Del Dios Escondido

Scenes from a San Diego County Wildland Training Exercise at Lake Hodges, Calif. DAY 2..

A little rain didn't dampen the spirits of hundreds of firefighters from 28 San Diego County fire agencies on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 as they concluded annual wildland training at Lake Hodges, Calif.

And for some bonus coverage...

...Dial it up. Fire training exercise over, the lake re-opens to fishing on Wednesday.

PLUS BONUS COVERAGE OF 'THE ACCIDENT' AT THE LAKE...Featuring the Del Dios Bicycle Players.

As fortune - bad - would have it, a bicyclist suffered a fall at the right place with hundreds of EMTs around.

So, as an added busines we bring your photos from 'The Accident' as well.

Last but least, the lake as it stands Monday, May 16, 2011

Enjoy?

MORE WILDLAND TRAINING FROM LAKE HODGES, DEL DIOS, CALIF...

Like I was saying, its the annual Wildland Training Day at Lake Hodges and about 100 engine companies along with numerous batallion chiefs and firefighting apparatus, and about a half-dozen fire suppression non-stealth helicopters trained all day Monday at the lake.

They came from every firefighting agency in San Diego County for the hootenanny at the lake.

It was a fun day for all what with seminars, hands-on training and well, sitting around in fire engines all day.

Warning: Arsonists Beware, Stay Away from Lake Hodges Monday for the Lake is Fire-Training or Something...

All of San Diego County's fire agencies turned out in force on Monday for the annual meeting of the clans. Well, the annual wildfire exercise. And what place more appropriate than at the Del Dios Fire Station and Lake Hodges where the 2007 Witch Creek Fire was brought to its knees and vanquished.

Agencies, along with all available firefighting helcopters, spent the day doing stuff around the lake. This included wildfire training seminars at the station as well as hands-on fire suppression and safety drills at the lake. Anyone who was stranded around Lake Hodges due to, I dunno, having a crappy Toyota RAV 4 transmission, were just plain out of luck, but we digress...

....Enjoy!

OH THE HUMANITY!!! Dump truck Ditches Del Dios Highway, Calif. Morning Rush Hour Traffic...

 Just before 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 31, and just in time for morning rush hour, a dump truck overturned on Del Dios Highway near Lake Hodges Dam, Ranch Santa Fe firefighters said.

Maybe, the dump truck driver was watching the waterfalls continuing at the dam. Maybe, those stinking dump trucks shouldn't be allowed on narrow, two-lane Del Dios Highway where they spew pollution, clog up traffic and, yes, even overturn and truly turn the highway into a nightmare, especially at rush hour.

But we digress.

Del Dios Highway was CLOSED, closed we tell ya, from 8 to 9 a.m. so a lot of people didn't get to -- Maynard G. Krebs voice, please --  "work". But gee whiz, no injuries, so that's, er, nice, we guess.

The dastardly dump truck -- its ownership not revealed -- had been towing a small flatbed trailer with a tractor. That's just the worst kind of traffic possible on the misnamed highway because these stinking trucks and trailer go like 30 miles per hour under the speed limit. They also don't turn off when a long line of vehicles is behind them and technically, the law says it's illegal to drive with five vehicles, or more, in the rear.

 ANYWAY, Firefighters found the truck and erstwhile trailer lying on its side on the guard rail along the lane headed from Rancho Santa Fe to Del Dios.

Taxpayer dollars came to work then.

Aside from the Rancho Santa Fe Fire engine company and San Diego Medical Services ambulance and crew, San Diego County Department of Public Works employees cleaned up the road while California Highway Patrol officers told people they couldn't drive anywhere.

The accident remains under investigation with no charges filed as yet, said Julie Taber, Rancho Santa Fe Fire spokesperson.

Oh, the humanity!

(By the way, photo below, the waterfall event is coming to a close at Lake Hodges Dam where the one month-long attraction was enjoyed by one and all.)

April 30 and May 1 from 10-4 each day

2048 Ridgecrest Place, Escondido 92029

View the one acre gardens overlooking Lake Hodges seen in SD Home and Garden mag. 360 views from succulents to tropicals.

Artwork includes: Spain, Tuscany,  Maui and southwest paintings, Paintings of many local scenes. Hand painted jewelry

Look for signs for two other art shows in the Lake Hodges area

760-489-9109

cathy@artstudiosandiego.com

www.artstudiosandiego.com

Ultimate Lake Hodges Dam overflow shot and two more: 'Hard Way Down,' 'Sealz' by Ben Sever

Thanks so much Ben! As usual, your photos are art of the highest order -- Dan Weisman, founder/editor Ah-Ha Rancho Santa Fe News

                                                                 LAKE HODGES DAM OVERFLOW

                                                                               HARD WAY DOWN

                                                                                                        SEALZ

Another day ho-hum and another spectacular water fall over Lake Hodges Dam, Day Four...

Here are some photos. Anyone wishing to share images, thoughts, videos, please post -- it's easy -- or send to 92067freepress@gmail.com.

Lake Hodges Dam continued to throw water down into the Santa Fe Valley on Monday as crowds were smaller than the weekend but steady throughout the day.

 Since the lake's watershed extends to Julian, 40 miles away, melting weekend snow coupled with rain runoff should fuel the spill and rapids for several days.

 The waterfall began late Friday night, an event that last occurred in February 2005. Hundreds of people descended on the lake Saturday morning, a number that increased to thousands on Sunday during the height of the water flow.

 However, water did not flow down the hillsides and fish were not seen going over the dam as in previous events.

 For more coverage:

http://tiny.cc/8z32r

http://tiny.cc/83dla

http://ahharsfnews.com/2011/02/24/breaking-news-2-pm-lake-ho

http://ahharsfnews.com/2011/02/16/2-2-watch-this-week-lake-h

http://ahharsfnews.com/2011/01/30/lake-hodges-nears-capacity

Breaking News 4 P.M. - MARDI GRAS at Lake Hodges as dam overflows with water and people...

 Wow. Mardi Gras at Del Dios.

Thousands of people Sunday flooded along, over, and around Del Dios Highway as the Lake Hodges Dam overflow event reached epic proportions.

Vehicles lined busy two-lane Del Dios Highway for miles as people flocked to the unusual scene of water busting over the dam restoring the San Dieguito River long kept caged upstream.

A holiday spirit was in the cool, crisp air as days of rain cleared out and San Diego weather returned in beautiful force. Visibility stretched all the way to Palomar Mountain -- also unusual for the lake that lies halfway between Escondido and Rancho Santa Fe.

The only drag: A sheriff's deputy handing out parking tickets to some unfortunates apparently chosen randomly. What's wrong with those people, we mean the sheriffs Department. But we digress.

 The falls reached similar proportions to previous events, but so far no fish were spotted going over the dam as has been the case in previous years.

Maybe tomorrow?

For more for now visit previous coverage at Ah-Ha Rancho Santa Fe News:

http://tiny.cc/83dla

http://ahharsfnews.com/2011/02/24/breaking-news-2-pm-lake-ho

http://ahharsfnews.com/2011/02/16/2-2-watch-this-week-lake-h

http://ahharsfnews.com/2011/01/30/lake-hodges-nears-capacity

More shots from Saturday's Lake Hodges Dam overflow...courtesy of Jim Pool

Photographer Jim Pool was among those on the bluffs above Lake Hodges Dam on Saturday as water tumbled at ever-increasing rates down into the Santa Fe Valley toward Crosby Estate.

