Residents see improvements in Whitewater Canyon following CBS Local 2 report
CBS Local 2’s Kelley Moody visited with residents of the Whitewater Canyon who formerly expressed fears for their homes and their lives. Visitors flocking to the river illegally during the hot summer months pose an extreme fire risk. The canyon is part of a fire closure issued by CAL FIRE and the Bureau of Land Management, but according to residents, enforcement was minimal.
Following our June investigation , residents say they have seen an increase in enforcement agency presence around the area and a drop in illegal visitors.
“Since the report, and thank you very much channel 2, it has been a significant increase. We have noticed that there have been agents at the bottom of the road who have been telling people that when the parking lot is full at the preserve that they should not plan on parking anywhere on the road,” said Wayne King, one of the residents in Whitewater Canyon.
King’s not alone. The Whitewater Preserve located at the back of the canyon is the only place where people are allowed to legally park and explore during the fire closure. Officials there tell us they have seen an increase in enforcement agency presence since our report aired from the Bureau of Land Management, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, and CAL FIRE.
“That’s had a huge impact on us. It’s absolutely made it a much smoother summer,” said Jack Thompson, Desert Regional Director for Wildlands Conservancy.
The Whitewater hydropower facility is a popular stop for those visiting the canyon illegally during the fire closure. Desert Water Agency leases land there, and they’ve taken proactive steps to deter visitors since we first spoke with them.
“Through the investigative work that CBS Local 2 was doing we learned that some of the community members had some concerns about some of the activity in the area,” said Ashley Metzger with DWA, “They were also concerned that there wasn’t enough signage in Spanish, so we took those comments and decided what better way to address them than to make a giant sign.”
The sign is 20 feet by 4 feet with warnings in English and Spanish.
King notes there’s been a large decline in trash in the area, with the exception of Labor Day weekend.
“There were numerous cars parked along the road, parked in the brush, down by the river,” said King, “People cooking, eating, drinking, smoking, and generally putting the entire canyon at risk of a fire.”
The residents shared with CBS Local 2’s Kelley Moody that they hope to see signs warning about fire dangers remain in place after the closure is lifted. CAL FIRE confirmed the signs would be removed; however, they said another sign is in the works for the base of the canyon, providing fire closure details and warnings in Spanish. That is expected to be in place by the next fire season.
There is also an effort for a community meeting between all operating agencies, enforcement, and residents, but a date has not yet been set.
