CASTAIC RESCUE BILL FAILS SUPPORTERS STILL HOPE TO KEEP LAKE OPEN.

Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer

CASTAIC - The future of the Castaic Lake Recreation Area was uncertain Saturday after legislators failed to pass a bill that would have kept it open for the rest of the year.

Funds exist to keep Castaic Lake operating until Oct. 1, but supporters had hoped for a $900,000 injection from the state - along with new daily use fee hikes and operations adjustments - to keep it operating beyond that.

The bill would have offered a one-time infusion from the state, but it failed to get a two-thirds vote by legislators in the final hours of their session early Saturday.

``I'm going to see if there's any way to administratively gain some support from the state,'' said Assemblyman Keith Richman, R-Granada Hills. ``But I am not optimistic about that.''

Whether the lake stays open is up to Los Angeles County, Richman said.

Los Angles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich had allocated $150,000 in discretionary funds to keep the lake from closing Aug. 31.

Antonovich spokesman Tony Bell said a way to keep the lake open is still being sought.

``While we're disappointed, this will not end our resolve to work with the task force that the supervisor has created to find a permanent solution to the lake's fiscal crisis and keep the lake open,'' Bell said of the bill's failure.

The present situation comes after months of dispute between Los Angeles County and the state over funding for the lake, which attracts more than 1 million anglers, boaters and swimmers to its shores every year.

The lake, the biggest in the county, is often referred to as ``the jewel of the county parks system.''

Owned by the state, the recreation area's operation is contracted with the county until 2017.

However, with the state budget draining funds from the county, county officials threatened in June to hand the lake's reins back to the state unless given more state funding.

If the county relinquished control, state officials said the lake would be shut down indefinitely.

Long-term solutions to the county's inability to operate the lake are another question, according to Tracy Jara, president of the Castaic Chamber of Commerce.

``My goal is to get it open for the long term,'' said Jara at a community task force meeting last week, organized by Antonovich.

Options for long-term operation include a public-private partnership and adding more revenue-generating ventures to the lake's everyday operations.

Staff Writer Lisa M. Sodders contributed to this story.

Nicholas Grudin, [phone]

nicholas.grudin(at)dailynews.com