With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
Settlement Finally Reached In Devil's Gate Dam "Big Dig" Lawsuit
A tractor prepares to haul away a freshly-cut eucalyptus tree from the sediment-choked Devil's Gate Dam reservoir on Nov. 28, 2018. (Sharon McNary/LAist)
()
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
Devil's Gate Dam keeps the rain that falls on parts of the San Gabriel Mountains from flooding downstream communities along the Arroyo Seco channel, from Pasadena to the Los Angeles River.
Heavy rains that followed the 2009 Station Fire washed more than a million cubic yards of ash and debris from the burned watershed into the reservoir above the dam. All that sediment reduced the capacity of the dam to hold back floodwater, so it needed to come out.
But in 2014, environmentalists with the Audubon Society and the Arroyo Seco Foundation sued over the scope of the plan. They said its footprint was so big it would strip out too much of the forest-like growth, birds and other wildlife that had come to occupy the acreage behind the dam, and that trucks coming in and out all day with sediment loads would be a major disturbance.
Support for LAist comes from
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to approve asettlement on Tuesday that pays the two groups' legal costs, totaling $333,000, and requires them to dismiss the legal actions and not challenge the sediment removal project any further.
DON'T MISS ANY L.A. CORONAVIRUS NEWS
Get our daily newsletters for the latest on COVID-19 and other top local headlines.
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Devil's Gate Dam as it appeared in 2015 following a rainstorm. (Sharon McNary/KPCC)
()
WHAT WAS GAINED BY THE LAWSUIT?
Support for LAist comes from
The main benefit is that a smaller footprint of land was cleared. A 14-acre tract of trees and plants that would have been taken down has been left intact. Less dirt will be removed as well. The original plan called for taking out 2.4 million cubic yards of soil, and that was cut back to 1.7 million cubic yards.
Once that dirt is removed, the county agrees to remove no more than 220,000 cubic yards of new sediment per year, and to keep the dirt-hauling truck traffic to no more than 300 trips per day.
The Arroyo Seco Foundation and Pasadena Audubon Society got the county to agree to leave parts of the basin below the dam in a more natural state. So rather than earthmovers coming and scraping the area bare at regular intervals, that kind of work will be done less frequently. The agreement also calls on the county Flood Control District to release less water downstream, so that some pooling of water can build up behind the dam to support wildlife in the area.
The organizations pushed for the county's work to be done with the cleanest trucks available.
The settlement requires the county and its habitat restoration contractor to buy native plants and seeds from the Arroyo Seco Foundation. That's a deal that should be good for at least $10,000 a year and possibly as much as $48,000. Also, the county will pay up to $50,000 for the Audubon Society to build three bird blinds, which are shelters that enable people to watch birds in their habitats but without disturbing them.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol. -
Kevin Lee's Tokyo Noir has become one of the top spots for craft-inspired cocktails. -
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight. -
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent.
Best of LAist