Dry Winter May Mean No Beloved Superbloom, and Locals Aren't Hating it
“That kind of attention — even though it’s probably the most beautiful thing in Southern California — has an overwhelming impact on the local community,” the mayor of Lake Elsinore said.
By Associated Press ••
AP Photo/Gregory Bull
FILE – In this March 18, 2019 file photo people walk among wildflowers in bloom in Lake Elsinore, Calif. Southern California’s dry winter isn’t good for wildflowers and that’s OK with officials in the city of Lake Elsinore where last spring’s “superbloom” of poppies drew huge crowds. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull,File)
Southern California’s dry winter isn’t good for wildflowers and that’s OK with officials in the city of Lake Elsinore where last spring’s “superbloom” of poppies drew huge crowds.
Riverside County parks official Dustin McLain said the chances of a superbloom in Walker Canyon this year are small because January was dry and February has started off the same way, The Press-Enterprise reported Friday.
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Rising from the ashes, lupines bloom in the Woolsey Fire burn area on Kanan Road in the Malibu area.
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California poppies in Lancaster.
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The NBC4 news team reports from the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve on March 26, 2019 with a beautiful sunrise as a backdrop.
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California poppies are pictured in this undated photo.
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The Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve springs with color.
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Poppies are pictured in March 2019.
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Wildflower Captures Enjoying the Wildflowers with the rays of sun
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California poppies in Lancaster.
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Only die-hard photographers are seen shooting the super bloom March 21, 2019.
Denise Adamo
Only die-hard photographers are seen shooting the super bloom March 21, 2019.
Flowers are pictured in Lake Elsinore.
Flowers are pictured in Lake Elsinore.
[EXTERNAL] Lake Elsinore and Anza-Borrego 3.20.19 Debi Deal Debi Deal1
Wildflowers at Lake Elsinore.
Wildflowers on a hillside in Lake Elsinore.
Wildflowers on a hillside in Lake Elsinore.
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A view of the burst of wildflowers in Lake Elsinore.
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A view of wildflowers Sunday March 17, 2019 in Malibu.
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A view of wildflowers in Corona near the 15 Freeway.
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A poppy covered hillside near the 15 Freeway.
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It's not just about the poppies in Lake Elsinore, where several varieties of wildflowers are blooming.
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[EXTERNAL] The poppies at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve 3/16/19 Edd Holman
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Golden Poppy Superbloom My daughter at Superbloom today in Lake Elsinore area
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Flowers bloom near a runway at Los Angeles International Airport.
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[EXTERNAL] The poppies at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve 3/16/19 Edd Holman
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[EXTERNAL] The poppies at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve 3/16/19 Edd Holman
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[EXTERNAL] The poppies at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve 3/16/19 Edd Holman
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Spring Wildflowers Walker Canyon Wildflowers Sunset, Lake Elsinore, California
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You're looking at a bright bloom in the Indio area.
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A bright orange hilliside after winter rainfall.
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In this Wednesday, March 6, 2019, photo, people walk among wildflowers in bloom near Borrego Springs.
AP
In this Wednesday, March 6, 2019, photo, a man looks on amid wildflowers in bloom near Borrego Springs.
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A view of the poppy fields near Lake Elsinore, just east of the 15 Freeway.
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The poppy fields northeast of Lake Elsinore.
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A puppy among the poppies in the Lake Elsinore area.
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Poppies in bloom in Lake Elsinore.
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A California wildflower display on the north side of the 15 Freeway near Lake Elsinore.
Lake Elsinore Mayor Brian Tisdale is hoping the big bloom doesn’t occur.
“That kind of attention — even though it’s probably the most beautiful thing in Southern California — has an overwhelming impact on the local community,” he told the newspaper.
Last March, after a very wet winter, throngs of people flocked to Walker Canyon. Interstate 15 was jammed for miles in both directions and streets of the small city were gridlocked.
At one point, the city closed the canyon and then barred cars from the area, requiring visitors to pay for shuttle rides to the floral extravaganza.
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John Trenary, a local resident, told the newspaper he dreads the possibility of another superbloom.
“With all the crowds that come, it plugs all of the city streets. It plugs the exits off the freeway,” Trenary said. “And the freeway’s plugged up, too.”
