Canyon Lake, California

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Canyon Lake, California
settlement_type = City

---

imagesize =
image_caption = Entrance of Canyon Lake

---

mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Canyon Lake in Riverside County


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_name1 = California
subdivision_name2 = Riverside
established_title3 = Incorporated (city)
established_date3 = December 1, 1990
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
established_date =
area_magnitude = 1 E8
area_total_km2 = 12.1
area_land_km2 = 10.4
area_water_km2 = 1.8
area_total_sq_mi = 4.7
area_land_sq_mi = 4.0
area_water_sq_mi = 0.7
elevation_m = 422
elevation_ft = 1385
latd = 33 |latm = 41 |lats = 3 |latNS = N
longd = 117 |longm = 15 |longs = 20 |longEW = W
population_as_of = 2007
population_total = 11250
population_density_km2 = 960.6
timezone = PST
utc_offset = -8
timezone_DST = PDT
utc_offset_DST = -7
latitude = 33°41'3" N
longitude = 117°15'20" W
other =
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 92587
area_code = 951
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 06-10928
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1668254
footnotes =
website =

Canyon Lake is a gated community in Riverside County, California, United States. One of only five gated cities in California, Canyon Lake began as a master-planned community developed by Corona Land Company in 1968. The “City of Canyon Lake” was incorporated on December 1, 1990. It geographically spans 4.7 square miles. The Lake was originally formed in 1927 after Railroad Canyon Dam was built. The lake covers 383 acres and has 14.9 miles of shoreline. As of July 1, 2004, the city had an estimated total population of over 11,161, a 12.18% increase from the 2000 census. [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-context=dt&-ds_name=PEP_2004_EST&-mt_name=PEP_2004_EST_G2004_T001&-CONTEXT=dt&-keyword=canyon%20lake&-tree_id=804&-redoLog=true&-all_geo_types=N&-geo_id=16000US0610928&-search_results=16000US0610928&-format=&-_lang=en]

Geography

Canyon Lake is located at coord|33|41|3|N|117|15|20|W|type:city_region:US-CA|display=itGR|1.

The community of Canyon Lake consists of 2,017 acres. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.1 km²), of which, 4.0 square miles (10.4 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (14.71%) is water. The lake has 14.9 miles of shoreline.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 9,952 people, 3,643 households, and 2,939 families residing in this city. The population density was 2,485.9 people per square mile (960.6/km²). There were 4,047 housing units at an average density of 1,010.9/sq mi (390.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.93% White, 0.81% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 1.54% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.82% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. 8.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,643 households out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.5% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.3% were non-families. 14.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $70,106, and the median income for a family was $72,317. Males had a median income of $57,413 versus $36,016 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,646. About 3.0% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 1.9% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

The “City of Canyon Lake” was incorporated on December 1, 1990 [http://www.cityofcanyonlake.com/index.asp Welcome to Canyon Lake ] ] . In the state legislature Canyon Lake is located in the 37th Senate District, represented by Republican Jim Battin, and in the 64th Assembly District, represented by Republican John J. Benoit. Federally, Canyon Lake is located in California's 49th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +10 [cite web | title = Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest? | publisher = Campaign Legal Center Blog | url=http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html | accessdate = 2008-02-10] and is represented by Republican Darrell Issa.

Public Safety

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department serves Canyon Lake through the Perris Valley Station (the former headquarters of the now-disbanded Perris Police Department), despite most residents' (and visitors') assumptions that the City of Lake Elsinore(which has its own regional sheriff's station) is much closer to Canyon Lake than Perris. The City of Canyon Lake contracts for fire services with the Riverside County Fire Department through a cooperative agreement with Cal Fire(California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Fire station 60 is located within Canyon Lake's gated portion, near the North Causeway across the lake.

The private areas behind the gates (however) are patrolled by AlliedBarton Security (Community Patrol and Lake and Marine Patrol) with the assistance of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department's Perris Valley Station, which contracts with the city for its law enforcement services.

