Canyon Lake

History

The city of Canyon Lake is named after the reservoir it is built around. Initially, the reservoir was known as Railroad Canyon Reservoir, or Railroad Canyon Lake, but now the reservoir and the community are referred to by the shortened form, Canyon Lake. 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 from Henry Evans, a rancher, and another 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 freshwater lakes for fishing, hunting, and camping in Southern California. The reservoir and the surrounding area were 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. In 1968 the Corona Land Development Company developed the new community. Canyon Lake began as a master-planned community developed by Corona Land Company in 1968, consisting of 4,801 lots.

Geography

The city of Canyon Lake is located east of Lake Elsinore and west of Menifee, in the southern foothills of the Temescal Mountains. The mountain range is on the western edge of the Perris Block and east of the Elsinore Fault Zone. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of or , of which is land and (15.92%) is water. The lake has of shoreline. The community is named for Canyon Lake reservoir, 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 , has of shoreline, and has a storage capacity of . The reservoir is supplied by stormwater 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.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Vista Murrieta High
  High · Murrieta · 3,493 students · 24.6:1 ratio
• Paloma Valley High
  High · Menifee · 2,761 students · 24.4:1 ratio
• Heritage High
  High · Romoland · 2,428 students · 22.9:1 ratio
• Perris High
  High · Perris · 2,243 students · 24.4:1 ratio
• Murrieta Valley High
  High · Murrieta · 2,230 students · 23.5:1 ratio
• Murrieta Mesa High
  High · Murrieta · 2,178 students · 22.9:1 ratio
• Temescal Canyon High
  High · Lake Elsinore · 2,176 students · 25:1 ratio
• Elsinore High
  High · Wildomar · 2,122 students · 25:1 ratio