Willow Creek at Risk!
By Bob Sherman (2026-0913 posted)
On May 23, 2026, our Mountains Group of the Sierra Club became aware of a very
significant violation on a series of adjacent lots approximately 0.6 miles North-north-east of the intersection of North Bay Road and Hwy 173 in lake Arrowhead. There, within the watershed of Willow Creek, there has been unpermitted clearing of forest and complete removal of ground cover that have occurred on more than 10 acres (not yet formally determined) within land adjacent to the Willow Creek and its associated riparian banks and wetlands areas. (Note- Riparian areas act as “critical green infrastructure”, serving to protect water quality and aquatic & terrestrial biodiversity).
significant violation on a series of adjacent lots approximately 0.6 miles North-north-east of the intersection of North Bay Road and Hwy 173 in lake Arrowhead. There, within the watershed of Willow Creek, there has been unpermitted clearing of forest and complete removal of ground cover that have occurred on more than 10 acres (not yet formally determined) within land adjacent to the Willow Creek and its associated riparian banks and wetlands areas. (Note- Riparian areas act as “critical green infrastructure”, serving to protect water quality and aquatic & terrestrial biodiversity).
The Sierra Club refers to it as the “Willow Creek Clearing Violation” (WCCV). Other illegal alterations on this site included unpermitted grading, including alteration of pre-existing natural drainage patterns leading to Willow Creek. All of the above violates multiple state and local regulations, including:
- San Bernardino County Code Violations: Land disturbance took place without approved grading permits, erosion control plans, environmental reviews, or protections for the native tree canopy. The County agency with jurisdiction is Land Use Services, hereafter abbreviated as LUS.
- Fish and Game Code Violations: Disruption of natural stream channels, banks, and riparian vegetation occurred without a required Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement.
- Water Code* Violations: (*the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, hereafter abbreviated as LRWQCB): the unpermitted grading and soil destabilization was in violation of standards that protect water quality in state-regulated waters. (Note- There may be other state regulatory agencies, such as CalFire, that may, yet, become involved.)
On June 9, 2026, The Sierra Club Mountains Group formally submitted a Demand for Disclosure and Immediate CEQA Compliance review to the San Bernardino County
Department of Land Use Services (LUS), calling for issuance of a Cleanup and Abatement Order alongside a technical information order for certified engineering and ecological assessments. Specifically, it called for:
Department of Land Use Services (LUS), calling for issuance of a Cleanup and Abatement Order alongside a technical information order for certified engineering and ecological assessments. Specifically, it called for:
- Full Disclosure of Records: Immediate access to all project-related documentation, including permits, site plans, inspection reports, and all CEQA-related environmental documents.
- Verification of Agency Consultation: Confirmation on whether the County has consulted with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board regarding the project’s impact on Willow Creek.
- Transparency on Mitigation: Disclosure of any existing correspondence between the County and the property owner regarding mitigation measures for environmental impacts, specifically habitat loss and sediment discharge.
- Initiation of CEQA Review: Formal confirmation that a CEQA review process has begun, including copies of any completed documents or a specific timeline for its completion.
– CDFW Demands: The agency is called upon to issue a Notice of Violation and a Draft Restoration Order. Since that time, the Mountains Group has contacted both CA-F&W LRWQCB, formally seeking their intervention. Both agencies have become involved (as they should have been from the start, with the involvement initiated by the County Land Use Services Department!) However, in our (Sierra Club Mountains Group) experience, there exists an Agency Communication Breakdown: Both CA-F&W and the LRWQCB have been involved with coordinating with LUS, with the LRWQCB also having advised us with updates on meetings and other coordination details. However, LUS. has been consistently remiss in communicating and sharing basic compliance details. We were told we could send (email) documents to them, and that they would respond to our inquiries. But questions we have posed – even as basic as: what on-site meetings have been held, what environmental impacts are being looked at, and (especially) what erosion control measures (to prevent sediment migration into Willow Creek) have been ordered?
HAVE GONE UNANSWERED!
Timeline and Ecological Vulnerability: over three and one-half months have passed since the initial complaint without a complete analysis of ecological damage (it has not even been established if Willow Creek itself has been impacted– leaving the area vulnerable and lacking information on erosion controls as El Niño rains arrive due to
institutional failures. (Note- the rains on September 6 and 7 – most definitely linked to El Nino- have already resulted in the advent of erosion, which will only get worse,unless best-management-practices for erosion control are immediately mandated and enforced by the San Bernardino Land Use Services Department).
Timeline and Ecological Vulnerability: over three and one-half months have passed since the initial complaint without a complete analysis of ecological damage (it has not even been established if Willow Creek itself has been impacted– leaving the area vulnerable and lacking information on erosion controls as El Niño rains arrive due to
institutional failures. (Note- the rains on September 6 and 7 – most definitely linked to El Nino- have already resulted in the advent of erosion, which will only get worse,unless best-management-practices for erosion control are immediately mandated and enforced by the San Bernardino Land Use Services Department).
This article has been written by myself (Bob Sherman) serving as the technical consultant for the Mountains Group of the Sierra Club. Before my retirement to Lake
Arrowhead, for sixteen years, I served administering the Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act. I have a B.S. from the Univ. of Massachusetts in Wildlife Management and was nationally certified as a Professional Wetlands Scientist. For more information contact Bob at silabob@gmail.com(opens in new tab) .
Arrowhead, for sixteen years, I served administering the Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act. I have a B.S. from the Univ. of Massachusetts in Wildlife Management and was nationally certified as a Professional Wetlands Scientist. For more information contact Bob at silabob@gmail.com(opens in new tab) .