He was kind enough to share a few of his images with us. Thanks again!

-- Dan Weisman, founder/editor Ah-Ha Rancho Santa Fe News

However, National Weather Service forecasters continued to predict a 70 percent of rain through Sunday morning. In that case, the waterfall will increase and continue for several days. Water also may fall down the hills to the dam's east.

Have fun!

-- Dan Weisman

Breaking News Noon - Lake Hodges Dam overflow drawing hundreds of people to Del Dios bluffs...

 UPDATE 3:30 P.M. --  Falling water has picked up speed and flow while the immediate vicinity of the dam has become a mad dash for the ever-growing stream of sightseers. With limited parking, people are parking in mass quantities all over Del Dios Highway. Several hundred people an hour now are coming and going with the average viewing experience about 20 to 30 minutes.

Long story short, be careful out there.

If anybdy has photos, videos, descriptions they wish to include in this coverage, please post using the post tab above or email to 92067freepress@gmail.com and we will assemble them into our continuing coverage. Should rain resume later today, as predicted by forecasters, Sunday promises to be an even more amazing show.

Water, water everywhere, and people, too, on the bluffs overlooking Lake Hodges Dam where a Niagara Falls-type waterfall has ensued following Saturday morning's rain.

And more rain is expected Saturday night.

As Ah-Ha Rancho Santa Fe News has predicted since the start of the year, this unusual, and exotic event, has become the leading tourist attraction in North County San Diego.

Dozens of people, soon to grow to hundreds, have descended on normally busy two-lane Del Dios Highway. Rancho Santa Fe firefighters, San Diego Sheriffs deputies and even a lifeguard unit were posted at the scene just before noon.

You lucky visitors to our site, we remain the only San Diego media on the story. The others will be on the scene later, no doubt.

Even greater flooding happened in the early 1980s when the dam didn't hold back the lake. Capital improvements made since then improved the area's ability to overcome lake spills, according to water officials.

Rancho Santa Fe Fire and San Diego Water officials were expected to keep downstream residents and facilities such as Helen Woodward Animal Center and Fairbanks Ranch Country Club informed of developments. Helen Woodward flooded badly last month during the last rain event.

Lake Hodges is owned by the city of San Diego, but sells water to customers in the Santa Fe Irrigation District and San Dieguito Water District. A 300-square mile watershed extending to Julian feeds the lake.

These links go to our stories this week on the lake and dam:

http://ahharsfnews.com/2011/02/24/breaking-news-2-pm-lake-ho

http://ahharsfnews.com/2011/02/16/2-2-watch-this-week-lake-h

http://ahharsfnews.com/2011/01/30/lake-hodges-nears-capacity

(Photos: A Rancho Santa Fe Fire engine company leads traffic past Lake Hodges Dam on Saturday. Second photo is typical view of the parking area at the dam bluffs. Below, same parking area at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.)

Lake Hodges topped its dam Thursday, Feb. 24, for the first time in six years.

The overflow is moderate, but sure to grow as water continues to travel down the lake's watershed from as far as Julian. First water actually flooded over late Wednesday as water officials declared the lake full at a depth of 115-feet.

However, the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Department issued an advisory at 1:45 p.m. saying there were no immediate flooding problems, but travel along Artesian Road and Zumaque Street, which straddle the San Dieguito riverbed, is not advisable.

The posted photo was taken around noon today. The parking lot off Del Dios Highway had three people watching the unusual scene. Later in the day, a steady, but small, stream of people showed up at the bluffs overlooking the great event.

If more rain comes to the area, the overflow would resemble the cascading falls of five years ago when hundreds flocked to the bluffs above the dam along heavilt-traveled, two-lane del Dios Highway.

Overflow from the 12-billion gallon man-made lake would cascade down the San Dieguito River Valley to Crosby Estate in the immediate path, then possibly as far as the Del Mar Fairgrounds and the Pacific Ocean depending on vagaries of rainfall.

Hundreds flocked to the dicey parking area on the heights around the bend from the dam off heavily-traveled, two-lane Del Dios Highway the last time water went over the dam in February 2005. For about 10 days, Del Dios became the center of North County San Diego tourism, Legoland notwithstanding. However, the water fall did not cause significant flooding downstream.

(Photo left: Fishing at Lake Hodges on Wednesday. The last time the lake flowed over the dam, people reported seeing massive numbers of fish swept along with the water toward Rancho Santa Fe.)

Social networking and 2011-style publicity may take those tourist numbers higher should the water level rise to fall. Or maybe not. There hasn't seemed to be any talk around town about the posibility and no media coverage except here. (Not the first time for that phenomenon.)

Prior to the 2005 water freefall, several dam overflows did flood areas of Rancho Santa Fe as the water naturally descended toward the ocean. Some 150 horses had to be evacuated from the Del Mar Fairgrounds and Showpark arena in 1995 after heavy rains caused waist-deep water. The San Diego Polo Grounds off Via de la Valle also has flooded from Hodges spills in the past.

Even greater flooding happened in the early 1980s when the dam didn't hold back the lake. Capital improvements made since then improved the area's ability to overcome lake spills, according to water officials.

Should the thinkable happen, and the lake spill, Rancho Santa Fe Fire and San Diego Water officials are expected to keep downstream residents and facilities such as Helen Woodward Animal Center and Fairbanks Ranch Country Club informed of developments.

Lake Hodges is owned by the city of San Diego, but sells water to customers in the Santa Fe Irrigation District and San Dieguito Water District. A 300-square mile watershed extending to Julian feeds the lake.

The water must be treated heavily at the Santa Fe Irrigation District's Badger Treatment Plant due to heavy concentrations of organic waste and urban runoff as well as a small forest of submerged trees and the occasional algae bloom at the lake.

 These links go to our stories this week on the lake and dam:

http://ahharsfnews.com/2011/02/16/2-2-watch-this-week-lake-h

http://ahharsfnews.com/2011/01/30/lake-hodges-nears-capacity

Breaking News 2 P.M. - 'MATT, COME OUT OF THE HOUSE!' as San Diego Sheriffs deputies seek armed man off Del Dios Hwy...

At least eight San Diego Sheriff's Office motorized units and sheriffs helicopter descended on Del Dios Highway around High Noon looking for a young man named "Matt" often seen walking his dogs at Lake Hodges.

Matt, no last name known at this point, was believed to be armed and at his apartment just off the highway, west of Elm Lane, according to deputies at the scene.

 Deputies said a 9-1-1 caller alerted the agency that the man was a threat to himself or others and they were simply checking on his status. He was not wanted in any active criminal matter, deputies added.

Meanwhile, the sheriffs helicopter circled the immediate area for about 30 minutes, punctuating the sounds of chopper blades with the ringing command: "Matt, come out of the house!"

Deputies went door-to-door along the highway asking residents if they heard any gunshots and whether they knew Matt was inside his house. The blue truck of the -- Suspect? -- was parked a bit down the street from his residence.

Deputies closed, then partially re-opened Del Dios Highway for about an hour, finally allowing traffic to proceed slowly around 2 p.m.

