Officials in Santa Barbara County are exploring the possibility of allowing visitors to swim in Lake Cachuma, a human-made reservoir in the Santa Ynez Valley where swimming has been banned since its creation in 1953. … Swimming is banned at the lake because it’s used as a local water source. That’s been the case since the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation created the lake in 1953 by constructing the Bradbury Dam, then called the Cachuma Dam, thereby blocking the flow of the Santa Ynez River. The lake is still owned by the Bureau of Reclamation, though it’s managed by the county. Bantilan said the county is in touch with local water agencies about allowing swimming at the lake, a move that’s already taken place at other reservoirs in the state.