The Yucaipa valley is bounded by the San Bernardino National Forest to the north and east, low lying hills to the south, and the Crafton Hills to the northwest. The valley opens to the west into a canyon leading to the City of Redlands. The hills in the south provide for two unique naturally channeled drainage courses, which are referred to as Live Oak Canyon and San Timoteo Canyon.
The foothills which surround the valley range in elevation from about 2,200 feet in the south to over 8,400 feet at Oak Glen Peak in the north. The valley floor gently slopes from 2,000 feet at the beginning of Live Oak Canyon, to 3,800 feet at the highest portion of the northern bench.
Milestones (Formation of the Water District)
In the 1800's, the Yucaipa valley was part of a Spanish land grant called the Yucaipa - Redlands Land and Water Ranchero. Small clusters of development grew and over the years, various water companies formed to serve the developing area. Most of the companies took their water from mountain runoff.
Agriculture was the main industry, and the water was used for groves of oranges, lemons, and other crops still in evidence today. As people continued to come, the need for water increased, and the many small water companies began drilling wells. But the systems designed to serve agriculture were not equal to the task and the people needed the financial power and unified expertise of an integrated water agency.
In 1971, voters agreed to form the Yucaipa Valley County Water District. The old companies together became part of the new District. Ever since this time the District continued to grow. In 1973, Yucaipa Valley County Water District acquired the Triple Falls Water Company. On January 1, 1985, Yucaipa Valley County Water District dropped the 'County' designation from its name and was then called the Yucaipa Valley Water District ("YVWD"). The District's service area continued to grow with the acquisition of the Harry V. Slack Water Company in 1987, and the Wildwood Canyon Mutual Water Company in 1992.