Tag Archive for: rehab project

Volunteers of the Odor Monitoring Committee met with the Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation Team (CD13, Public Affairs Office, Department of Public Works, etc.) last Wednesday, September 7 to discuss the draining of the lake what to expect in the near future.

According to the meeting minutes, the rehab project is on schedule, with the lake draining to be complete in a couple of weeks. Here’s where we are at the project:

  • 89 Red Haired Slider turtles were removed and are on their way to the California Tortoise Club and their Tortoise and Turtle Adoption Program
  • 300 fish have been captured and relocated
  • Paving on the pathways have been removed
  • New storm pipes will be installed at the east side of the lake in a couple of weeks

The first Odor Monitoring Committee reported a slight smell of fish, but no dead fish were found so far and they will continue to monitor.

As mentioned in our last Echo Park Lake article, construction workers will be keeping track of what they find in Echo Park Lake as they drain it – from shopping carts to other treasures, we’re hoping there are some interesting items and not any dead bodies or anything in the muck.

If you catch unusual odors from the lake draining, please go to www.EchoParkLake.org/odorreportingprocedure.pdf, call (213) 978-0317, or email bpw.pao@lacity.

The next Odor Monitoring Committee meeting is scheduled for October.

Click here for the meeting minutes, which includes a question and answer section from the committee members.

Ever since we learned of the Echo Park Lake rehab project, we’ve been thinking: What in the heck are they going to find in the bottom of the lake?

The contractors will be keeping track of everything found in the lake, and hopefully at the next Odor Monitoring Group meeting we’ll learn what’s been found so far. And we’re optimistic they won’t find any (ahem) bodies… but certainly some illegal items made their way into the murky depths.

So now we are taking bets: How many shopping carts? Knives? Jewelry? Sunken boats? Tell us what you think!

In the meantime, here’s the latest from the EchoParkLake.org website:

Read more

The Department of Public Works just announced the launch of a new website, www.echoparklake.org, specifically for the upcoming Echo Park Lake rehabilitation project, scheduled to start later this summer. There’s a photo gallery (before and after shots), updated news, and contact information as well as resource links. The website purpose will hopefully serve the community by updating everyone on the project before, during and after. According to the website:

The City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works project team is committed to keeping the community updated on the latest information about the Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation project. We encourage you to bookmark this page, and tell your neighbors about it! It’s the easiest way to know what’s going on with the City’s plans to improve and beautify the lake. You can also submit your questions about the lake improvements to the project team at bpw.pao@lacity.org. We will do our best to respond to you as soon as possible.

The week after the Lotus Festival (July 9-10, 2011), the 18-24 month construction will begin. There wasn’t a whole lot of specific information being circulated about the final project details, but we knew a few Echo Park residents/Echo Park Improvement Association members (Echo Park Now is also a member) had been meeting with the Bureau of Engineering project managers and CD13 reps to hammer out those final details. The EPIA’s June-July 2011 newsletter, EPIAn Ways, actually just published a nice, comprehensive article about the rehabilitation project. Here’s an excerpt from that article with details about the project:

Read more

We are just a few short months away from the start of the Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation project, and just a few days away from the end of the comments period for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). Not sure what’s going on with the DEIR or the rehab project as a whole? There is a meeting this weekend you can attend to help you learn more about the 86 million dollar project and what to expect when they gate up the whole lake come January 2011.

Echo Park Lake Project discussion with Michael Jacob Rochlin

Saturday, August 21 , 2010 at 2:00 pm

Edendale Branch Library Community Room located at 2011 W Sunset Blvd.
Call 323-661-2703 for more information.

What role does the lake play in our city’s water system? What will happen if it is fenced off for two years or longer? How will the money be spent and how does this project relate to previous city water projects?

There’s also a public hearing on the DEIR for the proposed Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation Project. Learn about the proposal and submit your written comments about the DEIR (the deadline for your comments is Monday, August 30).

DEIR Public Hearing

Monday, August 23, 2010 from 6:00-8:00 pm

St. Paul Cathedral Center, Grand Hall, located at 840 N. Echo Park Avenue
Click here for the flyer (which also contains a Spanish-language page) so you can distribute info in your neighborhood.

See you there!

A  meeting on the Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation Project has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 4 at 6:30 pm at Barlow Hospital.

Pollution and much-needed updates to the filtration systems are behind the Prop O funded rehab project, which is scheduled for next year – the lake will be gated up in January 2011 in preparation for the construction, and in April construction will be at full speed ahead.  They will drain the 13 acre lake and haul out approximately 50,000 cubic feet of soil from the bottom, replace the lake liner, rebuild the wetlands, and replant other vegetation (including the lotus bed). They filtration systems will also be updated, as the lake does collect water runoff from the city, and will help reduce the amount of city water used to keep the lake levels high.

Wildlife activists and bird lovers have been concerned with the state of the migratory birds once the lake is drained. It seems a compromise has now been reached, and the engineers will include four temporary pools for migratory birds.

A draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was recently released, but is not yet available online. You can click here for the initial study on the City’s website. Hard copies of the draft EIR are currently available at the following locations:

  • Echo Park Branch Library, 410 West Temple Street (available in the reference section)
  • Edendale Branch Library, 2011 West Sunset Boulevard
  • Office of Council President Eric Garcetti, Hollywood District Office, 5500 Hollywood Boulevard
  • Office of Council President Eric Garcetti, Glassell Park District Office, 3750 Verdugo Road

We will also post a downloadable version as soon as it’s available.

The public is welcome to review the draft EIR and send comments by August 30 at 5:00 pm. Send comments to:

Via mail:
City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Bureau of Engineering, Environmental Management Group
Attn: Maria Martin
1149 S. Broadway, Suite 600, Mail Stop 939, Los Angeles, CA 90015-2213

Via fax to (213) 847-0656, Attn. Maria Martin

Via email to Maria.Martin@lacity.org

For more information about the upcoming event, feel free to contact Olga Morales at 213-485-5933, or email at Olga.Morales@lacity.org

Related articles:

  • “Cleaning up Echo Park Lake is going to be a big mess for residents,” September 14, 2009. The Eastsider LA
  • “City engineers make room for bird baths during Echo Park Lake rehab project,” July 15, 2010. The Eastsider LA