How the Recycling Of Used Material Signaled a Redemption For A California Oasis
Santee, California is known as a historically rich city about 25 minutes from downtown San Diego with temperatures typically ten degrees warmer than San Diego itself. The climate is mountainous and dry amid a thriving town with a wide-array of local restaurants and attractions. Much of the city was pioneered by businessman George A. Cowles but his wife ended up changing all the names to honor her second husband, Milton Santee. While just Cowles Mountain remains to bear the name of the city’s pioneer, numerous parks and landmarks were named after the city itself, and among these, Santee Lakes is the most impressive.
In the 1950’s, California’s water shortage threatened draught for millions throughout the state. It was typical to only receive 10 inches of rain per year in the dessert climate of Southern California, so water for hydration and recreation was a precious commodity. It was amid this struggle that innovative District Engineer, Ray Stoyer, had a bold new idea.
“There are many secondary uses for reclaimed waste water.” Stoyer explained in "The Town That Launders its Water", the 1971 book documenting the use of sewage water to build the lakes of Santee. With that mantra in mind, Stoyer led the charge to reuse waste water to fill recreational lakes in the city of Santee. The issue was met with much controversy from those who questioned the use of lakes that were not suitable for swimming. Nonetheless, locals loved the idea, as numerous secondary activities were cited for the reclaimed lakes.
Stoyer’s dream became reality in 1961, as Santee became the city that pioneered water reclamation, and the 190-acres of Santee Lakes was born. As over 10,000 citizens attended the opening day festivities, sailors paddled around in canoes, families picnicked, and children played as locals in Santee had a revolutionary new set of lakes. For everything but swimming, the lakes of Santee became the community’s Garden of Eden, attracting hundreds of thousands in each year since its opening.
Even now in 2016, the space at Santee Lakes isn’t wasted. Well-maintained benches and walkways intertwine between the park’s seven lakes which are often accompanied by ducks and paddleboats. There is an active clubhouse, café, pool, and fishing ponds that are regularly restocked. A two-mile walking path includes views of the rolling hillsides of Santee, and is worth exploring for photography buffs alone. While all of these aspects are immediately noticeable, the real personality of Santee Lakes lies in the details.
One of the eccentric and exceptional differences Santee Lakes offers is a “Sprayground” which can be described as an “automatic waterpark”. The overall park is exceptionally clean for its size, with containers strategically placed to collect fishing line and other specific types of trash. This emphasis on cleanliness is one aspect of their concern for the environment, as you can see rows of solar panels lining roofs as part of a major move towards green energy which has earned them the Plan-It Green award from the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds. Such awards show that the park has continued to represent the same strong concern for the environment in which it was founded.