UPDATE: Feb. 24. Nothing more to report except we haven't seen Matt since the incident.. Ciao...

Lake Hodges Update: AS THE DAM SPILLS - Inch of rain, foot of water level and over the top might happen late Sunday.

(Photo: Lake Hodges late Friday. This water is over the lake's edge at a parking area usually 50 yards away from water.)

Lake Hodges Update: Give it an inch, it'll take a foot and woo-woo, it's over the top of the dam and down the San Dieguito River Valley to Rancho Santa Fe. We'll be watching, waiting, tweeting. 

Lake Hodges was about 113.7-feet full at 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, according to San Diego water officials. That leaves 1.3-feet to fill up the lake and send water gushing over the top of the dam.

An inch of rainfall generally translates into a foot of water depth at the lake, according to water officials. National Weather Service forecasters calling for 1 to 2 inches of rain around the lake this weekend, while more than an inch of rain would take water over the dam.

While it's far from a sure deal right now, heavy rains through the weekend might mean water over the dam late Sunday. If the dam holds, the next chance for rain is later next week, although that chance was diminishing, weather forecasters said.

Overflow from the 12-billion gallon man-made lake would cascade down the San Dieguito River Valley to Crosby Estate in the immediate path, then possibly as far as the Del Mar Fairgrounds and the Pacific Ocean depending on vagaries of rainfall.

  Hundreds flocked to the dicey parking area on the heights around the bend from the dam off heavily-traveled, two-lane Del Dios Highway the last time water went over the dam in February 2005. For about 10 days, Del Dios became the center of North County San Diego tourism, Legoland notwithstanding. However, the water fall did not cause significant flooding downstream.

Social networking and 2011-style publicity may take those tourist numbers higher should the water level rise to fall. Or maybe not. There hasn't seemed to be any talk around town about the posibility and no media coverage except here. (Not the first time for that phenomenon.)

Prior to the 2005 water freefall, several dam overflows did flood areas of Rancho Santa Fe as the water naturally descended toward the ocean. Some 150 horses had to be evacuated from the Del Mar Fairgrounds and Showpark arena in 1995 after heavy rains caused waist-deep water. The San Diego Polo Grounds off Via de la Valle also has flooded from Hodges spills in the past.

Even greater flooding happened in the early 1980s when the dam didn't hold back the lake. Capital improvements made since then improved the area's ability to overcome lake spills, according to water officials.

Should the thinkable happen, and the lake spill, Rancho Santa Fe Fire and San Diego Water officials are expected to keep downstream residents and facilities such as Helen Woodward Animal Center and Fairbanks Ranch Country Club informed of developments.

Lake Hodges is owned by the city of San Diego, but sells water to customers in the Santa Fe Irrigation District and San Dieguito Water District. A 300-square mile watershed extending to Julian feeds the lake.

The water must be treated heavily at the Santa Fe Irrigation District's Badger Treatment Plant due to heavy concentrations of organic waste and urban runoff as well as a small forest of submerged trees and the occasional algae bloom at the lake.

 These links go to our stories this week on the lake and dam:

http://ahharsfnews.com/2011/02/16/2-2-watch-this-week-lake-h

http://ahharsfnews.com/2011/01/30/lake-hodges-nears-capacity

Del Dios/Mt. Israel Newsletter, Calendar for February...Water Board, Town Council, etc.

Lake Hodges Fire Council meets 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8 at Del Dios Firehouse, 

Del Dios/Mt. Israel Town Council meets 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9 at Del Dios Firehouse.

Del Dios Mutual Water Company Shareholders Meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 1 at Del Dios Firehouse.

For more information on projects, events see the pdf file...

Lake Hodges, A Globally Important Bird Area: Birds of Lake Hodges Photo Album...

 ACORN WOODPECKER

This handsome woodpecker is a denizen of oak woodlands. Watch in the eucalyptus trees in Del Dios Park for its acorn storing activity

Lake Hodges, A Globally Important Bird Area

The Important Bird Area (IBA) program was launched in the United States in 1995 under the sponsorship of the National Audubon Society and the American Bird Conservancy. It was patterned after successful programs introduced in Europe in the late 1980’s. Aware that Lake Hodges would be a strong IBA candidate, the Palomar Audubon Society made application submitting extensive documentation of the Lake’s vast and varied avian resources. In ascending order, the levels of IBA recognition are State, National, Continental, and Global. It was extremely gratifying that Lake Hodges was officially designated at the highest level. On April 15, 1999 through the efforts of the San Dieguito River Park and the Palomar Audubon Society, Lake Hodges was the first site in California to hold a ceremony formally recognizing it as a Globally Important Bird Area.

Why was Lake Hodges so honored? Foremost is the large number of threatened California Gnatcatchers which are firmly entrenched in the more than 2,300 acres of coastal sage scrub habitat surrounding the Lake. Gnatcatcher survival is assured as long as vast contiguous areas of coastal sage scrub are maintained. More than 200 avian species reside at or visit Lake Hodges each year. Thousands of migratory birds winter here. The IBA program focuses attention on the importance of conserving the biodiversity of places like Lake Hodges.

Produced in cooperation between the San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority and the Palomar Audubon Society. Funded by the Community Enhancement Program, County of San Diego, 3rd Supervisorial District.

Photographs provided by San Diego Natural History Museum, National Audubon Society, and Sea & Sage Audubon Society.

Birds of Lake Hodges Photo Album

These pages were adapted from the original printed brochure.

AMERICAN AVOCET  In its breeding plumage with orange head and neck it rivals the Stilt for winner of the Lake Hodges shorebird beauty contest.	AMERICAN KESTREL  A small falcon that also frequently hovers in midair when scanning the landscape for prey. It nests in cavities.	ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD This feisty little bird dominates our feeders and locally far outnumbers its related species. If we see a hummingbird, chances are it's an Anna's.
AMERICAN COOT One of the Lake's most conspicuous birds. They congregate along the shoreline and forage in the shallow water and on the beaches. Flying is not their strong suit. They bounce awkwardly along the surface and may give up before attaining full flight.	BELTED KINGFISHER  Nests in cavities in the banks of Green Valley Cr. and is likely to be seen cruising along the South Shore of Bernardo Bay. Listen for its loud rattling voice. Note that the female has the maroon neck band which the male lacks.	BLACK-NECKED STILT  A handsome shorebird that raises a hubbub of squawks and agitated flight when its nesting territory is threatened. An irate Stilt is a sight to behold.	BLACK PHOEBE This active little bird seems to be everywhere not only around the Lake, but also in our yards where it is welcomed as a major eradicator of small flying insects.
CALIFORNIA GNATCATCHER The more than 2,300 acres of coastal sage scrub habitat bordering Lake Hodges supports an impressive number of breeding pairs of these Federally Listed as Threatened little birds. This large gnatcatcher population was the basis for Lake Hodges receiving Globally Important Bird Area recognition.	BUSHTIT  These cheery little birds move in waves through our yards as well as through open space. They are master nest builders. Their sturdy hanging nests are their trademark.	CACTUS WREN By far the largest of the Wrens. A significant population occupies the cactus on the North Shore west of Felicita Creek. These industrious nest builders construct more nests than they use for breeding.	CASSIN'S KINGBIRD A hike between Del Dios Park and the Boat Dock is almost certain to result in the sighting of at least one Cassin's Kingbird sallying forth from the utility wires in pursuit of insects.

