Proposed Restaurant and Cable Ski Park

Padre Dam MWD is considering the development of a Restaurant and Cable Ski Park at Santee Lakes.  The following provides information about the proposed project.  We are interested in hearing your thoughts on the project.  Contact information is provided below.

Cable-skiing at Santee Lakes could open up the sport to kids and families, especially those that do not own boats.  Many would walk to the park from the local neighborhoods to enjoy the activity.

Video

Photo Renderings
Concept Plans

Have an opinion? Click here to send us any comments you have about the Cable Ski Park Proposal.

Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Cable Ski Park?
Which Lake is being proposed?
Are there existing cable ski parks?
How many people are you expecting?
What hours will the park be open?
Is the water safe?
What facilities are being proposed?
Why is Padre Dam considering this?
Contact information

What is a Cable Ski Park?

Cable-skiing allows people to water-ski and wakeboard without a boat.  It works just like a chair-lift at a mountain ski area. A horizontal cable, suspended on towers and powered by a quiet electric engine, pulls water-skiers and wake-boarders around a lake.  A snack bar and pro shop are also being proposed as part of the project.

 

 
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Which Lake is being proposed?

Lake 1 has been identified as the most appropriate lake for this use.  Lake 2 through 7 will remain as is without modification.

Why Lake 1? 

• Lake 1 is the only Lake within the Park that is not being dedicated to a conservation easement included in the Subarea Plan for Santee.  As a result, Lake One is the only lake available to consider using for this activity. 

• Lake 1 is the only lake with a well which will be used to provide clean water that will fill the lake. 
• Lake 1 provides the most parking spaces for this activity.

Are there existing cable parks? 

Yes, there are approximately 5 cable parks in the United States.  The Texas Ski Ranch is the closest.  Kansas and Florida also have cable parks.  More than 100 parks exist in Europe and Asia.
  

 
 Texas Ski Ranch, New Braunsfels

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How many people are you expecting? 

The average daily attendance is expected to be between 100 and 150 riders.  This activity is not expected to have a significant impact on the park.  Both traffic and noise studies were conducted to evaluate potential impact.  Both studies found no significant impact to the park and surrounding neighborhoods. Click here for the Traffic Study.  Click here for the Noise Study.

Hours of Operation:

The proposed Cable Park will be open 8:00am to one-half hour before dusk everyday.  Night activities will NOT be permitted.

Is the water safe?

Yes.  The water in Lake One will most likely be fed with the park’s well which produces more than enough water to support the lake.  The other option is to use the water that is currently in Lake One  which comes directly out of Padre Dam’s Water Recycling Plant in Sycamore Canyon. The water is treated to “Title 22” standards, meaning it meets all health, safety and biological requirements for recreational use with full body contact and accidental ingestion. We perform weekly laboratory testing for water quality. 

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What type of facility is being proposed at Santee Lakes? 

The Santee Lakes Cable Park proposal includes:

• State-of-the-art cableway
• Pro-Shop
• “Snack Bar”
• Full-service Restaurant
• Viewing deck

Why is Padre Dam MWD considering this? 

Santee Lakes has a 40 year history of providing recreational opportunities to the public.  With 190 acres of parkland, 7 lakes, 300 campsites, playgrounds, picnic areas and numerous hiking trails, Santee Lakes has become a tremendous community asset.  Parks and recreation amenities in neighborhoods increase property values and promote community spirit. The cable ski activity will be yet another recreational amenity that will serve the community.

Santee Lakes is a “self-sufficient” operation within Padre Dam MWD.  It does not receive rate payer subsidy and is not tax supported.  It is extremely rare that a public park is not subsidized.  It is important to continue to improve the Park in order to maintain it’s self-sufficiency.  The Cable Park will generate important revenue that will be put back into the park for improvements such as roads, walkways, repairs, etc.
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