Embedded Files
The photo above shows the El Dorado Fire burning above the Prospect Drive and Canyon Drive neighborhood in Forest Falls, California, in September 2020. This location is directly above Forest Park Mutual Water Company's service area, including wells, tanks, and reservoir.Â
Photo credit: David Dickinson, resident of Forest Falls
The purpose of this page is to inform on the effects of the El Dorado fire and subsequent mudslides and debris flows on the infrastructure of the Forest Park Mutual Water Company, the homes and roads in its service area, and similar problems throughout the entire town of Forest Falls, California.
The problems presented here exist also for the towns of Oak Glen and Angelus Oaks. Any effort to address the issues for Forest Falls should also address the same issues for the other impacted towns.
Important Perspective
Before the El Dorado fire it was sufficient to merely clear our roadways of mud and rocks a few times every year. But since the El Dorado fire, the mud and debris flows have become many times greater, with our ravines and creeks "blown out" to 3-5 times compared to their pre-El Dorado Fire size. And the ravines and creeks are now substantially overflowing their banks within our neighborhoods and destroying homes and vehicles. Merely clearing the roadways from time to time is no longer sufficient. Something substantial needs to be done within the neighborhoods to contain the mud and debris flows within their natural channels. If such containment does not happen, we can expect to lose more homes and possibly lives in the coming years.
Page Organization
This page is organized into these sections:
Description of the El Dorado Fire
Annotated satellite images showing the service area of the Forest Park Mutual Water Company, and the entire town of Forest Falls, California.
Photos showing major debris flows areas at each of the major creeks flowing into our neighborhoods.
Videos recorded during and after the El Dorado fire.Â
The last video shows the points of origin of the major debris flows at the top of Prospect Creek. This is presented as representative of the source of mud and debris at the top of all seven major creeks in Forest Falls.
About the El Dorado Fire
The El Dorado Fire was a wildfire that burned 22,744 acres in the San Bernardino and Riverside Counties of California in September to November 2020. It was ignited on September 5, 2020, by a pyrotechnic device at a gender reveal party in El Dorado Ranch Park, and quickly spread to the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area of the San Bernardino National Forest. Burning over a 71-day period, the fire destroyed 20 structures and resulted in one firefighter fatality, for which the couple hosting the party were charged with involuntary manslaughter. (credit: Wikipedia.com)
Satellite Images
Satellite image showing Mill Creek Canyon where Forest Falls, California, is located.
Seven ravines are highlighted, showing where significant mud and debris flows have occurred since the El Dorado fire.
Forest Park Mutual Water Company Service Area annotated to show its two residential roads (Prospect Drive and Canyon Drive), and well and tanks sites. Two major sources of mud and debris flows are highlighted in red.
The two creeks highlighted in red are Prospect Creek and Oak Creek.
On September 12, 2022, one human life was lost and six homes were either destroyed or significantly damaged on Prospect Drive and Canyon Drive when Prospect Creek suddenly overflowed its banks with a tremendous volume of mud, rocks, boulders, and trees.
Mill Creek Canyon on Fire
This carousel shows five photos of the El Dorado Fire and one photo of the Apple Fire.
Forest Park Mutual Water Company Infrastructure
East well heads buried in mud and at risk for additional damage from mud/debris flows on September 12, 2022.
Prospect Drive and Canyon Drive Neighborhood
Six homes were destroyed or significantly damaged on September 12, 2022.
If something is not done to contain mud and debris in Prospect Creek and Oak Creek, then we will likely lose many more homes and possibly lives in the coming years.
Prospect Creek
These photos show Prospect Creek high on the side of the mountain above the Prospect Drive and Canyon Drive neighborhood on November 12, 2022.
Each of the other named creeks in Mill Creek Canyon are of a similar size, and similarly problematic in terms of mud and debris flows.Â
Prospect Creek about 1,200' above Prospect Drive.
This is where Prospect Creek flows past the east wellheads of Forest Park Mutual Water Company.
Prospect Creek about 1,400' above Prospect Drive.
Prospect Creek about 300' above Prospect Drive.
This is where Prospect Creek flows directly into and through the Prospect Drive and Canyon Drive neighborhood.Â
The first home that was destroyed and where a human life was lost on September 12, 2022, is located just out of view around the bend in the above photo.
Mudslides and Debris Throughout Forest Falls
The photos in the carousel below show various locations where the roadways in Forest Falls have been impacted by mud and debris flows since the El Dorado Fire.
Videos
Collection of videos recorded during and after the El Dorado Fire.
Tom McIntosh 001.mp4News_001.mp4Locals_001.mp4Richie_Jeep_Washed_Away.mp4Richie_Kitchen_Window.mp4Locals_002.mp4Locals_003.mp4Locals_004.mp4Prospect Creek Video #1
This video shows the area where Prospect Creek flows past Forest Park Mutual Water Company's Wells #2 and #3, and our east tank.
Before September 12, 2022, this section of the ravine was about 1/4 of the height and width seen in this video.
Ravine_by_East_Wells_Nov_13_2022.mp4Prospect Creek Video #2
Prospect Creek's point of origin of most of the mudslide and rocks.
The area shown in the below video is about 1,500 feet up the side of the mountain at the top of the ravine that overflowed and destroyed six homes on Prospect Drive and Canyon Drive.
The above image shows the point where the video below was recorded.
Avalanche - March 2023
An avalanche came down prospect creek in early March, 2023. This is the same creek that blew out with a mud and debris flow on September 12, 2023. That mudslide killed a person and destroyed several homes.
The avalanche in March 2023 burried three wellheads, and nearly destroyed a water tank and a house.
MOV_300c.mp4Our Challenge as of early 2023
Somehow contain all the mud, trees, rocks, boulders, and avalanches to the channels that currently define each of the seven major creeks that flow through the neighborhoods in Forest Falls.
Since the El Dorado Fire occurred each of the channels has been blown out to 3-10 times their respective pre-El Dorado sizes.Â
Odds are significant expansion beyond current sizes will not happen unless the channels are blocked. If this assertion is true, the primary objective should be to keep the channels cleared as a matter of course.
If the channels become blocked, then Forest Falls will likely lose many more homes and possibly lives in the coming years.
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