In November 2022 the Sweetwater Authority initiated a controlled transfer of water between the Loveland Reservoir to the Sweetwater Reservoir where water is treated and distributed to Authority customers in National City, Chula Vista and Bonita. The Loveland Reservoir, owned and operated by the water utility, was built in 1945 pooling water from the Sweetwater River. It has been a destination for fishing, birdwatching, and hiking. After a second water transfer in January between the two reservoirs and substantial storms which caused damage to the HUD-funded fishing pier and erosion damage to the trails, Loveland is now closed to the public for all recreational usage for an indefinite period of time.

Sweetwater Authority General Manager Carlos Quintero said, bottom line, with both water transfers there is not enough water to fish. He said Loveland has always been a water supply reservoir.

“Our mission is to provide water to the Sweetwater customers,” he said. “We use both of our reservoirs. They work in conjunction. Sweetwater is in Spring Valley and that is where we have our treatment plant. When conditions are optimal, when we are outside the arroyo toad breeding season, that is when we can transfer water from one reservoir to another. It is a 17-mile trek for every drop of water, and we try to find the optimal conditions to minimize our losses.”