The Community Patrol enforces community rules and regulations (CC&Rs)which includes noise ordinances, speed limits, and community access, while the Riverside County Sheriff provides for law enforcement and public safety.

Education

Students attend school in the Lake Elsinore Unified School District. Students typically attend Tuscany Hills Elementary, or Cottonwood Canyon Elementary, Canyon Lake Middle and Temescal Canyon High School (7 miles).

Mt. San Jacinto College maintains a campus in nearby Menifee (6.4 miles). The nearest University of California campus is University of California, Riverside (25 miles). Canyon Lake is nearly equidistant from four California State University campuses located at San Bernardino (45 miles), Fullerton (48 miles), and San Marcos (50 miles), as well as Cal Poly in Pomona (48 miles).

Reservoir

Infobox lake
lake_name = Canyon Lake
Railroad Canyon Reservoir
image_lake =
caption_lake =
image_bathymetry =
caption_bathymetry =
location = Riverside County, California
coords = coord|33.675|N|117.272|W|type:waterbody_region:US-CA|name=Canyon Lake (Railroad Canyon Reservoir)
type = reservoir
inflow = San Jacinto River
outflow = San Jacinto River
catchment =
basin_countries = United States
length =
width =
area = convert|383|acre|km2|abbr=on|lk=on
depth =
max-depth =
volume = convert|11900|acre.ft|km3|abbr=on|lk=on
residence_time =
shore =
elevation =
islands =
cities = Canyon LakeThe community is named for Canyon Lake, also known as the Railroad Canyon Reservoir, which it surrounds. The reservoir, created in 1928 with the construction of the Railroad Canyon Dam, covers approximately convert|383|acre|km2, has convert|14.9|mi|km of shoreline, and has a storage capacity of 11,900 acre-feet (14,700,000 m³). It is owned and operated by the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District.cite web
url=http://cdec.water.ca.gov/misc/resinfo.html
title=Reservoir Information
publisher=California Department of Water Resources, Division of Flood Management
date=2007-01-25
accessdate=2007-02-21]

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% of the domestic water supply in the Lake Elsinore/Canyon Lake area.cite web
url=http://www.evmwd.com/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=3527
title=2005 Consumer Confidence Report (PDF)
publisher=Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District
month=May | year=2006
accessdate=2007-02-21]

History

In 1882 the California Southern Railroad built a line from Perris to Elsinore along the east side of the San Jacinto river. The Santa Fe Railroad bought the line and joined it with their line in San Bernardino. Floods in 1884, 1916, and 1927 washed out the tracks and the Santa Fe Railroad decided to abandon the line. Soon after the last flood the Temescal Water Company bought the railroad right-of-way, as well as 1,000 acres from Henry Evans, a rancher, and other land from B.T. Kuert. Those were the two parcels that make up most of Canyon Lake today. Construction started in 1927 to build a dam across the river to store water. It was finished in 1929. Railroad Canyon Reservoir, when built, was one of the largest fresh water lakes for fishing, hunting and camping in Southern California. Railroad Canyon Reservoir and the surrounding area was leased as a concession from Temescal Water Company as a recreational area under the operation of the George D. Evans family from 1937 until after World War II. After the War Ray and Alpha Schekel, along with John and Darleen Kirkland operated the resort until 1949 when the lake was drained for repairs to the floodgates. Elinor and Donald Martin operated the resort from its reopening in 1953 until 1968. In 1968 the Corona Land Development Company developed the new community. [Martin, Elinore. Images of America, Canyon Lake, Arcadia Publishing, 2007.] [http://www.cityofcanyonlake.com/history.asp]

Property Owner's Association

One of only five gated cities in California (the other incorporated gated cities in Southern California are Bradbury, Hidden Hills, Laguna Woods, and Rolling Hills), Canyon Lake began as a master-planned community developed by Corona Land Company in 1968.All of the homes within the City are located within the Canyon Lake Property Owners Association (POA), which is a gated community, and all but a few roads within the city are privately held and maintained, with the exception of two main roads (Railroad Canyon and Goetz Roads). The entrances to the Canyon Lake POA are gated and guarded, accessible by residents and selected guests approved by the owners within the POA. There are three entrances to the gated portion of the community. The Main (south) Gate is located on Railroad Canyon Road. The East Gate is located just off Goetz Road. The North Gate is located at the north end of the community at the south end of Greenwald Avenue. All gates are manned twenty-four hours a day by the Community Patrol. Access is granted to outsiders by sponsorship from a property owner or renter who calls in their guests to a 24-hour answer line.

