HISTORY
Following the discovery of hot mineral water on this site in 1938 by workers building the Coachella Canal, and after increasing public interest in using that water for therapy and enjoyment, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the County of Imperial agreed on a proposal entitled “Recreation Development Proposal for Section 2, Hot Mineral Springs” dated November 1959. The land grants from BLM to the County of Imperial and the lease to our management were founded on implementing that proposal as discussed on page 6 of the 1973 lease. Over the years the resulting park has been known as “The Old Spa”, “Imperial Sea View Spa”, “Imperial Hot Mineral Spa” and “Imperial Spa” and since July 2007 goes by the name of “Glamis North KOA”. Additional historical information may be found in the book "What Ever Happened to the Chocolate Mountain Gang" by Marian Seddon and © 1989 by Mike Stanley.

PHOTOS
A 9-minute video of how Imperial Spa looked in 2006 may be viewed at YouTube Video
A page of current still photos of Glamis North KOA may be seen at Glamis North KOA Photos

INFORMATION
The information herein is believed to be correct as read from original documents in my files or discussed with the authorities mentioned below. My thanks to the BLM and the County of Imperial for graciously providing me copies of the land patents and park lease. I am not a lawyer and am not offering legal counsel here. This information is offered as a summary and guidebook for those wishing to dig deeper.

A1. Imperial Spa sits on about 522 acres of BLM land which has been granted to the County of Imperial for recreational use. The County of Imperial has leased the land to Cal and Roslyn Loewen to operate and maintain an RV park for their profit. The Loewens have renamed the park "Glamis North KOA". The street address is 10595 Hot Mineral Spa Road, Niland, CA 92257.

A2. Land Patent 1232170 issued 7 June 1963 and amended by Land Patent 04-66-0040 on 27 September 1965 covers 71.28 acres on which most of the present developed area of the park is located.

A3. Land Patent 04-65-0099 issued 24 February 1965 adds an additional 450.62 acres of land.

A4. The Land Patents listed above have strings attached. The land may not be sold. The land may not be mined. The land must be used for recreational purposes, and the rents charged must be "reasonable" and are subject to review by the BLM. In extreme circumstances the land could be taken back by the BLM.

B1. The County of Imperial Assessor's Office shows this land as county land that is non-taxable for property taxes.

B2. On 3 April 1973 the County of Imperial issued a 50-year lease to Charles Forkner to manage the park according to the included Master Plan. The lease includes an automatic 49-year extension to the year 2072. [Original lease, section 1, page 2]

B3. On 13 August 1996 the lease was amended and issued to the Forkner Living Trust to manage the park according to a revised Master Plan.

B4. On 3 July 2007 the lease was amended and issued to Cal and Roslyn Loewen to manage the park according to a new Master Plan.

C1. Except for county building permits, neither the County of Imperial nor the BLM is exercising any "active" oversight of the park. There are no periodic reviews established in the documentation.

C2. The lease specifies that five percent of all space rent collected and two percent of all store and restaurant sales collected shall be paid to the County of Imperial as their monthly payment for leasing out the park. [Original lease, section 13, pages 10 - 11]

C3. The lease specifies that the lessee shall submit for approval a complete schedule of rents for goods, services, and rentals. Rentals charged for using this land must be "reasonable" and are subject to approvals by both the BLM and the County of Imperial. Rates and prices must be posted in at least two conspicuous places for all to see. "Such schedule may be amended from time to time provided prior approval of such changes are given by the County and the Bureau of Land Management." [Original lease, section 12, pages 9 - 10]

C4. "Lessee does hereby agree to comply with all county, state, and federal rules, regulations, and laws..." [Original lease, section 11, page 9]

C5. Lessee is required to establish rules and regulations for use of the park. Upon approval by the county these regulations are required to be conspicuously posted for all to read. [Original lease, section 11, page 9]

D1. The Imperial County Sheriff is responsible for handling all Criminal Code violations in the park. The sheriff does not handle violations of the Civil Code.

D2. The California Highway Patrol handles all Vehicle Code violations in the county. Their El Centro office informed me that they treat park property as PRIVATE PROPERTY meaning they will NOT cite for licenses, speeding, helmets, seatbelts, and other such issues ON PARK PROPERTY.

D3. A search engine for all the California Codes (Civil, Criminal, Vehicle, etc.) is available at CA Codes Search. Click on the code you want to get the whole code, or click on the code and enter the section number or subject into the "keyword" box and click on "search".

E1. The California Mobilehome Residency Law (MRL) and the California Recreational Vehicle Park Occupancy Law (RVL) issued by the California Department of Housing and Urban Development in Sacramento is the civil law governing this park. It is codified in the California Civil Code, sections 798 and 799.

E2. For authoritative interpretation of the MRL consult your attorney, or call the Ombudsman Office in Sacramento at 1-800-952-5275, or visit their website at Ombudsman Website. They will explain the MRL but they do not enforce the MRL.

E3. A PDF copy of the 2010 Mobilehome Residency Law (MRL) and the Recreational Vehicle Park Occupancy Law (RVL) is available at 2010 MRL.

E4. The California Department of Housing and Urban Development lists the ownership of mobilehome and RV parks at Park Ownership. This listing is based on information provided by the various counties to the state, and shows Imperial Hot Mineral Spa is still owned by the Forkner Living Trust. Glamis North KOA is not listed.

F1. Imperial Spa has been renamed "Glamis North KOA" and information provided by management about the park can be found at the following websites. The park is currently being renovated. Some of the information on these websites is forward looking and may not represent current conditions in the park.
Glamis Sand Dunes Campground although the park is some 40 miles northwest of the Glamis Dunes, or
Glamis ATV which redirects you to
Glamis North KOA,currently the primary website of the park.
Another website, Ocotillo Wells Campground falsely claims the park is "aka the Ocotillo Wells Campground". Click on The REAL Ocotillo Wells Campground Website.

F2. Kampgrounds of America (KOA) also has pages on its website for each of their campgrounds. The page for Glamis North KOA gives a map and contact information and some campground information, and says the park will be "Closed All Summer". KOA also gives a sitemap at Sitemap.

G1. In mid-January 2008 the 100-space mobilehome section was occupied by 17 doublewide mobilehomes, 15 singlewide mobilehomes, 13 "Park Models", 21 Fifth Wheel Trailers, 28 Travel Trailers, and 5 Motorhomes.

In mid-January 2010 the 100-space mobilehome section was occupied by 17 doublewide mobilehomes, 13 singlewide mobilehomes, 8 "Park Models", 13 Fifth Wheel Trailers, 9 Travel Trailers, 8 KOA Kabins and 3 Motorhomes.

G2. In mid-January 2010 there were approximately 100 sites in the KOA RV section. Occupancy of these sites varies daily.