It appears some people think I wish for the Murrieta Creek and its tributaries (called laterals by RCFC&WCD) to remain a “Ratty Mess”
FAR FROM IT
My vision for the Murrieta Creek is for it to preform its intended function of draining storm water away from developed areas of Wildomar, filtering that water naturally and returning as much as possible (approximately 60% of this water is imported) to the local aquifer while at the same time providing a recreational amenity and wildlife corridor found in few cities. All of this can be accomplished without incurring an enormous water bill as native vegetation would be the order of the day.
I have included a map of a trail system for walking, hiking, horseback riding and bicycling going from the Wildomar/Murrieta city borders to the Levee Trail in Lake Elsinore, with a tributary link going almost to Menifee, blocked by private open space at the Farm and the future Oak Creek Development, that is not on a major road and crosses very few others. At the same time it provides for access to schools, current parks, and I would like to say businesses but the City has decided everything should be jammed up against that ribbon of concrete called a Freeway. All of these activities can be accommodated as both sides of the existing area have access roads. I have also included pictures of areas with similar climate to show what it could look like.
The current state of the Murrieta Creek and its tributaries is a sad statement of how Riverside County Flood Control treats its assets while collecting huge sums of money from local developers. The sad fact is RCFC&WCD has a history of waiting until a disaster strikes and then crying to the Federal Government for relief. All one has to do is look south to Murrieta and Temecula, cities that suffered greatly in 1993 and are still waiting for something to be done while the flood district sits on huge sums of money.
Some will say that the Flood Channels in Wildomar are currently constructed of concrete. A portion of them are based on a Master Drainage Plan that was formulated in 1980. The days of lining existing creeks with concrete and sending the problems downstream as quickly as possible are a thing of the past due to degradation of water quality downstream which the “Clean Water Act” has restricted. Even the City of Los Angeles is removing as much concrete from its channels as possible in order to provide for the cleansing of the waters and recreation. At some point I would like to see the concrete bottoms removed from the existing channels allowing for more cleansing and percolation. Any further channel walls should be constructed of permeable materials.
Some will say this plan is self-center as it does not include any parks. Parks do not belong in the Murrieta Creek. The creek is currently listed as “Impaired Waterbodies in the Santa Margarita Watershed according to the Clean Water Act Section 303(d)” Listed with Pollutant/Stressor of concern being Iron, Manganese, Nitrogen, Phosphorus. In the absence of effective planning measures, rapid development will likely exasperate surface water quality problems. Planting grass which requires fertilizer and water to stay green does not belong in an already compromised stream bed. (Stream and Creek are interchangeable)
Want another Park, Jean Hayman Elementary is an 11 acre site with an existing parking lot with buildings that cannot be occupied therefore will at sometime need to be removed, it also doesn’t flood. There is already a playground area attached to it and with the buildings removed the entire 11 acres would be a park. Oh, it’s in SEDCO, sorry but the county and now the city have ignored the need for parks to the point that suitable land is in short supply. Like it or not SEDCO is a part of Wildomar.