CALIFORNIA THRASHER A handsome bird with a long curved bill often seen singing perched high on a tall bush in the uplands.	CINNAMON TEAL  Another shallow water dabbling duck. As is typical of ducks, the male is more striking in appearance than the female; and differentiating between females of different species is usually more difficult than sorting out the males from the females of the same species.	CLIFF SWALLOW  This is the swallow that builds the mud nests on the Interstate 15 bridge. In flight it can be distinguished from the other local swallows by its buffy rump.	COMMON YELLOWTHROAT Usually found in the reeds along the shore. There is nothing common about the appearance of the male. The black mask and yellow plumage set it apart along with its distinctive witchety witchety call.
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT A fish-eating species often found sunning themselves with wings outstretched as they perch on dead snags in the lake. There is a large dead tree in the Lake near Del Dios where they congregate.	FORSTER'S TERN The most common of several gull and tern species at Lake Hodges can be seen hovering over the Lake and diving into the water after small fish. The head markings change with the seasons and maturity.	GREAT EGRET  Another stately fisherman that is similar in size and demeanor to the Great Blue Heron, but its pure white plumage and bright yellow beak reveal its location immediately. The slightly smaller Snowy Egret with a black beak is also a common shoreline sentinel.	GREAT BLUE HERON  This solitary fisherman has a rather ghostly appearance as it stands patiently in shallow water along the shore. It is marvelously camouflaged to appear like just another gray weather-beaten stick.
KILLDEER  Lays its eggs on the ground and puts on a convincing wounded bird act to lure intruders away. The Academy Award winner of Lake Hodges.	LEAST BELL'S VIREO At L. Hodges this Endangered Listed little bird is found only in the riparian habitats east of I-15. It breeds here but winters in Southern Mexico and portions of Central America. None of the current River Park Trails offer good opportunities for observing Least Bell's Vireos.	LESSER GOLDFINCH The most common local goldfinch and is frequently seen foraging in small flocks.	MALLARD  A familiar duck that nests on shore usually near the water's edge. It is a dabbler that feeds in shallow water. Mallards hybridize rather frequently. Often strange looking hybrids are found near the boat dock.
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD Some people find this noisy imitator of other birds a nuisance, because it seems to delight in disturbing our sleep on summer nights with its incessant chatter. Look for this flashy aggressive bird near residential areas at the fringes of the Lake.	NORTHERN FLICKER  The largest of our local woodpeckers.Typical of woodpeckers, it is a cavity nester and displays an undulating flight pattern. Notice its white rump as it bounces along through the air.	OSPREY Except for the eagles this is the largest of the local raptors. It subsists almost entirely on fish and is often seen over the lake carrying its prey headfirst. It is quite tolerant of human activity as attested by its proclivity for perching on the light poles at the boat dock.	PHAINOPEPLA The glossy black male with its flashy white wing bars is conspicuous in flight as it gathers berries and insects during breeding season.
CALIFORNIA QUAIL  An abundant upland game bird frequently encountered by hikers along the trails. The sight and sound of a covey of quail bursting into flight can be the highlight of a stroll in the Park.	RED-SHOULDERED HAWK  Another large soaring hawk and by far the noisiest of the local raptors. Its loud piercing shrieks are a common sound around the Lake.	LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER  Winter residents that wade in groups along the shore constantly probing the bottom with their long beaks. They have been likened to sewing machines because of their incessant probing action.	RED-TAILED HAWK  Large raptors often seen soaring gracefully overhead. During courtship they perform spectacular aerial acrobatics. As with raptors in general, the female is the larger member of the pair.
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD One of the most populous birds in North America. It is prominent along the shorelines of Lake Hodges.	GREATER ROADRUNNER  Easily recognized by its size and unique shape, this bird is designed for dashing through the uplands in pursuit of snakes and lizards. It is a real showman during its mating ritual or when merely sunning itself atop a conspicuous boulder.	RUDDY DUCK A diving duck often seen in deeper water. During the breeding season the males develop vivid coloration. The bill becomes intensely blue. Ruddy Ducks tend to hold their short tales erect at a jaunty angle.	SPOTTED SANDPIPER  Can be recognized by its distinctive stiff-winged flight and habit of teetering when it alights. The breast is heavily spotted in breeding season but is clear during most of the year. It is a rather solitary bird and slightly larger than the other local sandpipers, which travel in flocks.
SPOTTED TOWHEE Formerly known at the Rufous-sided Towhee because of its bright rufous coloration. Look for it on or near the ground especially in shaded areas.	SONG SPARROW A quintessential sparrow that seems to be everywhere both in open space as well as in our residential shrubbery.	TREE SWALLOW An iridescent little bird seen darting and swooping over the water in pursuit of small insects. It is a cavity nester that makes frequent use of dead stumps in the mud-flats.	WESTERN GREBE  This species, and its nearly identical cousin, the Clark’s Grebe, are arguably the birds most readily associated with Lake Hodges. They are visible year-round in great numbers and delight observers with their synchronized dance routine.
WESTERN SCRUB JAY This colorful and aggressive bird makes its presence felt throughout the landscape both as a nest predator of other species and as a vigorous defender of its own nesting territory.	WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW During its winter visits this gregarious sparrow outnumbers the Song Sparrow and is equally at home in a wide variety of habitats.	WHITE-TAILED KITE  A spectacular bird of prey often observed hovering over the landscape. It is seen consistently along Green Valley Creek near the foot-bicycle bridge	YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER Gregarious little birds present in great numbers during the winter. Look for them feeding on insects among the treetops.

Breaking News 5 p.m. -- Don't spill over me, Lake Hodges Dam; one more rain will do it!

 Nearly six years after Lake Hodges overflowed its dam attracting thousands to the rare site of a giant, local Niagara Falls-type experience, it's oh so close to overflowing again.

Just one more heavy rain will do the trick.

(Photos below: 1., 2. Lake Hodges Dam at 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 6; 3. Lake Hodges, February 2005; Photo right: Lake Hodges at 97 percent full by Hernandez Hideaway.)

Water has continued flowing down North County hills and valleys all the way from Julian into the Lake Hodges water basin despite the rains ending earlier this week. Only a slight chance for rain is in the forecast for the next few days.

City of San Diego officials, who operate the dam and reservoir put the lake at a depth of 111-feet,  87 percent capacity on Monday. As these photos and local observations illustrate, the lake appeared to be at about 97 percent capacity on Thursday, Jan. 6.

However, Sharon Smith, a San Diego water official said Thursday: "As of this morning, Hodges was at 90.2% of capacity. It does change daily as it continues to receive runoff from the recent rains."

Lake Hodges Reservoir overflowed in February and March 2005 following the last episode of locally heavy, sustained rainfall. The lake had been only 20 percent full in October 2004, following years of drought. Prior to that, the lake overflowed in 1995 and in the early 1980s.

 Each spillover event attracted thousands to the bluffs overlooking the dam. The 2005 event turned the dam into one of San Diego County's leading tourist attractions for a month with pedestrians overflowing normally bustling Del Dios Highway turning it into a virtual parking lot.

