CAUGHT IN A PYRAMID SCHEME LAKE TO REOPEN AFTER DISPUTE BETWEEN FOREST SERVICE, CONCESSIONAIRE.

Byline: Bill Becher Special to the Daily News

After being closed since January because of a dispute with the lake's concessionaire, Pyramid Lake Recreation Area is slated to reopen in time for the Fourth of July weekend.

The popular boating and fishing lake in the Angeles National Forest is about 60 miles north of Los Angeles on the Golden State (5) Freeway.

District Ranger Cid Morgan of the U.S. Forest Service, which owns the lake, said Pyramid would reopen on a limited basis July 2 with temporary staff hired by the Forest Service.

When the closure was first announced, the Forest Service said the lake was being closed, ``in the interest of public health and safety.'' Now Morgan said the lake was closed because the previous concessionaire, Pyramid Enterprises, didn't pay fees owed to the Forest Service.

Christopher Cowles, operations manager for Pyramid Enterprises, said in lieu of finding an agreement about the problems at the lake the Forest Service terminated their contract.

``We operated at Pyramid for virtually two decades and felt we served the public well,'' Cowles said. ``We were taken very much by surprise.''

The company had received a better-than-perfect 97 of a possible 96-point score from the Forest Service when its last bid was evaluated in 1999. The extra point was because the deciding officer failed to accurately add, according to the Forest Service.

Cowles' company operates other recreation areas, at Lake Piru, Castaic Lake, Silverwood Lake and Perris Lake. Cowles said his company was asked to step in by California State Parks officials when the previous operator at Perris Lake defaulted.

Cowles said the real problem at Pyramid was the dilapidated state of the facilities.

``Much of the infrastructure is over mature - well beyond its lifespan,'' he said.

The company had wanted to fund improvements from fees paid by the public under its Grainger-Thye permit. This system allows the concessionaire to offset fees owed the government by performing improvement projects. Cowles said the company wanted fees to be used at Pyramid where they were generated, instead of disappearing into the Forest Service's general fund.

Parking lot lights that had never been properly wired, aging docks and other safety improvements were items Cowles mentioned as needing attention.

But major repair projects suggested by the company were held up in bureaucratic red tape at the Forest Service according to Cowles and never performed.

Morgan would not comment on Cowles' claims. The Forest Service has come under heavy criticism in the past for mismanagement and shoddy accounting by the General Accounting Office, Congress's fiscal watchdog.

When the Forest Service attempted to reopen the facility it found problems with the drinking water supply, according to Morgan. The Forest Service also found it lacked a license to operate the water system.

Cowles said he was not aware of any problems with the water, which was regularly tested and monitored by state and county labs.

``If there had been problems we would have immediately rectified,'' Cowles said. ``At times there were high bacteria counts in the lake and we had to post no-swimming signs, but there were no problems with the potable water system.''

Morgan said the lengthy delay in reopening the lake was because the Forest Service didn't have staff trained to run the facility, the problems with the water supply and the need to remove property left by the previous concessionaire and to clear brush to reduce fire hazards.

When the lake reopens July 2 only Emigrant Landing will be operating on a very limited basis for picnicking and boating. The swim beach, snack bar, vending machines and bait shop will remain closed, Morgan said.

Despite the reduced operations, daily entrance fees will remain $7 per car, $14 per vehicle and trailer, $21 for an RV and trailer or $3 for a bicycle or motorcycle. Other lake facilities that will remain closed are Los Alamos Campground and the Vaquero Day Use area parking lot and boat ramp.

The Forest Service hopes to keep the lake open seven days a week until a new concessionaire is found, but said that might have to be curtailed because of staffing problems.

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Locked gates have kept anglers and boaters out of Pyramid Lake since January.

Bill Becher/Special to the Daily News