Amador County - El Dorado Irrigation District is cautioning winter-time visitors to take care if they venture onto the ice at Echo, Silver, and Caples lakes. The district’s winter drawdown schedule at the lakes is in effect, which means that water levels under the ice will fluctuate. This can cause potentially dangerous conditions. “What may look and feel like a solid surface often is not,” said EID director of operations Tom McKinney. “People who choose to walk, skate, and ski on the ice or to cut holes for fishing should be aware that they are taking a risk. The safest thing to do is avoid recreation on these frozen lakes.” The three lakes, along with Lake Aloha in Desolation Wilderness Area, are part of the high-Sierra water supply system that provides drinking water for EID customers and also for energy production at the district’s 21-megawatt powerhouse. All four of the lakes are popular recreation destinations throughout the year.

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