The damage from December's pounding winter storms that started on Dec. 18 cost the City of San Diego between $3 million and $6 million, according to estimates. When the larger storm subsided, San Diego continued to be hit by a series of smaller storms flooding the already saturated ground.

Hodges Reservoir was created with the building of Hodges Dam on San Dieguito Creek in 1918, according to a city history.

 The City of San Diego purchased the dam and reservoir in 1925. Operated and maintained by the City of San Diego's Public Utilities Department, the reservoir currently serves the San Dieguito Water District and Santa Fe Irrigation District. 

 When full, the reservoir has 1,234 surface acres, a maximum water depth of 115 feet, and 27 shoreline miles. Hodges Reservoir has a water storage capacity of 30,251 acre feet. Water levels are monitored weekly.

In 2005, the San Diego County Water Authority, in conjunction with the City of San Diego, began a major pipeline project to connect Hodges Reservoir with Olivenhain Reservoir as part of the County Water Authority's Emergency Storage Project. The connection will provide the ability to store 20,000 acre feet of water at Hodges Reservoir for emergency use. The project was scheduled for completion in late 2010.

 "I will get by...I will survive"

– Grateful Dead

For nearly three hours, starting around 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23, the fate of Harmony Grove, Elfin Forest, Del Dios, Rancho Santa Fe, Olivenhain and Solana Beach twisted in the wind and flames.

Stan Smith, "Big" Kenny Morris, John Stewart, Steve Werner and Steve "the plumbing guy", shirtless and fearless, ran from house to house below, shutting off propane connections and dodging bullets set off inside structures, saving their neighbors' homes.

Helicopters from San Diego Fire, Cal Fire and the San Diego Sheriff's Department circled with reckless abandon, swiftly dipping into Lake Hodges or Olivenhain Reservoir, dropping bucket load after load of water on the Witch Creek fire gone mad.

Less than a football field length's above, along a highway drenched with ash and flames, punctuated by water droplets from the choppers, engine companies from Rancho Santa Fe, Carlsbad and Oceanside, supported by cal Fire, Camp Pendleton, Salinas and sheriff's units battled as if there were no tomorrow.

 And there wasn't. This line had to hold. The fire that could not contain its wrath had just one more hill to climb before it would race down the valleys to the coast. Countless homes and lives hung in the balance.
Color me crazy. Color me dumb. I've been in disasters before. Hell, my whole life has been one.

Joking aside, I've covered massive, fog-driven highway chain collisions, including one of the largest in state history at Elk Grove. I was just outside Santana High School when Charles Andrew Williams went berserk and shot up his classmates. Walked through downtown San Salvador when the war zone there resembled the movie, "Escape from New York." At Conway, Ark., I survived a tornado that lifted the roof off my friend's garage as we huddled under the kitchen table for dear life.

 And now this. I "mandatorily" evacuated briefly from my Del Dios shack of a home long enough to put out last week's newspaper. But I had to return.

Along a deserted Paseo Delicias on the way home, two cars drifted by and stopped. Todd Milbourn drove one. Randy Perch drove the other. As it turned out, Milbourn was a reported and Perch a photographer for the Sacramento Bee, my old newspaper. We exchanged notes and moved on down the line.

  While Rancho Bernardo, just across Lake Hodges to the east, was under siege, we didn't know the extent of the danger. So, as flames flew across Del Dios Ranch at El Camino del Norte, and firefighters let them burn out naturally, we had no clue what would happen next.

Aside from emergency personnel. The media was allowed full access though the now-road blocked area from Del Mar to Escondido. This was not due to the largess of public officials. It's state law. We were therefore the privileged few who could move between the embers.

I've often said Del Dios Highway would be one of the most beautiful drives in the world if it weren't for the traffic. That was not a problem these smoky days. Mine was the only vehicle on the road, generally.

What's more, my house had water and electricity that first Monday day and night of the Witch Creek Fire. I was concerned, but not overly so. I watched television pictures of the fire just south of Crosby Estate. 

Forecasters said the wind would blow it away from my home.

But I also noted with great interest the thick smoke and wooden structures all around me. I slept cautiously that night, fully clothed, shoes on my feet, ready to dash for safety at any moment.

The next morning, however, the winds shifted my way. Still clueless, somehow artist Larissa Gorikh rang me up at home. Turned out she had dreamt of me the night before, with flames flying across the tires of my SUV.

 We chatted briefly. I hung up the phone. Within moments, thick smoke filled my living room. I opened the door. The Witch Creek Fire had arrived at my steps.

Being crazy, dumb and a journalist to boot, I jumped in my vehicle and raced toward the fire, going into the park by the lake and spying the apocalypse now. The fire was all consuming.

Reversing gears quite frantically, I ran away faster than Arthur in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," up the hill. There I found North County's firefighting last stand army on the hill fanning out to battle the fires that raged everywhere.

They battled hard. They battled smart. Crews set backfires and heaped water up the burring hills.

After about an hour of this, during what seemed like a break in the fire, Randy, the Bee photographer, said this was a good time to check the status of my humble abode.

We drove down the highway under what passed for blue sky. Which passed just as fast, for then we were shrouded by darkness at noon, embers and fire whipping just over our heads seemingly without a care on its way to Olivenhain Dam.

 Too late to turn back, we were on Elm Lane near the old fire station by my house. At this point, the house across the street burst into flames. It was fully involved in seemingly a split second. Fire danced at our feet.

Rancho Santa Fe, Oceanside and Carlsbad units dove into the fight now. But it was too late for about two dozen houses. They managed to save the houses just north along Olive Street. Better leave, Randy said, and we got out fast, better alive than dead.

The firefight lasted through around 2:30 p.m. It ended at Del Dios Highlands County Preserve, a habitat and recreational refuge opened with great fanfare just the week before, following 10 years of land acquisition and planning.

This was our Gettysburg. And the last line of defense had held.

Crews mopped up all over Del Dios that night. Shawn Styles of KFMB-TV darted inside a nearby house at Juniper and Second streets – now torched to the ground – and rescued jazz singer Ruby Presnell's cherished personal photographs. He gave them to me for safekeeping. Ruby has them now,

My neighbors all were dearly departed. Emergency crews, firefighters, media and me were the only ones in town. Flames continued burring along the ground throughout the community that night.

The next day engine companies from the San Francisco Fire Department rolled into town. Now I know how they must have felt in Paris during the Liberation. A former resident of The City, I shouted out my old home base, Capp Street, Capp Street to them and they gave me the thumbs-up.

I drove around the area for days, usually the only civilian vehicle on the road. I went through 40 checkpoints. Sheriff's deputies manned them sometimes. They went unattended during the height of the fire. Later, National Guard units from Ontario – some back from Iraq – moved in with heavy weapons chambered.

Later, I thought it wise to check on friends from the Free Press at Valley Center. Not a great move, the fire danger had moved from here to there. Heading that way, I drove through the Fallbrook, Rice, Palomar Mountain and Valley Center fires. Palomar Mountain, in particular, with flames spiting into the sky, resembled those pictures of the sun with its solar flares.

Returning to el Dios, I saw how every house below mine had burned to the ground. Apparently, my landlord's disdain for landscaping, as well as a fortuitous shifting of wind, had saved my humble home.

