What Is It? Curiosities of Lake Arrowhead and Other Interesting Stuff
by Ralph Wagner
Lake Arrowhead, CA: Ralph Wagner, 2009
When I tell people that I live in Crestline, they have no idea where that is. When I say Lake Arrowhead, on the other hand, they respond, “Oh, yes!”
Lake Arrowhead is a beautiful resort town in the San Bernardino mountains, offering activities on the lake, at the resort hotel and spa, and in the lovely rustic-style shopping center. Many Olympic athletes and Thoroughbred race horses train in Lake Arrowhead.
Lake Arrowhead boasts a rich history, too.
In this book, you will find a wealth of information, plus black-and-white photographs on almost every page. It focuses on the lake and water. Political, environmental and economic issues have plagued Lake Arrowhead over the years. The lake is not drought-proof. In fact, the author points out that only the oceans are immune to the effects of long spells of dry weather. Lake Arrowhead depends upon rain and snow, but more importantly, the health of that ecosystem depends upon wise management of the water resources of this semi-desert mountain community.
At the height of the recent drought, the boat slips at the lake stood on dry land. A disastrous fire in 2003 and another in 2007 burned down homes in the community, destroyed trees and devastated the wildlife. More plentiful rainfall in 2009 and 2010 restored the lake to its former beauty, but the danger of future droughts and wasteful use of the limited water resource still threaten the community.
Past efforts to keep the lake full included the ambitious Deep Creek tunnel system, which never was completed. The tunnels should have brought water from Deep Creek, high above Lake Arrowhead, down to where it was needed for both recreational activities on the lake and tap water for public use. Sadly, it was never completed. The Grass Valley tunnel was completed, and it does provide some water to Lake Arrowhead.
Wagner describes the problems in detail, and he prescribes the best possible solutions. Bureaucratic inertia needs to be overcome, and waste and fraud must be eliminated.
People need to conserve and recycle, in good times as well as bad.
This book is informative but not preachy. It serves as a useful guide to managing Lake Arrowhead or any similar environment.
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