Lake Tamarisk: "Oasis in a Living Desert"

March 14, 2023 - Lake Tamarisk, CA - Prepared by Candace Ryding, Long Time Resident of Lake Tamarisk

The Lake Tamarisk Community got it’s start when Kaiser Steel was in need of housing for their workers, shortly after World War II. The mine operated until early 1982. At that time the population of Lake Tamarisk began to change.

The desert views …

Our two lakes and our golf course ...

And an environment essentially free of noise, light and air pollution. Our sunsets and night skies are
breath taking due in part to the lack of any light pollution.

Equally important is our “backyard”

An incredible desert, with something new to see every time you explore.

The number of bird watchers that visit us each year, throughout the year, often staying for months at
a time, share our love for our diverse and plentiful bird populations.

We appreciate having a Riverside County Library, a Riverside County Fire Station, a Post Office,
a large community center with greenways/parks/pool, and an amazing school for our children.
Those who call Lake Tamarisk home include residents ranging in age from newborn to almost 100
years old, residing in a total of approximately 70 homes in addition to 150 homes within Lake
Tamarisk Desert Resort.

We are uniquely close. And as a community, we do everything we can to make sure our children
and our residents are taken care of. A community WiFi service, available to any resident, for half
the price from any other provider. Fundraisers for the purchase of gifts for all the 70 +/- children,
at Christmas. We offer scholarships for graduating children for their continued education. We
have Easter Egg Hunts/ BBQs for the community. Our local Lion’s group sponsors Freedom
Poster events, Ice Cream Socials and monthly breakfasts for the community.

We are concerned about the health and wellbeing of our citizens (children through seniors) and
even our pets and our wildlife. We offer to pick up groceries, medications, or other necessities,
for our neighbors, whenever we go into town. We often drive others into town for their medical
appointments, even if we ourselves have no reason to be going into town.

Our school children are part of the Desert Center Unified School District and attend a well
maintained and well-funded local school, with a student/teacher ratio of about 8 to 1. As a
community we take the time to attend their functions, like Christmas Programs, Graduations,
Science Fairs, Poster Contests, FHA fund raisers, Etc.

The list of things we do as a community and for each other, is almost endless. We believe we are a
unique community, living in an equally unique environment.

There is virtually no other land within the Focus Area for Renewable Energy Development, west of
Hwy 177, other than designated areas for The Easley Solar Farm Project (owned by Intersect
Power) and the Sapphire Solar Farm Project (owned ty Next Era). These two potential solar projects
would be literally on top of our homes and community and would only produce about 500 megawatts
each of electricity. It doesn’t make sense to completely destroy the quality of life and the desert
around us, for as far as the eye can see, when there is 20 times as much land available for Solar
Farm development east of Hwy 177.

All future solar farms, including Easley and Sapphire need to be located east of Hwy 177 on the
acres still available, MILES from existing communities.