Just as my old New Orleans house had managed to survive Katrina's wrath intact, so, too, had my Del Dios home persevered.

Color me crazy. Color me dumb. But color me alive. And grateful for help from above and the firefighters below who turned back the Witch Creek Fire at Del Dios and the highway that bears its name.

 The University of California Cooperative Extension in conjunction with the California Macadamia Society and the Gold Crown Macadamia Association's hold their Annual Field Day from 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 6 at Garry and Patricia Prather, 6686 Via de la Reina, Bonsall, Calif.

Feel like you gotta go to Hawaii to get some good macadamia nuts? Maybe, maybe that's nuts.

Or you can head up Del Dios Highway. Local growers produce high quality macadamia nuts with the local macadamia co-op operating out of Dan Hecko's Del Dios Country Gardens statuary shop overlooking Lake Hodges.

The Gold Crown Macadamia Association, a growers co-op established in 1971 has 356 members, accounting for about half of regional output, growers say. Harvesting begins in earnest in the middle of October and continues through January.

They're having a "Macadamia Field Day" on Saturday, Nov. 6. It's at the Prather place in Bonsall. An estimated 200 growers should show up for a day of networking, education and fun celebrating a rebounding crop meeting a consistent, and growing, demand, Hecko said. See the attached pdf file for all the details.

"We have growers in the co-op from Santa Barbara to south of the Mexican border," said Hecko, co-op general manager. "The main group is in the Fallbrook area. The area is second in  U.S. production behind Hawaii." Australia, where the nuts originated, has made a recent push and now is No. 1 in world production, he added. 

 "Demand, as a rule, has been good, almost an even-Steven deal, and we have been able to meet it," Hecko said. "The nuts are being grown all over the world now. Hawaii is not as big as it used to be, but we are seeing a lot of competition from Australia."

Macadamia nut harvest season begins this month in Southern California with all signs indicating the crop may be turning around after a tough 2007 that featured frost, freeze and fire cutting output in half. The season runs through January.

"The harvest is just beginning, but the nuts are getting very big and I think it's going to be a good crop," said Bobbi Rastle. She has grown macadamias for two decades along with husband Tom in the San Pasqual Valley, about 30 miles north of downtown San Diego.

"Last year wasn't a good one," said Jim Russell, a Fallbrook grower considered the guru of local mac nuts and president of the California Macadamia Society. Russell also grows rare fruit, and keeps exotic birds, but has nearly half of his six-acre farm turned over to macadamias.

Crop statistics compiled by Robert Atkins, San Diego County agricultural commissioner, show still hasn't recovered after frosts and freezes in 2008 coupled with the October 2007 wildfires took a large toll, but is coming back some.

San Diego County growers produced 128 acres of macadamia nuts in 2006 accounting for 192 harvested tons worth $342,336, according to the annual crop report issued this summer. 

However, the tally fell to 55 harvested tons from 61 acres worth $189,844 in 2007 with scarcity generating higher producer prices in a kind of trade-off.

In 2008, some 44 tons of macadamia nuts were harvested on 63 acres a crop worth $126,611. In 2009, according to the latest report released last month, 49 tons were harvested on 70 acres , a crop worth $147,000. 

Southern California is home to about 1,000 macadamia tree growers, with roughly half in San Diego County, although many people have just a few trees, according to Russell. 

Production centers around Fallbrook where conditions ripe for avocado groves also are good for mac nuts to go.

The trees are relatively easy to grow and maintain, Hecko said. The major expense is water for they take as much as avocados another San Diego County mainstay crop and a thirsty one at that. But that's the major expense and challenge.

"There are no natural enemies," Hecko said. "The trees are easy to grow and very easy to maintain."

As estimated by University of California farm advisers, about 100 trees grow to an acre. The 100 trees produce about 3,000 pounds annually. Seed to tree takes five to seven years and the trees grow indefinitely. Full production may take as long as 10 years.

Macadamias generally are harvested as they fall to the ground. In a nutshell, they're husked, dried, culled, cracked, dried some more, stored and distributed.

Membership in the growers co-op has been stable since 1996, accounting for about half the production in Southern California. Joining is free.

Members this year will get $1.95 per pound of premium and $1.20 per pound for regular nuts, Hecko said. Bulk in-shell nuts sell on the street for $3.50 to $4 per pound. Baby bird meal made of crushed nuts sells for $13 per pound. Ready-to-eat kernels sell for $9.50 per pound, Russell said.

Overall, fruit and nut crops are on the rise in San Diego County, according to Atkins, the county agricultural commissioner. Despite the challenges, fruit and nut crops increased 12 percent in acreage and 4 percent in value last year over  2006.

Fruit and nut crops were grown on 46,180 acres in 2007 with a value of $231.1 million. Those crop were grown on 43,624 acres 2008, worth $239.8 million. the totals were $219.1 million grown on 40,532 in 2009. 

For more information on the macadamia grower's co-op visit http://www.macnuts.org/

 Del Dios/Mt. Israel News

Peg Kelly reporting:

"Took the summer off! But all was not quite in Del Dios. Goats escaping, missing cats, dogs, helicopter training and the steady flow of fishing and boating enthusiasts, kept Del Dios busy. "

Project Updates 

Eucalyptus: The Eucalyptus tree removal project which was voted on by the Town Council in 2009, has been approved by the all the appropriate departments of the City of San Diego. A tree cutting day will be held in the near future at the Del Dios Park on Lake Dr. between Cedar and Date. The purpose of this project is to restore the native habitat and provide increased fire safety by removing non-natives like Eucalyptus. 

Everyone is encouraged to attend the September 8 Town Council meeting where you will learn more about the project, volunteer and fill out the paper work that evening. The paper work should only take about 10 minutes to fill out. We need a lot more volunteers. Please encourage your neighbors and friends to help on Saturday with the actual tree removal. If you are busy that day but would still like to help, Michelle needs help with getting supplies ready, hard hats, vests, tape, signs, flags, cones etc. before the actual work can be done ahead of the work day. 

We need volunteers to: 

•  Drag branches to chipping machine 

•  Flag hikers/bikers to re-route them 

•  Bring food for the workers at 11am, potluck or snack items. 

•  Put up signs and tape ahead of the event. 

•  Pickup and return the rented chipping machine 

•  Assist with assembling a shade tent. 

 Del Dios Mutual Water Company 

Did you vote? Mail-in ballots must be in by Sept. 3 to vote on how best to pay for re-lining the water tank. All shareholders received a mail-in ballot in August. Relining the water tank will take place in the early Spring. Water service supplied to our system by the Rincon water district will keep faucets flowing during the project. 

The Annual water quality report was published on June 28, 2010, with an overall rating of “good.”  The full report is available online or by request. Want to know more? See www.campodeldios.com for summaries of the water quality report and DDMWC  Board meetings. All shareholders are welcome to attend the next meeting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 7 at the Fire House. 

--Submitted by Ruth Ketchum 

Fall Event: Save the date, Saturday, October 23!

Planning has started on the Fall Event, what we know is it will be fun, include food and a theme. Further planning will take place at the next Town Council meeting. Reserve your space now on the Fall Event planning committee, contact deldiosboard@yahoo.com.

