The End of Rock Lake????

[boulderjohn]

As I write, we could be a month away from the ed of Rock Lake as a diving site. The owner has been trying to talk divers into forming some sort of a group to purchase it, but it has not worked out. If something like that does not come together really soon, she will complete he sale to the Fish and Game department, which already uses the lake water for the nearby trout hatchery. She said they will not allow diving in the lake.

That will be a devastating blow to technical diving. I don't know of another site in the Rocky Mountains where we can get the kind of depth we need for that kind of diving.

 

[CWC]

That's really bad news. I've done a lot of fun dives at Rock Lake, and it has seen me all the way from my deep specialty through trimix training. Losing it will be the end of "local" tec training for our region.

The site has great potential to be developed for more than just technical training. Does anyone have any thoughts on forming a group to buy it? I don't have a clue how to go about starting something like that, but would be interested in helping out.

 

[KevinNM]

That's bad. I understand it's a pretty big piece of land, so it probably isn't cheap. There isn't a lot of time to try to organize. If Santa Rosa had a clue they could do something here that would be good for the town, but if pigs had wings....

Alternately, someone could approach the state.

 

[boulderjohn]

The city was approached much earlier, but the asking price was way too high. I think they were actually considering it. The price has dropped precipitously, but I don't know if they were recontacted. I would think so.

I don't know how much land was to be included. the whole ranch is much more than this.

I believe (not positive) that a complication is that Fish and Game already owns the rights to the water they use for the trout hatchery.

 

[WarrenZ]

How much does she want?

 

[boulderjohn]

In the area of $250,000.

For that, you don't get a lot of land. The lake (and neighboring Swan lake) is part of her huge ranch, but you are only buying the lakes, their immediate surroundings, and access to them.

 

[WarrenZ]

She doesn't want much does she.

 

[J-Vo]

@ only 1 month away, I don't see how the deal isn't pretty much already done.

That said, it could be an opertinuty for a new/expanding dive operation. Although it may be too dangerous for teaching open water.

 

[nite-rox]

I just spoke with the landowner of Rock Lake in New Mexico and she is working on selling some other portion of her ranch to raise the money she needs. So there is a chance the diving may NOT go away. We should know more after the first week of January. I will post up here when I find out, either way.

 

[WarrenZ]

Anyone have an update on this?