RCFC&WCD | Wildomar Connected

There is a move about town to install a “Drinking Fountain”, for dogs and humans, at the infamous Regency-Heritage Park located in the northwest side of Wildoslavia. While the idea has been batted about for a number of years the city has apparently located a willing child and sold them on doing a “Scout Project” to cause this fountain project to spring to life.

The idea is a good one and has been long sought after by dog owners, the few that use the DG covered dog park, as the summer months are rather warm in this part of the world where there is little grass to play on.

Above Picture taken in July

Even in Winter there is little grass in this neglected park

The above picture taken in December, the green outside dog park is weeds

The plan is bad plan because this park is a part of the, poorly maintained, drainage system that directs waters from several areas of Wildoslavia, namely to the south as far as Marna O’Brien Park and the hills to the Southwest of the park above the Woodmoor Tract of homes.

The red lines are the existing storm drain infrastructure, the blue line is the proposed additon. The following pictures show the areas where these enter the park

The above picture is looking southwest towards the hills above the Woodmoor Tract

The above picture is looking south towards Marna O’Brien Park, notice the wire has been lifted to facilitate the flow of water, presumably by city staff.

Above picture is looking east towards Palomar St.

The above picture is looking into the park from the Palomar pipe, notice the debris that has been there for years and still is.

In the past it has resulted in much damage being done to this park.

The above pictures were taken in September of 2014

This damage still happens today

Notice the engineered material that cost thousands of dollars is saturated from a December 2016 storm. The damage is so severe the swings have been removed.

Taken the day after Christmas 2016 near the drain for this Tot-Lot in Regency-Heritage Park

This poorly maintained drainage system for this park is slated for an upgrade somewhere in the future, brought to you by Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation (RCFC&WCD), the upgrade is a part of the recently (January 2014) adopted Lakeland Village Master Drainage Plan

This Lakeland Village Master Drainage Plan (Lakeland Village MDP) calls for the current 10 foot wide X 18 inch deep channel through Regency-Heritage Park to be widened to 42 feet in width X 6 feet in depth. This new channel, referred to as “Open Channel A” will be capable of handling a 100-year event consisting of 1,115 cubic feet of water a second.
The city has known about this concept since they were notified by a concerned citizen more than 2 ½ years ago. Refer to

REGENCY HERITAGE PARK MORPHING INTO OPEN CHANNEL A

The above article was written in February of 2014

What does the city lose when this “Open Channel A” is constructed. Nobody really knows at the present time. The RCFC&WCD has a concept but no engineering has been done.

It is possible that 30 feet of the enclosed area currently called the dog park will disappear making the existing dog park smaller while at the same time making it more likely to survive as future flooding will be eliminated. It also means that whatever “Drinking Fountain” installed will lose its water source as the metered water is located on the east entrance nearest Autumn Oak Place.

That is unless the city plans for the new water pipe feeding the “Drinking Fountain” to be installed below the 6 foot depth of the future channel. Does that sound like a “Scout Project”, not many are qualified to operate a backhoe.

Despite the wishful thinking of City Officials or the lack of caring in the past on the part of the County of Riverside for those rural residents living downstream of the numerous tract homes built over the years a failure to move forward on required facilities has turned Lemon Street into a storm drain collecting waters from an area approximately 3/4 of a mile east of the freeway to well past Mission Trail/Palomar on into the Lake at Elsinore.
All the water that falls according to Riverside County Flood Control & Water Conservation District (RCFC&WCD) is supposed to be directed to an area located midway between Lemon Street and Waite Street.

2014 digital exhibit map from RCFC&WFC

Mirror image of the above map using technology of the time, 1980

This course was decided in March of 1982 with the approval of the SEDCO Master Drainage Plan. In July of 2014 a new map shows exactly the same facilities still being proposed. Where are they?

The waters east of the freeway are to be collected at the culverts coming under the freeway an by underground pipe directed to an open channel per this MASTER DRAINAGE PLAN approved in 1982.

First Section explaining Line E, E-1 and E-2

Continuation of description

Despite the engineers call-out for a direct connection what is currently present directs copious amounts of water onto Lemon Street.

An 18 inch line which directs water from a 66 inch culvert onto Lemon St.

From this collection box which is supposed to be the direct connection called Line E-1 water overflows across yards and onto Lemon Street.

The concrete basin which once filled flows to the above pipe.

The above basin has been recently cleaned of sediment.

Outside view of the 66 inch culvert which fills the basin.

An inside view of the 66 inch culvert. Notice large amounts of sediment ready to move down hill.

Caltrans needs to clean this as this box is on their property and the City of Wildomar has not the money to complete this or any other job, like a smaller line near Windsong Park on Prairie Road. (See previous articles)

The damage done to neighboring property where RCFC&WCD says the direct connection should occur.

Bottom of a basin on the north side of Lemon Street. 50% filled with dirt.

This is a typical basin in the City of Wildomar, primarily because the County of Riverside never set up a financial mechanism to collect monies for the maintenance of these basins. The small group of people who insisted Wildomar become a city either never gave this a second thought or just didn’t care.

Back to the direct connections, the above 66 inch line is one of two major connecting points. The other is an 84 inch line that doesn’t even have a box to slow things down.

84 inch line located at the end of Hager Street.

Which results in a neighbor having to try and protect their property by any means possible.

Seeing the water flow away from this property must be amazing. Picture's don't do it justice.

Seeing the water flowing away from this property must be amazing. Picture’s don’t do it justice.

In between these two large drains is another smaller drain that more than likely doesn’t work.

The State of California like the City of Wildomar does not consider these little things a priority.

Let us cross under the freeway for a moment to look at a drainage feature connected to Lemon Street from the hills above.

Traveling east

The first picture is the collection basin on the northeast corner of Grape Street and Lemon Street.

Could not get in to measure but looks to be around 48 inches

Large amounts of water flow down Lemon Street and some of it makes it into the basin

Looking east from corner of Grape and Lemon Streets.

Some of this water continues under the freeway because it can’t find a drain

A proper Water Quality Control Plan states these drains are to be checked before and after every major storm.

Then we have channel E-2 which is supposed to collect water from a basin on Lemon Street and direct it to the OPEN CHANNEL between Lemon Street and Waite Street where Loquat Street intersects Lemon Street. What we have instead is one of a series of deflectors that direct water back onto Lemon Street.

One of several of these features.

This is supposed to be a 10 foot wide channel at Loquat Street

Its been weeks since the last rains but this is rural Wildomar.

Of all the facilities that were proclaimed to be necessary in 1982 only the open channel west of Corydon Street has been completed, after years of water pooling and laying stagnant up to the north to Vine Street along Mission Trail. It was completed in 2005 at a cost somewhere north of $500,000.00 for 730 feet of underground storm drain starting at Lemon Street / Mission Trail an ending in 495 linear feet of Open Channel west of Corydon Street, then draining onto the Lake bottom at 1260 feet of elevation.

Drawing from agreement between City of Lake Elsinore and RCFC&WCD in 2009

One of three collector boxes at Lemon Street / Mission Trail where water is finally collected.

This open channel drains the water that flows down Lemon Street once it reaches Mission Trail.

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Tag Archives: RCFC&WCD

Good Idea, Bad Plan

LEMON STREET IS NOT A STORM DRAIN