Lexington Reservoir, which can hold up to 19,834 acre-feet of water, is 60 percent full as of last week. This is in line with the 61 percent average capacity for the 10 reservoirs throughout the county, said district spokesman Mike Di Marco. "Lexington is right where it should be," he said.

The reservoir is not completely full because there is not enough runoff from the watershed, Di Marco said. While the area received the normal amount of rainfall this past year, the rain pattern was unusual. The longer dry spells between heavy storms in December, January and April resulted in less runoff overall this year.

"We just take whatever Mother Nature gives us," he said.

Though the district has not started to drain the reservoir—something it plans to do within the next couple of years to replace an old pipe—water is released into Los Gatos Creek throughout the season. The water released enters the groundwater basin, half of which is used to provide drinking water each year, Di Marco said.

Ralph Flynn, who lives near the reservoir, questions why the district can't wait until August or September to recharge the groundwater basin. As the reservoir is a hot spot for people involved in water sports, waiting until September would allow people to maximize use of the facility during the summer months. Also, citing several fires last year, Flynn said decreasing the water level before the end of summer might leave an inadequate supply of water to suppress a big fire.

Di Marco said the water district has an agreement with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to be among the first to respond to a wildfire. Furthermore, he said, the CDF has estimated that even if the reservoir were to be lowered to its minimum level, there would still be 50 million gallons of water left—enough for 100,000 helicopter drops of water to put out a wildfire.

The minimum allowable water level for the reservoir is approximately 600 acre-feet, according to Di Marco. The reservoir now holds about 12,000 acre-feet of water.

In addition to safety concerns, Flynn said he's seen beavers struggling to survive and that other important wildlife rely on the reservoir for their habitats.

The reservoir "is poorly managed, and there's no sensitivity for the ecology," he said.

According to Di Marco, the district not only releases water from the reservoir to replenish the groundwater basin, but it must also release water at Los Gatos Creek to sustain the livelihood of certain endangered species. Because Chinook salmon and steelhead trout travel from San Francisco Bay and lay their eggs here, the creek must maintain its water level for the hatched fish to survive, he said.

So far, the situation at the reservoir has not significantly affected those who use the facility for recreational purposes, said Bruce Broadwater, vice president of the Los Gatos Rowing Club.

Calling the situation "very acceptable," he said he understands the district's need to maintain the reservoir at varying levels throughout the year.

For more information, visit www.valleywater.org.