Devil's Gate Reservoir Sediment Removal and Management Project Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
http://dpw.lacounty.gov/lacfcd/sediment/prj.aspx?prj=1
The public commenting and scoping period for the Initial Study has ended. LACFCD now begins work on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) and incorporating the comments received during the scoping period into the document. Read the Devil's Gate Scoping Summary prepared by LADPW.

The project could remove as much as 4 million cubic yards from the Hahamongna basin.

Devils Gate Dam - Jan 2012 See more photos of Hahamongna Watershed

Urbanwild's comments pertaining to the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to assess the impacts associated with removing sediment from Devil’s Gate Reservoir: EIR_letter.pdf

What will be the environmental effects of removing 4 million cubic yards of sediment from behind the Devil's Gate Dam? Below are some of Urbanwild’s concerns related to the major elements or considerations that were required to be addressed during the scoping process in October 2011:

Biological resources

• Willows and other trees will be destroyed.
• Wildlife habitat will be destroyed or disrupted. Will sensitive species be impacted? Will wildlife corridors be disturbed? Wetlands will certainly be destroyed.
• Does the project conflict with the Pasadena Tree Protection Ordinance or other statutes?
• Are there cumulative impacts? Since the project will require repeated clean-outs, does the long-term effect of repeated clean-outs on the environment have to be studied now? Is there an alternative which will not require repeated extensive damage to the environment?
• Air quality impacts from the dust particles in the air, machinery, trucks (if trucks are used for sediment transport)
• The greater LA basin already does not meet air quality standards and this project would worsen air quality. Additionally there are 7 or 8 schools in the immediate vicinity. How much dirt would go into the air and what kind of dirt (size of the particles, etc)? Over which areas would it be expected to blow? What might the health effects be of this additional air pollution? What sediment removal alternatives might lessen the air quality impacts of this project?
• Hazards and hazardous materials – are there materials in the sediment, perhaps because of the Station Fire, which are toxic and would get into the air or the water (if the sediment is sluiced)

Transportation/Traffic

• Clearly if the sediment is moved by truck, it will have a huge impact upon neighboring streets as well as the freeway. How many trucks will be on the streets and freeways? At what times and for how many months/years? What measures will be taken to insure safety and free movement of traffic? How much damage to the infrastructure will be caused?
• Are there other projects affecting traffic and air quality, the effects of which must be studied at the same time so that the cumulative effect can be determined - such as other construction projects in Pasadena and neighboring cities?
• Will there be permanent roads built in Hahamongna? Will these be paved?
• Noise generated by work in the Hahamongna basin can be heard clearly by nearby residents. How will this be mitigated?
• Recreation The Perimeter Trail in Hahamongna crosses over the dam so sediment removal from either the southeast or the southwest corner of the park will disrupt this heavily used trail. In more general terms, years of construction activity will disrupt the passive recreation activities in the park such as bird watching.
• Aesthetics While the construction work is going on, the scenic vista looking north from the dam toward the mountains will be marred. How will sediment removal in the future be managed so as to have minimum impact upon the park?
• These are just some of the impacts which a project of this magnitude will have. You can no doubt think of many more.

Alternatives

• According to the definition above, scoping is the time to consider alternatives which can then be studied during the environmental impact process. One alternative might be one which clears sediment from behind the dam while removing as few trees as possible and would require only a minimum of vegetation removal in future clean-outs. At the County’s task force meetings, many alternatives have been proposed. For any of these to be studied during the EIR process, they should be raised at the scoping meetings.
• Another important, related issue to be raised is that DPW must begin a long-term study of sediment management rather than continuing with short-term remedies that require costly sediment removal programs year-after-year.

Scope of the County’s project as it relates to other projects in Hahamongna

• Pasadena’s Hahamongna Basin Multi-use Project is a different funded project which includes a sediment moving component of at least 250,000 cubic yards to create new land, some of which will be used to build new sports fields. This project would, in addition, require the removal of trees and other vegetation. It is quite likely that the sediment Pasadena will use to build up the new land will come from the County’s sediment removal project. There are other water projects proposed in Hahamongna which are also related to the County’s sediment removal project in one way or another. CEQA requires that cumulative impacts be addressed so this is an issue which should be discussed at the scoping meetings as well.
• Hahamongna is a very special place which is well worth all our efforts. Urbanwild invites your participation in the environmental review process for the County’s sediment removal project as well as the upcoming projects of the City of Pasadena, all of which will shape the park for decades to come.

Mary Barrie for Urbanwild

ANTONOVICH CALLS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT ON DEVIL’S GATE DAM SEDIMENT REMOVAL PROJECT

LOS ANGELES COUNTY – A motion by Los Angeles County Mayor Michael D. Antonovich directs the Department of Public Works to conduct an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the proposed project to remove over 1.5 million cubic yards of sediment from the Devil's Gate Dam and Reservoir area in Pasadena.

“With a significant impact on the environment and the community, this project merits careful environmental analysis,” said Antonovich.

The motion also requires the Department to report back to the Board in 30 days with a plan to remove sediment along the face of the dam while the EIR is conducted on the entire site.

See article in Arcadia.Patch:
Antonovich Calls for Environmental Impact Report for Hahamongna Sediment Removal Plan

Past Articles on Devil's Gate Dam:

Temporary 'toadal' ban on dumping debris
at Johnson Field
By Janette Williams, Pasadena Star News
July 18, 2011

Pasadena halts Devil's Gate Dam dirt removal to save toads
By Joe Piasecki, Los Angeles Times
July 17, 2011

Hahamongna On-Site Storage Unlikely for Dam Clean-out
By Dan Abendschein, AltadenaPatch Editor

"Messing with Pasadena's Devil's Gate"
LA Times ediorial

"On the horns of Devil's Gate Dam dilemma"
LA Times article

Read AltadenaPatch article on Hahamongna Walkabout event. View photos of event by Debbi Swanson.