The deadline to submit comments regarding the recirculated portion of L.A. County’s Devil’s Gate Sediment Removal and Management Project plan was extended until Monday, Sept. 18.
Written comments — including “Devil’s Gate Reservoir Sediment Removal and Management Project” in the subject line — mailed, emailed (reservoircleanouts@dpw.lacounty.gov) or faxed (626-979-8436) to L.A. County Public Works by the deadline will be included in the official Response to Comments Log that will be attached to the Recirculated Portions of the Final EIR.
The project seeks to remove 2.4 million cubic yards of sediment from the reservoir in an attempt to maintain adequate downstream flood protection. The plan is opposed by the Arroyo Seco Foundation and the Pasadena Audubon Society, which jointly filed a petition in court in 2014 challenging the Final Environmental Impact Report.
This April, L.A. Superior Court Judge James Chalfant halted the project temporarily and ruled that the Department of Public Works needed to modify the EIR before it could move forward. The judge asked the Flood Control District to provide evidence to support a 1-1 mitigation ratio in regard to biological resource impacts and that it find ways to reduce cumulative impacts.
The judge also required contractors to use only trucks that meet the EPA’s emissions standards for Model Year 2010 or later as they make as many as 400 daily trips along segments of Oak Grove and Berkshire drives while the project is underway.
Until construction begins, Public Works will continue to implement interim measures to reduce the potential impact of debris on flood control operations during the upcoming storm seasons.
This year, work on the interim measures will begin as early as Friday, Sept. 15, and is expected to be completed within four weeks.
Riding and hiking paths within the reservoir will remain open, except for brief closures to move equipment and materials along the roadway.
Public Works will remove approximately 4,000 cubic yards of sediment. The city of Pasadena is allowing sediment to again be temporarily placed at Johnson Field. Green waste, such as dead tree branches and other vegetative matter, will also be removed from the work area immediately in front of the dam. The green waste will be hauled to Scholl Canyon Landfill at a rate of no more than 10 trucks per day to avoid impacts to the neighborhood along the haul route on Windsor Avenue.
Public Works has obtained all the necessary permits and has received clearance from our biologist, who will be onsite during the interim measures to oversee work activities. No live trees will be removed during this operation.
For updates on the status of these projects, visit LASedimentManagement.com/DevilsGate or contact Steve Sheridan of Public Works’ Flood Maintenance Division at (626) 445-7630.
L.A. County Public Works’ mailing address is: County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Water Resources Division, Attn: Reservoir Cleanouts Program, P.O. Box 1460, Alhambra, CA 91802-1460.
Deadline Extended on Devil’s Gate Sediment Removal Comments
