During its existence, a number of attempts have been made to gain access to the lake for various purposes, but none have been granted. One of the most interesting was a 1952 request for a movie shoot at the lake. The scene from the 1953 movie Fair Wind to Java would have featured, among other things, a smoke-belching volcano constructed on one of the lake's islands. After their idea was rejected by the MWD Board, the movie's producers reportedly constructed a lagoon and volcano on a studio backlot.