Bay City News
Officials in Monterey County are allowing people with annual day passes to the currently closed Lake San Antonio to use their passes at Lake Nacimiento instead, the county announced Saturday.
Lake San Antonio has been closed since Wednesday after a mass fish die off occurred there.
At first, biologists believed a large scale die off that occurred on July 5 was due to the excessive heat, which they believed may have depleted oxygen in the water. Park staff noticed that dead baitfish, mostly shad, began washing up on the shore. They contacted California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to report the situation, the county said. At the time, officials did not believe the lake presented a danger to the public.
But, as the days went on, more fish kept dying and the problem began to affect larger species such as bass, catfish, crappie, carp and trout.
Officials are continuing to investigate the problem, but until the issue can be resolved, boating, swimming and fishing are prohibited at Lake San Antonio and the entire park facility has been shut down.
According to the county, the Lake Nacimiento Resort has limited day use boat and trailer parking, which the county says "fills up quickly" on the weekends. Visitors should consider arriving early or calling ahead to check on capacity.
Lake Nacimiento Resort is 16 miles northwest of Highway 101 in Paso Robles, on Nacimiento Drive G-14. Lake Nacimiento North Shore has a parking area and boat ramp as well, the county said.
To inquire about the annual pass program, go to https://secure.rec1.com/CA/monterey-county-ca/catalog
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