Silver Lake Reservoir Will Be Emptied Out For a Year

Just when Echo Park Lake is finally getting its water back, it's officially a go on draining the Silver Lake Reservoir. The LADWP has made its decision to empty the reservoir rather than tear up part of West Silver Lake Boulevard for its Lower Reach River Supply Conduit Project (which replaces the reservoir with a new one north of Griffith Park that meets federal standards for drinking water). The Los Feliz Ledger reports that work is set to start in late 2014 or early 2015 and last for a year and a half. The reservoir will be empty for a year while a new pipe is put down to lead to the replacement reservoir. Apparently the deciding factor was not the local NIMBY crowd, but some old sycamore trees that would've been dug up for the Silver Lake Boulevard plan. In fact, NIMBYs are getting it two ways here--there were still be four to five months of work on 1,500 feet of West Silver Lake (during which "the jogging path will be diverted through the reservoir")--and indeed, the Ledger hears from plenty of people concerned about the dust and the noise and the traffic. On the plus side, the LADWP promises work "won't interfere" with the dog park or Meadow.
· Reservoir To Be Drained For Construction [Los Feliz Ledger]
· Will Silver Lake Reservoir Drain Be Home Sales Apocalypse? [Curbed LA]