An unexpected benefit of the California drought? State-wide record low water levels have revealed over 200 waste tires sitting at the bottom of Lake Elsinore. Tires range in size from car and light truck tires, to giant tractor tires–some are over 8 feet tall and 3 feet wide! The City of Lake Elsinore plans to remove all the tires from the lake while the water levels are low–something they couldn’t have done a few years ago. No one knows how the tires ended up in the lake; they could have been dumped or left behind after a construction project. The City will remove all 200 tires via crane and recycle them.

The City of Lake Elsinore, in conjunction with Canyon Lake and Wildomar, has been hosting used tire recycling events for residents all year, and has several more scheduled for 2015. Scrap tires like these can be recycled into many other products, including rubberized asphalt, playground flooring, and exercise mats. They can also be turned into Tire-Derived Aggregate (TDA) used in construction projects. See a video about TDA here.

  

Although the California drought is a very serious issue, it’s good to know that at least some benefit has come from low water levels in Lake Elsinore. There will soon be 200 fewer waste tires and more recycled rubber for the local community.