The water looks like polished onyx as a lazy breeze slightly
ripples its jeweled surface.
A soft splash from a fisherman’s cast accompanies the chirping
birds that make their homes in and around the water’s edge.
Interspersed in the silence is the occasional hum of a boat’s
trolling motor, taking its occupants from one side of the languid
reservoir to the other.
The water looks like polished onyx as a lazy breeze slightly ripples its jeweled surface.
A soft splash from a fisherman’s cast accompanies the chirping birds that make their homes in and around the water’s edge.
Interspersed in the silence is the occasional hum of a boat’s trolling motor, taking its occupants from one side of the languid reservoir to the other.
The San Justo Reservoir, home to several different species of fish and countless other wildlife, is also the tranquil home of manager Robin Lowe.
“I live here with my son and we have to keep an eye on the place,” Lowe said. “It’s peaceful and quiet… it’s just pleasing to me.”
Lowe has managed the Big Red Concessionaire at the reservoir for the past two and a half years. She orders all of the store’s goods, sells the many different types of bait and oversees the general affairs at the reservoir.
Growing up in Moss Landing, Lowe has been an avid fisherman for years. Her love for ocean fishing changed to bass fishing when she moved to Hollister to be closer to her family.
“My cousin had the concession stand and I kept bugging him, can I get a job there,” she said. “He finally let me in… and I love it up here.”
During the summer months the reservoir is open from sunrise to sundown, which keeps Lowe as the lone employee doing just about everything.
The job turns her into somewhat of a regulator at times, having to police the reservoir’s visitors and make sure they’re abiding by the rules.
“It’s not really easy. You have to make sure nobody’s out there messing around,” she said. “But everybody’s good to get along with, very helpful… every once in a while we get kids here that try to start problems and (the fishermen) put a stop to it really quick before anything happens.”
Lowe was determined to find employment at the reservoir for the atmosphere her son now lives in.
She wanted Jacob, 13, who attends special education classes in Castroville, to grow up in an environment without any violence and filled with serenity, she said.
“This is great for him,” Lowe said. “I’d hate to have him packed in houses next to each other with all the people, and there’s no gangs. I just want him to be raised somewhere where it’s nice and quiet.”
Jacob has learned to enjoy the land and the simple pleasures of nature by living at the secluded facility, which was Lowe’s main goal, she said.
At night when all the people have gone, it’s just Lowe, her son and their dog, and the thousands of wild creatures that prowl the reservoir’s land.
Even with coyotes, boar, bobcats and a mountain lion that they fortunately don’t see too often, Lowe has never felt uneasy about being alone on the 587-acre park, she said.
“I respect them. I know that’s their land and I’ll just stay over here,” she said. “They’ve got plenty of food up on the hill and I’m not really too worried about them – and my dog lets me know if there’s anything around.”
The hardest part of the job isn’t the flow of people who swarm the sandy shores during the summer months, but the lack of picnic baskets and fishing poles during the cooler ones, she said.
“I like to see people out there having fun,” she said. “There’s good people here.”
Although she grew up in Moss Landing, her father’s family, Stone, has been a living landmark in Hollister since 1845, she said.
Before the reservoir was constructed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, her father’s family farmed the land it now rests on, which gives her solace since his death, she said.
“He passed away six months ago, so that does it right there,” she said. “It’s comforting knowing that my dad was here.”
The peace and quiet Lowe is afforded by her occupation is lost on many of the people who live in Hollister – just a few short miles away, she said.
“There are a lot of people who don’t even know we’re here,” she said. “They never take the time, they’re always too busy.”
While her job may not be glamorous or fill her bank account, she wouldn’t change it for anything. The rewards she gets from being her own boss and living an easygoing lifestyle are too great, she said.
“The beauty out here, the peace and quiet… it’s really relaxing,” she said. “If you’re stressed out just go out there, throw in your pole and just kick back.”
For more information on San Justo Reservoir, call 638-3300.