Community lots

There are 4,801 lots within the community. 1,035 of the homes within Canyon Lake have waterfront access with private boat docks and slips and about one-quarter are adjacent to the golf course. There are 175 condominiums and 125 manufactured homes in Canyon Lake.

Governance

The Association operates within a scope of authority and responsibility outlined in the Articles of Incorporation, Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs) and By-Laws, which are recorded against Canyon Lake properties, and form an agreement between each property owner and the association.

Five persons are elected by the membership to serve as the Board of Directors of the Association. They meet twice each month. A general manager is employed by the Association as set forth by policy established by the Board of Directors. The dates and times of meetings are published in the [http://thefridayflyer.com/ The Friday Flyer] , the local newspaper. These meetings are open to the membership, and members are encouraged to attend. The meetings are also televised on the local cable Channel 3 for those who cannot attend in person.

ecurity

The Lake and Marine Patrol, as well as the Community Patrol services are contracted out to a private company, AlliedBarton Security. The Lake and Marine Patrol are responsible for the enforcement of all the rules and regulations of boats and other uses of the lake. The Community Patrol is responsible for 24-hour gate security as well as 24-hour street patrol. Since becoming an incorporated city in 1990, Canyon Lake has its own Police Department, as well as the private security services.

The lake

All of the homeowners within the Canyon Lake POA have rights and access to the Lake for recreational uses. Personal watercraft (Jet Skis, etc.) are banned for use on the reservoir. However, ski-boats (with a maximum length of 21 feet), fishing boats, row boats, paddle boats, sailboats and kayaks are allowed, as are wake-boarding and water-skiing. There is a 35 MPH speed limit on the main lake, which is patrolled by Canyon Lake's Lake and Marine Patrol, as well the California Department of Fish and Game. The East Bay is limited to a "No Wake" speed. Each year the Association stocks the lake with a generous supply of catfish and bass, which join the crappie and bluegill there, for the enjoyment of fisherman. There are swimming areas, fishing “holes”, beaches, a slalom course and a jump lagoon, gas docks, and rental slips which make the lake a busy place thanks to the Canyon Lakers and the more than 2,000 boats they have registered with the POA. All boats must be registered and have insurance in a homeowner's name. Canyon Lake is home to world class wake-boarders and water-skiers. Canyon Lake clubs train the new water-skier and wake-boarder and also plays host to many tournaments.

Amenities

There are 13 parks in the community making up 45.5 acres, many with sandy beaches as well as docks at which boats can be tie up for short periods. Indian Beach Park has a theatrical stage which is used by the Canyon Lake Community Theatre group for theatrical and other performances which are staged during the year.

Canyon Lake's community newly constructed (2000) 19,000 square feet clubhouse, the Canyon Lake Lodge, always has a variety of activities taking place and is considered the "jewel" of the community. The Lodge offers dining at the Lighthouse Restaurant and banquet facilities, as well as "The Lounge" bar. The community's Olympic-sized, heated pool and tennis courts share the Lodge's grounds. Included in the pool are 3 lap swimming lanes, as well and a separate toddler wading pool. Shower and changing facilities are available. They both have a picturesque view of the main lake, unobscured by visible fencing.

The Canyon Lake Golf Course is an SCGA-rated 18-hole, par-71 5,868-yard 75-acre regulation course with a driving range, putting green, and pro shop, as well as rental carts available. The Clubhouse has dining service at the Country Club Restaurant and bar.

