San Diego, CA
What should become of the Lake Hodges Dam? As San Diego studies its options, local leaders worry about lake
A growing coalition of civic groups is lobbying San Diego to accelerate efforts to rebuild Lake Hodges Dam and to raise the dam’s existing water level — but city officials are limited by state regulations and cost concerns.
The lobbying effort comes as city officials finalize two complex studies: one analyzing whether a new dam should be built, another analyzing how to handle the existing 108-year-old dam until there’s a long-term answer.
The civic groups say a new dam is crucial to keeping downstream communities like Rancho Santa Fe safe from flooding, securing a reliable local water supply, supporting existing wildlife and limiting risks to homes in the wildfire-prone area.
The groups, which include the Rancho Bernardo Community Council and the Friends of Lake Hodges, also want the water level raised from 280 feet to 295 feet during the roughly 10 years it will take to build a new dam.
They say that will reduce wildfire risk and restore recreational and boating opportunities on the lake, which have been curtailed or eliminated since the water level was lowered.
In addition, the groups stress that the existing 280-foot water level renders useless a taxpayer-funded $208 million pump built in 2012 to dump excess Lake Hodges water into the nearby Olivenhain Reservoir.
City officials don’t dispute that the 280-foot level prevents use of the pump, but they stress that the 280-foot level is based on a comprehensive safety analysis and was chosen in concert with state regulators.
That analysis was prompted by state officials’ 2023 declaration that Hodges was the most dangerous dam in California, giving the dam’s safety level the unusually low rating of “unsatisfactory.”
While the state based those concerns mostly on the risk of a seismic event, subsequent analysis by the state has raised concerns about the dam’s safety even without an earthquake.
City officials have indicated they have no plans to reconsider the 280-foot level with the existing dam, so the level couldn’t be raised any higher unless a new dam is built or the existing dam is essentially rebuilt.
Building a new dam had been the city’s first and only choice until last year, when a sharp jump in cost estimates prompted the County Water Authority to renege on an agreement to help fund a new dam.
The new cost analysis determined the price tag had leapt from $275 million to somewhere between $474 million and $697 million.
The city’s plans have always called for the water authority to cover half the cost, for the city to cover 25% and for the Santa Fe Irrigation District and San Dieguito Water District to jointly cover the remaining 25%.
The city owns the dam, while the water authority and the downstream water districts have storage rights to the water in the reservoir. All the agencies have been sharing the costs to maintain the dam.
The city and the water authority are locked in complex litigation over the water authority’s decision not to help fund a new dam — but the city’s new analysis has to consider the possibility that there will be no water authority contribution.
That would make a new dam potentially much more costly for the city’s water ratepayers, who are already facing a series of rate hikes in coming years.
City officials also must analyze how much bang for their buck a new dam would provide
In 2024, the city secured a $240.6 million federal loan for the dam replacement under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. It’s not clear whether that loan would apply to less ambitious projects.
The civic groups lobbying for a new dam contend it would be a smart investment — one with high upfront costs, yes, but limited operating costs to capture millions of gallons of essentially free rainwater for ratepayers.
“It’s clear that they have to have a new dam there,” Rhonda Farrar, leader of Friends of Lake Hodges, said last week.
But with the first phase of the city’s Pure Water sewage recycling project scheduled to begin operating this winter, the city’s water needs are shrinking. In addition, as much as $700 million for a dam to store rainwater might not be a smart investment.
Those kinds of questions are key to the two studies city officials and a consultant are finalizing right now.
The first study, called an interim risk-reduction analysis and expected to be released in September or October, will analyze how to operate the existing dam until a long-term solution is chosen.
It will focus on things like how the city can maintain the 280-foot water level in heavy rains, such as those expected with the El Niño this coming winter.
State officials have expressed concerns about the city potentially needing several days to remove excess water after a storm, so the study may recommend new pipes or valves or a smaller spillway for the dam.
The second study, an analysis of how to build a new dam and whether that should happen, is expected to be completed in early 2027.
It will examine possibilities that may seem unrealistic, such as the city eliminating the dam and what impact that could have on downstream communities.
The civic groups say the two studies are crucial to the future of the city and to the area near Lake Hodges.
“The decisions made in the coming months will echo for generations,” the groups said in a joint statement. “Set aside bureaucratic and budgetary obstacles and collaborate on a solution that protects public safety and honors more than a century of investment in this watershed.”
The groups say wildfire risk should be a high priority, stressing that the area already lost several hundred homes during the 2007 Witch Creek fire.
They say it makes no sense for 500 acres of former lakebed to be exposed as fuel for wildfires in a fire-prone area.
A city spokesperson said Friday that city officials are on top of any safety risks.
“California’s state and local brush management programs are designed to reduce flammable shrubs and grasses in the wildland-urban interface,” said the spokesperson, Jennifer McBride.
In addition, McBride said the city’s Fire Department and Cal Fire have confirmed that their helicopters and other equipment can access water at Hodges, in addition to other surrounding water sources, as operational needs require.
