Friends of Atascadero Lake facing financial, membership challenges

A nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping Atascadero Lake full and clean, Friends of Atascadero Lake, is facing both financial and membership challenges, which could impact the lake and the surrounding community.

Friends of Atascadero Lake President Mark Hontz said one of the issues before the members is funding a pump that keeps the lake full during dry months.

In years past, they would raise funds by selling wristbands at the city’s Tamale Festival.

“98% of it has come from [the] Tamale Festival,” Hontz said.

This year, however, the Charles Paddock Zoo will fill the role that Friends of Atascadero Lake previously occupied.

The City of Atascadero’s Community Services Director, Terrie Banish, said this is due to another commitment the city has with the zoo.

“Currently, the city is partnering with the Friends of the Charles Paddock Zoo to help increase awareness of and participation in zoo fundraising and the Tamale Festival is one of those fundraising efforts,” Banish said.

Still, fundraising for the pump is key, as the pump is critical to maintaining the lake’s water levels.

“When the creek stops flowing, we’ll turn the pump on for the rest of the year, maybe 8, 9 months,” Hontz said. “It really is what keeps this lake wet during the dry months.”

In fact, according to Friends of Atascadero Lake, the pump brings in 11 million gallons of water during the 9 or so months that it's turned on. But running the pump costs $1,000 per month to operate, or $12,000 per year.

In addition to the pump’s costs, it also poses a legal threat.

“We are concerned about being personally liable should something happen with that pipe system,” Hontz said.

Friends of Atascadero hired a lawyer to validate these concerns and found out that they are indeed liable if the pump doesn’t work.

The city agreed, stating, “The well is the responsibility of the Friends of Atascadero Lake.”

Hontz said that legal threat caused six members to leave the organization.

“People have left the group because they don’t want to be held accountable in any way,” Hontz said.

With their primary source of funding gone and their manpower cut down, Friends of Atascadero Lake are left in a difficult position.

“Our hope was that the city would take over that whole pumping system. We would gladly still pay for it,” Hontz said.

Until they can find a permanent solution, the pump will have to be turned off, potentially resulting in low water levels for the lake.

“If a pump is turned off, this lake will be 1/10th full,” Hontz said.

For more information on Friends of Atascadero Lake membership and to make a donation, click here .