Despite drought, summer’s been good for some mountain communities

Four years of drought has left communities and farms on the floor of the San Joaquin Valley thirsty for water. But for some mountain towns on the Valley’s east side that depend heavily on tourism, this long, dry summer still has been a good one entering this Labor Day weekend.

While many foothill and mountain reservoirs languish at low levels from a lack of rain and snow in the Sierra Nevada, businesses in Shaver Lake consider it good fortune that the reservoir on which their livelihood depends still has a significant amount of water – and they’re hopeful for a good winter with plenty of snow.

Business also has been relatively brisk in Oakhurst and Three Rivers, towns that serve as gateways to national parks popular with tourists and less dependent on having water in a lake to keep commerce afloat.

“It’s actually been a very good summer,” said Josh Cates, whose family operates the Shaver Lake Village Hotel. “I was a little nervous at the start of the summer … But Shaver is just about the only lake around here with any water, and we’re fully booked up for the Labor Day weekend.”

Across Highway 168, at the Shaver Lake Art Gallery, Gary Meissner took time out last week from carving a chunk of cedar into the figure of an eagle to assess the season. Smoke from the Rough fire, burning in the Sierra and Sequoia national forests about 20 miles to the southeast, hung thick in the air during the morning before a breeze helped clear things somewhat in the early afternoon.

“We haven’t seen any dropoff due to drought or fires,” said Meissner, one of eight artists who run the co-op gallery. “Our business here is about the same as last year.”

He credited the water levels at the nearby lake – about 60 percent full as of last week – with keeping the tourists coming this year when so much news has stressed how little water there is across the Sierra Nevada.

Indeed, among nearby lakes, Shaver Lake is much better off.

“Last year and this year we’ve had plenty of water,” said Meissner, who also credited the efforts of the Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project for stocking the lake with prize trout, some of which weigh up to 16 pounds. “That’s been written up in some sportsmen’s magazines, so it’s drawing people from all over the state just to fish for those big fish.”

Saylen Elming rents boats, kayaks and other gear from Shaver Lake Watersports’ small dock on the lake’s western edge. “People come up and say, ‘Oh, the water level is so low,’ but it really isn’t” compared to other lakes, Elming said. “This is probably one of the busiest summers we’ve had … We’re seeing a lot of people from Southern California who usually go to Bass Lake or some of the other lakes and are coming here this year instead.”

Elsewhere along the shore, Sheldon Sandstrom at Sierra Marina said he, too, is seeing new faces this year at the 400-slip marina. “We’re getting people coming from (Lake) Nacimiento (in San Luis Obispo County), Bakersfield and other places because we have more water than anyone else,” said Sandstrom, whose family has run the marina for more than 30 years. “I’m hoping we get to keep some of them even when their lakes fill back up.”

He added that because most of the shoreline around Shaver Lake is steep and the lake is deep, “we probably still have about 80 percent of our surface area available for boating” even though the lake is less than two-thirds full.

Sandstrom credited Southern California Edison – which manages the lake as part of its power-generating system – with keeping water levels stable through the summer and for keeping the community informed. That’s not always been the case, he added. “We’ve been through three droughts, and the first two sucked,” he said.

He recalled 1988, when a low water level at only 17 percent of capacity forced the marina to close in early September. “So this year, at 58 or 60 percent, I feel blessed.”

As Labor Day provides a last summer hurrah for the community, merchants in Shaver Lake are looking ahead to the winter season, keeping their fingers crossed for significant snow at the nearby China Peak ski resort and other popular snow play areas.

“Mother Nature had better kick our butt this year, for us and for China Peak,” said Rusty Coburn, owner of Ken’s Market in Shaver Lake. “Summer is always busy here, but winter depends on the snow. … If we don’t get a lot of snow, then maybe we’ll get lots of fishermen.”

From her perch behind the order window at the Hungry Hut burger and sandwich shop, manager Linda Sinks peered out at the surrounding forest. “You can see all these dying trees,” she said. “We’re all hoping for water and snow. … I really don’t care how much snow I have to shovel, as long as we get some snow.”

Many of the Shaver Lake merchants agree that when winter comes, their fates are closely linked with that of China Peak as skiers pass through. “If the ski resort is open, we’ll get some good business,” said Noah James at Shaver Lake Deli and Coffee. “If there’s no snow, we’ll be hurting.”

China Peak owner Tim Cohee said business has been good this summer, with mountain biking events, scenic chair-lift rides and weddings. “Our revenues are up probably 10 percent over last summer. I’m pretty pleased considering that it could have tailed off.”

But even a relatively brisk summer isn’t enough to take the sting out of a low-snow winter that Cohee describes as “a horrible, tragic season.”

Since Cohee bought the resort five years ago, he has not seen a “normal” winter. The resort was hammered with 55 feet of snow in an El Niño winter in 2011, followed by four straight years of drought that severely hampered the ski season.

“To be very frank, we probably would not be able to handle it if we have a fifth year,” Cohee said. “In 2014, they stated to build the casket, and in 2015, they started putting nails in it. We are fortunate that we were able to survive because fortunately we had low debt and some cash reserves.”

At Yosemite National Park’s southern doorstep, the Madera County town of Oakhurst has continued to thrive because the park’s popularity tends to insulate the community from the vagaries of drought.

“It’s been pretty steady this year here,” said Rhonda Salisbury, CEO of the Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau. She said some businesses have reported slight declines, but the reasons “depend on who you talk to.”

Summer fires such as the Willow fire near North Fork and another one near Tioga, and even the Rough fire miles to the south, are likely factors. “We’ve been surrounded by fire, and that definitely has an effect,” Salisbury said. “But because of Yosemite’s 150th anniversary, tourism is up in general. What we’re losing (from the fires) we’re almost making up” because of the park.

But nearby Bass Lake, with its low water level, hasn’t been so fortunate. “Fewer people are going there, but now there are all those lakefront homes that have these beautiful beaches,” Salisbury said.

Along the Kaweah River in Tulare County, the town of Three Rivers also benefits from its proximity to Sequoia National Park to produce a good summer business for merchants, said Leah Launey, a bed-and-breakfast owner and board member of the Sequoia Foothills Chamber of Commerce. “And even with the drought, we’ve got Lake Kaweah to recreate in. … Most people come up here from the west, and the lake is the first thing you see.”

Nearly all of the lodgings in the town are fully booked through the weekend, and Launey said that while things may taper off, the fall season typically is also a good season for the community’s businesses. We don’t expect it to slow down too much.”

Lake Kaweah remains popular with visitors even though it’s only at about 12.5 percent of its capacity. It would probably be even lower, Launey said, “but we’ve had some kind of precipitation fairly frequently since spring that has added to the volume. We even got some snow and hail in the park in July.”

One difference this year: More Americans and more Californians seem to be coming through town than in most years, when tourism is dominated by international visitors heading up to see the giant sequoias and other scenic wonders in the park.

“We’re not sure of the reason why,” Launey said. “Maybe it’s the lower gas prices and Californians are driving more. But it’s a good thing for us.”

This story was originally published September 4, 2015 at 11:45 AM with the headline "Despite drought, summer’s been good for some mountain communities."