For decades, Lake Sherwood — a 165-acre body of water near the border of Ventura and Los Angeles counties that claims the title of the state’s oldest human-made lake — was a favorite destination for local families.
About 100 older cabins ringed the lakeside, and on the weekends, people from surrounding communities in Ventura County and the San Fernando Valley would drive up to the lake and pay $2 to enter, where they could rent boats and fishing rods.
Then, in 1984, owner Dayton Realty Co. drained the lake, citing a need to inspect its dam. At least, that was the official line. Lakeside homeowners, however, have long believed the draining was retaliation for their opposition to Dayton’s plans to build over 1,000 new homes around the lake…