Robin Kaufman, chair of the Rancho Bernardo Community Council, said last week that despite Hodges still being viable for firefighting choppers, the lake would be more effective if it had more water.
Kaufman suggested the lower level could force choppers to reload at Lake Miramar, potentially reducing how frequently they can drop water on a raging wildfire.
She said Rancho Bernardo residents want a new dam built for many reasons, and she stressed the savings from storing rainwater in the lake versus buying expensive imported water.
Farrar agreed, calling it financially shortsighted to keep the Lake Hodges level low and to give up on the pump to Olivenhain, where even more water could be stored.
“We have billions of gallons of free water being flushed out to the sea,” she said.
Her group, which was founded four years ago, plans to continue lobbying the city.
“The Friends of Lake Hodges is focused on working with elected officials and their staffs and our partners to accelerate the completion of the new dam and raise the lake level permanently for everyone as soon as possible,” the group said in a statement. “And to make sure that we are capturing all the precious rainwater that flows into Lake Hodges for the next 100+ years.”
Other civic groups lobbying with the friends group include RaiseLakeHodges.org, Friends of San Diego Lakes and the North County Climate Alliance.
The county water authority did not respond to requests for comment.
San Diego, CA
Watch UCLA vs San Diego State for free tonight: Time, TV channel and live stream details
The UCLA Bruins return home tonight when they host the San Diego State Aztecs at the Rose Bowl. UCLA opened the season with a 45-24 road win over California, while San Diego State rolled past Portland State 53-20 to set up an intriguing in-state matchup. The action gets underway on Saturday, September 12, at 4:15 p.m. PT / 7:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. MT) and is available live on the Big Ten Network.
Is UCLA vs. San Diego State on TV tonight or is it streaming only? What time does it start?
This game is available to watch on BTN.
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Time: 4:15 p.m. PT (7:15 p.m. ET)
TV channel: BTN
Streaming: Fubo, DIRECTV (with eligible subscription)
Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
What are the best deals to watch the UCLA vs. San Diego State game tonight?
- You can watch this Big Ten Network game live for FREE with DirecTV (free trial). DIRECTV is offering new promotional pricing on all plans.
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Stream your favorite shows free for 5 days, with new promotional pricing on subscriptions.
DIRECTV Free Trial
- You can watch Big Ten Network games for free on Fubo. Fubo is currently offering a free trial and has recently added NBC networks back to its lineup.
Fubo
Watch with Fubo
Fubo
- If you are all out of free trials or just need a streaming service to watch sports, Sling is the cheapest way to watch select NCAA games. Big Ten Network is included in the Sling “Sports Extra” package, which costs just $56.99 for the first month. Big Ten Network is included in the Sling “Sports Extra” package.
- From NFL Sundays and college football Saturdays to marquee MLB, NBA, and NHL matchups, DISH provides sports fans with year-round access to some of the biggest events on the calendar.
What are the latest betting lines for the Bruins vs. Aztecs?
Moneyline: San Diego State +360 | UCLA -470
Spread: UCLA -12.5
Over/Under: 54.5
- Get promo codes, signup deals, and free bets from our Oregon Betting News home page.
UCLA will soon kick off against San Diego State in its home opener and will look to start the season 2-0 in its first season under Bob Chesney.
The Aztecs have a team with a lot of talent that some Bruins fans may overlook, but it’ll be crucial that UCLA doesn’t sleepwalk into this game. Heading into the matchup, here are three players I want to keep an eye on as the game unfolds.
Nico Iamaleava
Senior quarterback Nico Iamaleava has a lot to prove this season. His previous season at UCLA was very underwhelming, though it’s hard to place a ton of blame on him considering the circumstances of the team. A midseason head coaching change and a lack of elite weapons certainly isn’t an easy situation to find success in.
His first showing of the season in Week One was decent, but there’s room for improvement. He went 14-for-22 and passed for 184 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He’ll possibly be without Landon Ellis against SDSU, but it will be interesting to see how he’s able to command the offense against one of the easier teams on the schedule.
Anthony Woods
Anthony Woods was one of the surprises in Week One, and against the Aztecs he’ll have the chance to prove that it wasn’t a fluke. Against Cal, Woods rushed for 118 yards on eight carries and will likely get a similar workload in Week Two.
Wayne Knight and Jaivian Thomas will also get a good portion of snaps in the backfield, but it will be interesting to watch and see if Thomas is able to position himself as RB1, or if another back rises to the top.
Sahir West
James Madison transfer Sahir West wasn’t absent by any means in Week One against Cal, but I wouldn’t say we felt him in the season opener like we thought we might have. He logged a sack and five tackles, and certainly looked like he could be a major component of this Bruins defense moving forward. However, I like to believe there’s still room for him to improve and show that he can truly take over a game.
UCLA will need to apply pressure to the SDSU passing game, as taking the ball away was crucial to the Bruins’ success last week. West has the talent to be a game-wrecker, and I want to see how impactful he can be moving forward.
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