It was the ideal day to go boating or swimming in Lodi Lake because it was 85 degrees and there was little to no breeze. However, swimmers were required to avoid the water on Wednesday.
The City of Lodi claims that this is due to a lack of lifeguards and understaffing. The beach had to be closed for two days this week and three days last week.
“I’m coming from Stockton. I wouldn’t have known that it’s closed due to not having the staffing, which is really critical because I wouldn’t want my child to go in if there’s not the appropriate staffing,” Stockton resident Julie Ezqueda stated.
Lake lovers are impacted by more than just that, though. Just before the Fourth of July vacation, Lodi Lake costs will go up on July 1.
“Lodi has never been this expensive,” Lodi Resident Gurleen Kaur stated. “We’ve lived here for over 10 years now and I mean, everything is just double now. It’s just double, double, double, but people are not getting paid enough.”
The updated charge breakdown is as follows:
- The $5 admission charge has been raised to $8 for residents and $10 for nonresidents.
- The annual admission fee is now $80 for residents and $100 for nonresidents, up from $50 previously.
- Boat launch fees for locals will now cost $130 per year, while nonresidents will pay $156.
- Beach admission costs are $3 for locals and $5 for visitors.
The $13 one-time boat launch fee is the only fee that hasn’t changed.
The city claims that their fees are almost 60% less than those of other comparable facilities in the area, and they are raising their fees to match those of those institutions.
Additionally, they claim that it would boost earnings by about $93,000 a year, which will be used for lake maintenance.
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In any case, residents from far and wide are concerned that they won’t have the money to visit this unique lake in Lodi during the sweltering summer months.
“My aunt is a stay-at-home mom so I don’t know if that would be something that she would continue to be able to afford,” Kaur stated. “I know that her kids come here and swim as well, so that’s unfortunate to hear that, because everything’s going up.”
Parking was another problem that several residents brought up. They claim that on several days last year, traffic was so heavy that neighborhoods were overflowing with parked automobiles. Some even parked in other people’s driveways out of concern that the rising expenses will make the problem worse.
