodson, began in 1979. The project was approved by voters in a special mail ballot on June 2, 1981.
The lake was intended to provide a dependable and uninterruptible future source of water that would help the district reduce its operating costs. Agriculture was expected to use 94% of the stored water. Work began on the dam before plans to fill the lake or use its water for domestic customers were developed. The project was dedicated on August 27, 1988.
The lake was originally financed by issuance of public debt and acquisition of a loan from the Federal Bureau of Reclamation.
Water from Lake Ramona is used exclusively in the untreated system serving the Highland Valley area, and for emergency storage purposes.
In an emergency the water in the lake may be available to serve domestic customers. Use would depend on Health Department approval and under strict guidelines.
Use of the lake’s untreated water as a source for a treatment plant has been recommended to the district as the most economical way to address the treated water needs of the district. The district’s ability to utilize the lake to provide reliability to the treated water system may involve a vote of the public through an election.