San Jose looks to make Lake Cunningham safe for swimming again after feds chip in $850,000

For many longtime East Side residents, Lake Cunningham holds a special place in their hearts — and San Jose Councilmember Domingo Candelas is no exception.

He learned to swim at the 50-acre, man-made lake and made many more memories frequenting the 203-acre park with his family, friends and neighbors.

But over the past several decades, the water quality has deteriorated so badly that the lake’s become an environmental disaster, with swimming long banned. After years of neglect, San Jose is seeking to restore the lake to its glory days.

And the federal government has given Lake Cunningham some hope. U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta has secured $850,000 in funding to help improve water quality, with the ultimate goal of making the lake usable for the first time in nearly 30 years.

“Neglect has taken its toll on this lake, and this park, once the heart of our community, has now become a shadow of its former self,” said Candelas, whose District 8 includes the lake. “But I strongly believe we have the power to change that narrative, bringing positive attention and advocacy to this park.”

The lake’s downfall dates back to 1996 when a group of triathletes became ill, forcing a ban on recreational use. Since then, the lake has continued its downward spiral, with fish die-offs, high nutrient loads and invasive plant species such as Stinkwort.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan championed the funding and said the city would use it to experiment with water filtration systems and different ways to address flooding.

“Together, we’re proving that local, federal and nonprofit sectors can come together and make big things happen,” Mahan said. “We can fix the mistakes of the past and create city and public amenities that really serve everyone.”

A study presented to the City Council last year estimated that improving water quality could cost as much as $27 million but it stopped short of guaranteeing whether the lake could still be used for recreational purposes.

While San Jose has known about Lake Cunningham’s challenges for decades, the City Council has struggled to secure and allocate funding to make it a priority.

In 2021, the City Council originally agreed to allocate $3.2 million in Measure T funds — the disaster and public safety voter-approved bond — toward the lake’s environmental restoration. But a majority of the dais last year reversed course and instead voted to put the money into public safety projects, with Candelas and Councilmembers Peter Ortiz and Omar Torres opposed.

Candelas and Ortiz — whose advocacy for East San Jose has led to millions of dollars in investment for the area over the years — had argued that the city could secure funding from state and federal partners by demonstrating the project’s importance by investing in it.

Last year, Assemblymember Ash Kalra secured $1.5 million from the state to help kick off restoration efforts.

Panetta credited Candelas on Thursday with telling a compelling story about the park’s place as a cornerstone in the community when he took office, which is why he pushed for the restoration funding.

“It reminded me of my childhood,” Panetta said. “Although I didn’t grow up in a place that had parks, where I grew up in a rural area of Carmel Valley, California, we had a river — a river that to me was a part of my childhood memories. A river that, to me, is now a part of my adulthood, a part of my parenthood but also a part of my being a public servant.”

The lake restoration project is just one of the initiatives the city plans to help galvanize the regional park, which it still believes can be a regional destination.

The City Council gave its blessing this month for staff to seek out proposals to revitalize its waterpark, formerly known as Raging Waters, and include the Action Sports Park and other park attractions such as the marina as part of the package.

The marina is currently not staffed, and the Action Sports Park has had operational difficulties since COVID-19, causing attendance to drop to a fraction of pre-pandemic levels.

“We’re very grateful, because restoring this park is more than just revitalizing the lake,” Candelas said. “It’s about investing in our children’s future, ensuring that they have the same opportunities for joy, learning and connection that I once did at this park. It’s about affirming our commitment to the environment (and) creating a space where natural beauty and recreational activities can flourish together.”