Phone book:

We are updating the Del Dios/Mt. Israel Phone Directory and hope to have it ready for distribution by Dec. 1. This is a fundraiser for the Del Dios/Mt. Israel Town Council after paying for production costs all money will be donated to Town Council. Please return this form to Firehouse or email your info to deldiosboard@ 

The Del Dios/Mt. Israel phone directory is going through a fashion makeover this summer and we hope to have it available in time for Christmas. Imagine the looks of surprise and delight on friends and family when they open it! If you would like to advertise your business, organization or service, please contact the deldiosboard@yahoo.com.

Ad Rates 

Full Page Ad 4.5” x 8”  ................................................................................$75 

Half Page Ad 4.5” x 3.5” .............................................................................$60 

Quarter Page Ad (Business Card) 2”x 3.5 Verticle ............................$45 

Quarter Page Ad (Business Card) 3.5”x 2 Horizontal ......................$45 

Ads can be submitted in pdf format, with all images at 300dpi and all the fonts must be embedded.  Ads can be created for you for a cost of $10 per ad. Please email copy and ad size to deldiosboard@yahoo.com.

Del Dios/Mt. Israel Town Council board members are: 

Christine Harrington/ Mike Johnston: Co-chairs 

Brian Caldwell: Treasurer 

Peg Kelly: Newsletter 

Colleen Lublin and Alan James 

If you would like to submit articles to the newsletter e-mail peg kelly at deldiosboard@yahoo.com

It's been a rough two days along heavily-trafficked Del Dios Highway, just above Lake Hodges, with collisions causing several injuries, some critical, and roadside problems, according to Rancho Santa Fe Fire officials.

Motorcycle, truck collide

A collision between a motorcycle and small truck on Del Dios Highway, near Mt. Israel Road around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 19 sent the motorcyclist to Palomar Medical Center at Escondido with minor injuries, according to officials.

The motorcyclist, a man in his 40s, was transported to the hospital by emergency medical workers, but the truck driver was uninjured, officials said.

Chain-reaction traffic collision

This collision happened just two days after emergency personnel from the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection district and the Escondido Fire Department responded to a chain-reaction traffic collision on Del Dios Highway near Elm Lane that involved a total of two motorcycles and three cars, said Julie Taber, Rancho Santa Fe Fire public information officer.

In that incident, nine people sustained injuries, with two of those people suffering critical injuries. All of them were transported by ambulance to Palomar Medical Center.

The cause of both collisions remains under investigation by California Highway Patrol officers.

World War Three broke out this week on the Del Dios side of Lake Hodges. Some 30 soldiers fought on the southern edge of the lake, halting regular park traffic as they decided the fate of the world.

Whew, not to worry, however, it was all a game, and a movie -- "World of Wargames" a new film being produced, and shot, by local filmmaker Lisa Savy and her Balancing Act production company.

Savy, a Del Dios resident, and her crew, completed shooting exterior scenes by Lake Hodges for the film that now enters post-production and editing. 

Filming to reality required extensive training exercises for the actors, almost like the real Army, according to Savy. Director Tarek Albaba worked the scenes into Lake Hodges' creeks, rocky stream beds and lake shore.

Savy plans to circulate the completed short film to the festival circuit as she seeks investors to turn it into a feature length presentation.

"'World of Wargames portrays two elite units of U.S. and Arab warriors from two opposing countries, and their high tech means of settling an international conflict," Savy said between takes. "The fate of the free world will be determined by a single battle of wits and skill."

Savy said she got the idea while watching her daughter's roommate playing a realistic war simulation game. She contacted actor friend, and co-producer, Iyad Hajjaj. A Palestinian native. Hajjaj has appeared in more than 17 feature films, shorts and TV episodes.

Within a few days, voila', the dynamic duo had put together a shooting script.

Savy and Hajjaj assembled a cast, and crew, drawing on several video students from Palomar College as well as veteran San Diego and Los Angeles actors, and crew. Additional shooting -- the movie kind, not real bullets -- took place at Airfilms Studio, Hollywood.

During post-production, another Del Dios resident, Greg Douglass will work with the soundtrack. Douglass has a storied past including stints with Link Wray and Hot Tuna. He was a member of the Steve Miller Band and penned the classic song, "Jungle Love." More recently, Douglass, released a new album he promoted during appearances on Late Night with David Letterman and The Tonight Show. 

Savy is best known for writing and producing "Defying Gravity" a quirky 2008 road trip comedy directed by Michael Keller. It follows a mute runaway girl taking refuge in the cemetery where her mother is laid to rest.

The girl teams up with the cemetery caretaker, an undocumented worker, as they hit the road fleeing the girl's abusive father. "Sometimes you have to embrace death in order to embrace life," runs the story tag-line.

For more information about the movie and financing, contact Lisa at Balancing Act Pictures, http://balancingactpictures.com, http://worldwargamesmovie.com or lisa@balancingactpictures.com. For more on Greg Douglass' latest endeavors, visit http://gregdouglass.com/ .

Del Dios/Mt. Israel Town Council May Meeting Recap 

The May, 2010 meeting was jammed packed with visitors and information, so those of you that missed the meeting, here’s the recap.:

San Diego County Sheriff’s update: Captain Crist and one of the deputies  attended the meeting and answered several questions relating to the solici-tors that have been targeting the neighborhood. We learned that a solicitor should have some sort of badge or company ID, so ask to see it and if they don’t show one, beware. If possible alert your neighbors.

Some of the break ins, we learned at the April meeting, are not being re-ported, but should be. By filing a report the department can increase the fre-quency of patrols to the area and have some idea who and what to look for. 

They suggested several precautions to make the neighborhood safer. Lock your car, your home, tool shed, everything. Don’t leave anything in your car. Install security lights/camera. If you see someone suspicious take a picture of their car and them if possible and contact the Sheriffs department with the information. They did catch some one recently after compiling reports and information over a period of time. 

BJ Williams, also of the San Diego County Sheriffs department had handouts and gave a talk on the importance of a neighborhood watch. Del Dios has started a watch, but it was mentioned that Colleen the current coordinator is looking for someone the to take over. 

San Diego County Water Authority were our guests and announced that the North Shore Trail between Hernandez  Hideaway and the Hodges Dam has reopened on Saturdays and Sundays. It will remain closed Monday through Friday. This section of the trail was closed during construction of the Lake Hodges Pipeline Projects. The Water Authority has posted signs alongTown Council the trail to inform people using the trail about the weekend access and to stay on the trail. Fences are now installed along the trail route in this area. 

The trail is anticipated to be opened for use seven days a week by July 2010. Once the trail is open for daily use, the “weekend only” signs will be removed. The fencing along portions of the trail will be removed progressively, as construction is completed later in 2010. The security guard is also gone. 

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Del Dios/Mt. Israel Town Council members:

Christine Harrington/ Mike Johnston: Co-chairs 

Brian Caldwell: Treasurer 

Peg Kelly: Newsletter 

Colleen Lublin and Alan James 

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If you would like to submit articles to the newsletter email peg kelly at deldiosboard@yahoo.com

Recent Rains Beg the Question: Hodgee, the Friendly Lake Hodges Monster: Fact or Fiction?

(Editor's Note: Large-scale rain events such as December's La Nina bring strange side effects to the Del Dios Gorge. Namely, more sightings of the alleged Lake Hodges, or Hodgee, Monster, a distant cousin of the more well-known Loch Ness Monster.)

