Public meetings are being held this week to determine the fate of the Devil’s Gate Dam in Hahamungna Watershed Park. The County Board of Supervisors will be deciding on a new plan to remove part of the natural ecosystem that developed in the watershed after the 2008 Station Fire and return it back into a dam.
The fire scorched the landscape and destroyed the brush that kept materials out of the watershed. Over the next few years, it turned into a natural habitat that is now enjoyed by wildlife and local walkers and joggers.
But the County is tasked with finding a way to bring the watershed back to its original purpose - as a dam to prevent the underlying communities from flooding. Local environmentalists don’t want to see tons of sediment trucked out of the basin.
How can the county balance the safety needs with concerns for the environment? Should it find another way to prevent flooding in the underlying communities?
Guests:
Mark Pestrella, assistant director of LA County Department of Public Works
Edel Vizcarra, planning and land use deputy for Supervisor Michael Antonovich’s office.
Tim Brick, managing director of the Arroyo Seco Foundation
Below are a list of upcoming public meetings:
Thursday, November 14, 2013
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Jackson Elementary School Auditorium
593 West Woodbury Road
Altadena, CA 91001
(Park in lot in rear or on North Spaulding Place))
Saturday, November 16, 2013
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Community Center
La Cañada Flintridge
4469 Chevy Chase Drive
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
(Park in Community Center/Pre-School Lot)
Comment Period Closes - January 6, 2014