Lake Arrowhead has a shoreline erosion problem. It explains why there is so much silt in the water, all the eroded small particles are suspected in the water, and get deposited in coves where there is less water movement.
Property owners along the shorefront should understand that their property boundary at the lake edge is defined by the 'usual high water mark'. That means that as the water edge gets eroded that land ownership is lost. It becomes part of the lake is is thus owned by the state.
The issue is usually hidden by the water, but you can see the problem in two ways:
1. When the water level is low enough
In May 2013 the water level was low during some dam repair work. It was possible to walk along the shoreline where there is usually water. In areas facing the boating channels two things were clearly evident:
- Most of the sand has gone, leaving only stones behind.
- Up to 6 feet of ground underneath the 'shoreline' is hollow.
Here are some photographs from May 19, 2013
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2. Large trees along the edge fall over, usually towards the water
When the edge of the land get hollowed out, eventually the tree roots can no longer hold the trees up and they fall towards the water. Sometimes a wind from the lake side blows the unsupported tree inland. You can see many of these trees around the lake.
What is the cause of the erosion?
Boat wake. Not flowing water, not wind, not animals, aliens or magic. Boat wake produces crashing waves along the shoreline. The energy from the waves erodes the soil particles and removes them. The next wave removes the next particles and so on.