Eden By The Bay: Two Lakes and a River

Sunday was Lake Day! We wanted to visit two lakes in the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and check out the water levels. For the last several years the water level has been severely depleted due to the drought, and we wanted to see if the situation had improved after winter and spring rains. Plus it is a treat to get out into the open-space preserves that surrounds these lakes. The open space helps ensure water security for Southern California, and provides recreational opportunities, similar to the multiple-use approach of our East Bay Regional Parks in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Overlooking Diamond Valley Lake

First stop was Diamond Valley Lake reservoir. Mom and I hiked up to the viewpoint, which is high on a hill and provides a 360 degree view of the dam, the vast lake, the canal that transports water to San Diego, and the valley floor below. The dam was full of water, and plants on the surrounding hills were thriving.

View of Diamond Valley Lake

Massive earth dam with bicycle trail

We saw some beautiful Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) thriving on the well-drained hill. I saw a sign for a spring flower walk, and learned later that the walk starts at the Diamond Valley Lake Marina. We didn't visit the boat launch this year to compare, but during the height of the drought, launching a boat would have been harrowing! See Thirsty Lakes in the Chaparral (2015).

Shady gazebo on the way to the viewpoint

Healthy Brittlebush in ideal conditions

Mom and I enjoyed the views from benches at the top of the viewpoint, and under the shady gazebo, while Dad found a shady spot to work a crossword puzzle with a view of the lake in the background.

Skinner Lake Marina

Ready for a hike in the chaparral

Trail by Skinner Lake with high water level

Next stop was Skinner Lake (known as the Skinner reservoir), part of the Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District, and also part of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. We always like to check on the marina and walk along the trail by the water. The water level was very high compared with previous years. You can catch a view of the old waterline in Lake Skinner and the Old Schoolhouse (2018). We saw many plants thriving and blooming along the lake trail – Yerba Santa, Wand Sage, Buckwheat, Tamarisk. We saw quite a few boats out on the lake, and many fishermen casting their lines from the shore.

Dense flowers of the chaparral

Trail down to the Skinner Lake Day Use 2 area

Next we moved to the Day Use 2 area, to do more hiking and enjoy the open spaces. A small weather system moved in and the sky became dark and overcast, a wind kicked up, and a little rain fell! Along the shore, the deep beach that had developed during the drought is now underwater, as are the trees and bushes that had sprung up in the sand. The squall blew over, and we headed for Applebee's for hamburgers and half racks of ribs. We finished the day with boysenberry pie with a scoop of ice cream, conversation, and a good movie.

The beach is now covered with water!

Flooded beach

Later in the week, we drove over to see the Whitewater River. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Whitewater Preserve is currently closed due to damage from heavy winter storms. But we could still see the river and were delighted to see how full the river was. Even though we couldn't drive into the Preserve, the surrounding location is beautiful with the wide river bed, the view of snow topped Mount San Jacinta, and the march of windmills on the valley floor. The latest word seems to be that the road won't be reopened until August or September, so we'll look forward to exploring Whitewater Preserve in our next visit!