Rosita Ventura-Gomez / The Merced FOCUS

One of the lakes in Greenhills Estates sits at a significantly reduced water level on July 17, 2026, with algae spreading across the surface.

After months of complaints, Greenhills HOA in Chowchilla agrees to resume lake payments

Chowchilla residents in the upscale gated community of Greenhills Estates may soon see a change, following a year of watching lake levels fall, fish die and algae spread.

One of the almost empty lakes in Greenhills Estates, covered with algae, photographed in June 2026.

Environment

Dead fish, deteriorating lakes pit HOA against water council in upscale Chowchilla community

Rosita Ventura-Gomez / The Merced FOCUS

Dead fish, shrinking lakes and a dispute over who controls a shared water system have divided the Greenhills Estates community in Chowchilla and sparked a legal battle.

Damarya Moody, owner of Corsaro’s Family Pizza, poses at the bottom of a staircase leading to what may be one of the last remaining tunnel spaces in Chowchilla.

Community

Are Chowchilla’s underground tunnels part of history, or just legend? Here’s what we found

Rosita Ventura-Gomez / The Merced FOCUS

For decades, stories about underground tunnels have floated around Chowchilla, passed down through families, shared between neighbors and debated online.