This article was provided by acting Interim City Manager Deborah Harrington.
One of the biggest sources of water pollution is runoff from landscaping and gardening activities. Soil, waste and chemicals residents use on Canyon Lake lawns and gardens can wind their way into the Lake and ultimately downstream to other areas, including Lake Elsinore.
“Urban runoff from our yards and gardens contains toxic chemicals that can pollute our waterways and harm aquatic life,” says City Councilwoman Nancy Horton, a clean water advocate. “It’s important that Canyon Lake residents know that anything used in the yard can travel through our streets, gutters and storm drains and end up polluting rivers, lakes and streams.”
Residents of Canyon Lake only have to look out their backyard to see the impact of urban runoff on water quality in the 383-acre Lake that serves as a drinking water reservoir for the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District.
That’s why it is important that Canyon Lake residents do all they can to keep the streets, gutters and storm drains free of the chemicals and organic materials that affect water quality in the Lake.
It is critical that gardening products and waste water are kept out of the City’s drainage system.
City and water agency officials say residents can follow a few simple steps and precautions to ensure generations to come can enjoy the natural beauty of the Lake.
• Do not overwater lawns and gardens. To prevent unwanted runoff, use drip irrigation and soaker hoses.
• Never apply pesticides or fertilizers when rain is forecast.
• Do not rake or blow leaves, clippings or other plant waste into the street. Try composting or using the green waste containers provided by CRR.
• Cover piles of dirt or mulch being used in landscaping projects.
• Use a broom to clear debris from driveways and patios rather than water from a hose.
• Reduce watering requirements by planting low-maintenance native vegetation. Prevent erosion and soil runoff by using dense ground cover whenever possible. When possible, use non-chemical and natural alternatives to pesticides. Beneficial predator insects such as lady bugs can keep aphid populations down on roses, for example.
• Use a commercial car wash that treats or recycles its wastewater, or wash your car in your yard so the water soaks into the ground and does not drain into the street or storm drain.
• Be sure to park your car in the driveway on the days the street sweeper will be in your neighborhood. If the sweeper has to go around several cars on your street, it cannot do the job of cleaning debris from the curbs. The schedule appears periodically in The Friday Flyer.
Maintaining the water quality in Canyon Lake is critical as water authorities try to stem the flow of nutrients and organic matter, which cause fish-killing algal blooms and detract from the overall health of the water.
The history of water runs deep in City of Canyon Lake, which is also known as Railroad Canyon Reservoir. The reservoir, created in 1928 with the construction of the Railroad Canyon Dam, has a storage capacity of 11,900 acre-feet and is owned and operated by the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District.
The reservoir is supplied by storm water runoff from the San Jacinto River and Salt Creek. Water from the reservoir feeds the Canyon Lake Water Treatment Plant, which provides approximately 10 percent of the domestic water supply in the Lake Elsinore/Canyon Lake area.
All of the homeowners can access the Lake for recreational uses. Personal watercraft such as Jet Skis, are prohibited. However, ski boats, fishing boats, row boats, paddle boats, sailboats, and kayaks, as well as wake-boarding, hydrofoiling and water-skiing are allowed.
For more information call 244-2955 or go to www.cityofcanyonlake.com.
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