Go down Hernandez Hideaway on rural Lake Drive at Del Dios and people will swear up and down the tavern's long wooden bar that Hodgee,the friendly Lake Hodges monster, really, truly - well, almost definitely exists."The Lake Hodges Hodgee monster is kind of like the Loch Ness monster," said Stanley Smith, a long-time Del Dios resident.

Smith, a cowboy poet and man about town, lives near the top of the hill overlooking the scenic 1,234-acre city of San Diego reservoir which was completed in 1918.

 "Several people are saying they think they've seen it," Smith continued. "Sometimes, when you look at the lake it looks like something is moving the water, some currents or something. The fact is it is a mystery."

Although Smith was quick to add that "maybe the people were a little liquored up," he wasn't the only one around the venerable country-western venue to say a Hodgee monster was more than mere rural myth or product of some overactive imaginations. 

"Not a day goes by they don't talk about the Hodgee monster," said Mickey Basulka, a seven-year Del Dios resident and country store patron.

The bartender who identified himself only as Mikey V., added: "They even used to have a Hodgee sandwich here when we were open for breakfast in the morning. They say there's a giant catfish, or something, out there."

Hodgee's fame has spread near and quite far.

 In fact, a mysterious Webmaster purporting to be a representative of the Lake Hodges Scientific Research Center ( a seemingly fictional organization) has created a detailed Internet site giving a seven-page history of the monster dating back to 7000 B.C. as well as extensive documentation of the monster including photographs of it said to be taken in 1932, 1941 and 1958.

 The www.hodgee.com site also contains a mixture of fact and possible fantasy that may appear virtually indistinguishable to the casual observer. Stories from local newspapers are mixed with updates on items such as a Lake Hodges Interpretative Center (still in the planning stages) as well as the fabled Lake Hodges Scientific Research Center itself that features a picture of a very earnest scientist with some kind of scientific measuring-type equipment.

"The LHSRC is a not-for-profit research organization that is dedicated to learning more about the unexplained phenomena related to Lake Hodges," the site says. "In particular, we are focused on the so-called 'Lake Hodges Monster,' known locally as Hodgee."

Hodgee.com says

The monster dates back to a "river creature" of Indian lore that was said to be in the San Dieguito River that was dammed and used to create the Lake Hodges Reservoir. "Researchers (in 1929) found no conclusive evidence of any sort although one assistant did report seeing a '...lizard-like...head...' protruding from the surface...' 

 This prompts an internal memo in Scripps (UCSD Institute of Oceanography) to look at (it,)" the site said. The site includes a "timeline" noting that police found piers destroyed without footprints, buoy cameras were used to record some kind of creature, underwater trip-wires are set to capture Hodgee and even, in 1956 thousands of pounds of highly toxic chemicals were used to kill all the fish in the lake and restock it.

"An anonymous statement written on city of San Diego letterhead stated that officials were attempting to kill any creature in the lake ---- including the monster," the site says.

Actually, officials did stage an early 1956 fish kill at the reservoir but news accounts at the time said the effort was made to kill invasive carp and allow the lake to be re-stocked with bass. A final picture on the hodgee.com Web site dated 1999 showed two men with mechanical equipment at the lake.

"LSHRC researchers using sophisticated equipment trying to detect Hodgee," the caption reads. The Hodgee mystery, however, extends to the Hodgee Web site. The site is registered to Corey Krell of Apex. N.C. He has an unlisted telephone number and did not respond to numerous e-mail requests for an interview.

Krell is unknown to the residents of Del Dios although Pete Ayotte, manager of Hernandez Hideaway, another Del Dios institution down the road from the country store, said he had seen the Web site.

"It's pretty neat, interesting," Ayotte said. Sitting at Hernandez Hideaway's classy bar, Dave Bark's ears perked up when he heard mention of Hodgee, the Lake Hodges monster. A former denizen of Haight-Ashbury in the 1960s and Del Dios resident since 1969, Bark nodded knowingly at the image. 

 "We've had numerous sightings before, and rumors," Bark said. "Myself, I've many times seen ripples from his passing down the water. People say they've seen something in the water but I've never actually seen him."

But how did this Hodgee thing all start?

Bark recalled first hearing about Hodgee through the long-time Del Dios newsletter "As the Dam Drips," that he said was "a one-sheet thing and all it was rumors and innuendoes."

The newsletter, which no longer circulates, was passed out in the 1970s around the unincorporated community along the north edge of the lake. Morgan A. "Matt" Tidwell, retired Lake Hodges reservoir keeper, also mentioned the newslettter as the originator of the Hodgee story.

After "As the Dam Drips" broke the Hodgee story sometime in the mid-to-late 1970s, a television reporter went out to the dam and spoke with him about Hodgee's authenticity, Tidwell said.

Then, the real Hodgee magic ensued. "It all started at the Del Dios Store when someone put out a joke newspaper," said Tidwell, reservoir keeper since 1972 through his retirement in 1984. "It had a spoof monster that sure looked like a Loch Ness monster east of the freeway and it was the Hodgee monster.

"A reporter from Channel 8 News came up on the top of the dam," Tidwell continued. "We had a diesel engine pumping air into the lake. These bubbles were coming up. She asked me what this was and I said this is where Hodgee, the monster, sleeps.

"Another reporter from the station came out to do the story and asked me what the monster ate," Tidwell said. "I told him the ranchers were a little upset because he ate a steer, or heifer, once in a while up there and then came back for a bale of hay for a salad."

So hatched a legend, seemingly

 Hodgee became so popular that, as Mickey V. said, a breakfast sandwich was named after it. A friend of Tidwell's who was an Escondido ceramics instructor made a clay sculpture of Hodgee that Tidwell still keeps.

In fact, Tidwell brought the Hodgee replica back to the scene of the myth, the Del Dios Store last week, for a photo opportunity. What's more, the legend grew. Several print articles in the 1980s referred to Tidwell's earlier confirmation of the Hodgee legend on television. 

"First there were tell-tale bubbles in the water, as if some creature were surviving in the depths of the lake," North County Panorama said in January, 1985. 

"Then came the tales of mysterious disappearances of cattle and bales of hay being snatched from passing farm trucks. Tidwell confirmed everyone's unspoken fears with straight-faced accounts on local television newscasts of a Loch Ness-style monster paddling around Lake Hodges."

Standing tall near the reservoir he once managed with Hodgee, the clay monster replica statue in tow, Tidwell again stood straight faced before dissolving into a sly smile. 

 "It was just a bunch of spoof," Tidwell said. "I don't know if anybody would believe something like that but it's a good story."

It's an especially good story when facts aren't allowed to get in the way, Del Dios residents said last week.

Walking her beagle Samson near the store shortly after Tidwell's departure, Linda Hull, a newcomer to Del Dios, faithfully repeated what locals had told her of Hodgee, the friendly Lake Hodges monster. 

"I've heard of it and I would love to know more," Hull said. "They say that there's a Loch Ness monster there that lives in the bottom of the lake. "I believe them," Hull said.

"But, then again, I believe in the tooth fairy." Perhaps speaking for many in Del Dios and North County, Hull added: "With everything else going on in the world these days, why not believe in Hodgee?"