There is a 10 acre Equestrian Center with stables. The facility includes a show riding arena, a jump arena, turn out arena, a hot walker and double wash rack. There is a barn with 17 stalls, outside pipe corrals with covered breezeways, and community room where horse owners can gather. There are miles of bridal trails winding throughout the surrounding hills.

There are 6 lighted tennis courts adjacent to the Canyon Lake Lodge. Tournaments are scheduled by the Canyon Lake Tennis Club for each month during the year which includes doubles, mixed doubles, and team tennis. Scheduled weekly are men's and women's tennis. Tennis pro Steve Vorhees provides a Jr. Tennis Program and training lessons for all ages.

There is a 7.5 acre private 90 campsite campground for property owners and their guests adjacent to the lake. On 37 of the sites you will find complete hook-ups for water, sewer, electric and television. The remaining 53 sites are equipped with electric and water. There are showers, restrooms, washers, dryers and an ice machine. There is a dump site for all campers. A full time manager lives on the premises. The 5 docks can accommodate up to 45 boats at any given time. The swimming beach is 350 feet long. The campground is a great place for fishing, playing horseshoes, volleyball and windsurfing in the protected, 5 miles an hour zone.

Gault Field is located on the North side of Canyon Lake. The multi-purpose sports complex has lighted regulation softball fields and serves the needs of teams and individuals of all ages. Summer and winter baseball leagues use the field, as do soccer players.

Clubs

There are over 50 community, cultural, recreation, and youth clubs. The community clubs includes Lions Club, Lioness Club, Homeowners Club, Womens Club, Jr.Womens Club, and Womens Connection. The cultural clubs include The Fine Arts Guild, the Canyon Lake Community Theatre, Choraleers, Arts Association, and Friends of the Library. The recreation clubs include Bassmasters, Car Club, CLAWS-Bunco, Equestrian Club, Men's Softball, Ski Club, Tennis Club, Women's Golf Club, Men's Golf Club, Twirlers, Campground Club, CLAMS, CLACBL Bridge Club, Roadrunners, Street Carts, Travel Club, Wakeboard Club and Yacht Club. The youth clubs include Cotillion, Canyon Lake Little League, and Mommy & Me.

Motorcycles prohibited

There is an unusual law here in Canyon Lake (strictly enforced by the CLPOA), that forbids all public use of ANY "two-wheeled motorized vehicle" (that is, all motorcycles, mopeds, and dirt bikes) on all private streets throughout the CLPOA, but excluding the two public roads (Railroad Canyon and Goetz Roads) [http://www.thefridayflyer.com/FF-2006-11-3/FFS-5538.htm Motorcycle Prohibition Upheld] .

Businesses and churches

There are three business or shopping areas within the City of Canyon Lake. One is located at the west end of the city on Railroad Canyon Road and includes the Canyon Fitness Center and Prestige Golf Cars. Another is located at the east end of Canyon Lake on Goetz Road. The main shopping and business center of the community, Canyon Lake Towne Center, is located directly across Railroad Canyon Road from the Main (south) entrance gates. It provides Canyon Lake with many services, and is the location of the City of Canyon Lake offices and the Property Owner's Association offices, which are located side by side in the same building.

The only private business facility within the gated portion of Canyon Lake is Summerwood Landing, which is a RV, boat, and general storage facility.

The community is served directly by the [http://canyonlakechurch.org/ Canyon Lake Community Church] , which is the only church with its own facilities within the City of Canyon Lake, but located outside the gated portion of the community. [http://www.tideschurch.org/ Tides Church's] facilities are in the Canyon Lake Towne Center.

References

External links

* [http://www.cityofcanyonlake.com/ City of Canyon Lake]
* [http://www.canyonlakepoa.com/ Canyon Lake Property Owners Association]
* [http://www.thefridayflyer.com/ The Friday Flyer: Canyon Lake's Newspaper]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/united-gates.shtml#clips/ BBC Documentary on Canyon Lake]
*