SPRING 2021
N E W S
Aeration Project to Start this Month
You may have noticed that the reservoirs can become a tad ripe during the long hot days of summer, or turn a sickly shade of green. Well, those days are about to be over.
Beginning this month, the LADWP will start a two-phase, nearly two-year project to keep the water fresh and appealing.
Phase one is the installation of the aeration system, which will use air compressors to pump oxygen into the bottom of the reservoirs. The increased air will discourage algae growth and reduce any related odors. It will also aid in the recirculation of the reservoir water.
Phase two is the recirculation system, which will mix and de-stratify both the Silver Lake and Ivanhoe reservoirs. Pumps and pipelines will transfer water from the southern end of the Silver Lake reservoir to the northern end of the Ivanhoe reservoir. The water level in Ivanhoe will be set to allow it to overflow into Silver Lake via the connecting spillway – allowing the waterfall to flow again!
During phase two, the water in Ivanhoe will be drained into the Silver Lake reservoir from about September 2021 through May 2022. Once work is completed, Ivanhoe will be refilled with water from the Silver Lake reservoir through the new recirculation system and supplemented with groundwater from a local well, if needed. Silver Lake reservoir will not be drained.
– Cyndi Hubach
NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ELECTION COMING UP!
Your voice is important! Silver Lake Neighborhood Council stakeholders have until March 30 to request their ballots for the upcoming NC vote-by-mail election. To register, follow the instructions provided here.
Ballots must be submitted by Tuesday, April 6; the deadline to receive postmarked ballots is April 16th. You may also drop your ballot in the Drop Box at the Silver Lake Library, 2411 Glendale Blvd. any time between 9 a.m. April 2nd and 8 p.m. April 6th.
All seats on the Council are open, and a list of candidates is provided here.
Election results will be announced on April 21st!
– Shelley Marks
NITHYA RAMAN
Nithya Raman Supports Silver Lake Master Plan
In November 2020, Silver Lake local Nithya Raman unseated a one-term incumbent to become the new Council District 4 representative on the Los Angeles City Council.
Ms. Raman, one of only three women on the 15-seat Council, brings a relevant resume including a master’s degree in urban planning from MIT, plus executive experience running the non-profit TIME’S UP Entertainment, which “aims to create a society free of gender-based discrimination in the workplace and beyond.”
Ms. Raman has an ambitious agenda for the Council, including ending homelessness in Los Angeles and making City Hall work better for the people. SLRC supports Ms. Raman in making Los Angeles a more livable city, and in particular creating more publicly-accessible open space at the Silver Lake Reservoirs. Ms. Raman supports the new Silver Lake Master Plan, having followed it closely through the development process. “I’ve been encouraged by the deep level of engagement from the community, various city agencies, and the landscape architecture firm Hargreaves Jones, and I believe the final draft is an accurate and inclusive representation of the many needs and desires for this unique space.”
Council support will be crucial to enacting the ambitious proposals in the plan, and Raman is prepared to lead the way. “As a parent to five-year old twins, I’m especially excited by the inclusion of additional space for children to play and engage with nature, including the wetland terraces, four-acre knoll, and Environmental Education Center. I look forward to lending the full support of my office as the plan undergoes an Environment Impact Review, as well as working with both the surrounding community and City Council to ensure this wonderful vision for Silver Lake becomes a reality.”
– Shelley Marks
Silver Lake Master Plan UPDATE
WHAT'S NEXT?
The year-and-a-half long community planning process was the first major step in the development of the Master Plan, but there is still a long way to go. Here’s what’s next:
- In April/May, the Board of Public Works is set to take a vote on the plan, at which time, if approved, the full and final details will be made public.
- The LADWP Board of Commissioners has approved funding for the EIR (Environment Impact Report) to begin. The EIR consultants are being chosen by Hargreaves Jones.
- The EIR will likely be completed by December of next year.
“Mastering The Plan”: A Look inside The Process
The First of a Two-Part Series
Long Ago and Far Away (in 2018), Silver Lake embarked on the journey to develop a Master Plan for the Reservoirs Complex. Hundreds of neighbors and stakeholders, young, old, newly-arrived and nearly “original” to Silver Lake, gathered at the Community Center and at Marshall High School for hours at a time. And there was not a mask in sight!
We energetically and thoughtfully offered our input, opinions, concerns, and preferences for how this city jewel might be transformed for decades to come. And in early 2020 we transitioned to virtual dialogues, surveys and project plan descriptions. The Master Plan project is being overseen by the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering (BOE) which selected Hargreaves Jones as the lead consultant. Principal Meghen Quinn was assigned to spearhead the process of turning our dreams and wishes into an actionable reality.
With that portion of the project complete, it seemed like a great time to look at the process from the designer’s perspective.
SLRC interviewed Meghen and learned a lot about her perspective and her impressions of US!
SLRC: Meghen, Silver Lake is a uniquely wonderful, vocal, and involved community. I’m not sure you’ve encountered a similar group in all your years of designing public spaces and parks. What was the most interesting/fascinating part of the Master Planning Process for the Silver Lake Complex?
Meghen: One of the most interesting parts of the Master Plan process was also the most rewarding. It was that second Community Workshop in August of 2019 when we opened the Reservoir Complex and invited everyone to come inside and experience what it is like to be at the water’s edge. Although folks experience the Complex frequently, it is always outside along the perimeter. I have had the fortune of spending a good deal of time inside the fence during various site visits and it is a completely different experience. Some people teared up, they were so taken by Silver Lake Reservoir’s beauty and scale.
This motivated us to find ways to heighten these experiences, to create special places and moments to soak in the awe of the water and the site, but to also preserve and elevate the walking and jogging circuit enjoyed by so many creating a promenade at the water’s edge.
SLRC: What surprised you?
Meghen: I was most surprised by two things. The first was the tremendous participation by the community in the Master Plan process; the number of people who participated not only in the Community Workshops, but the number of folks who took the time to understand the design options and proposals and complete the questionnaires. We had nearly 3,000 responses to two of our questionnaires. The City told us many times that this level of participation in a project is unprecedented!
The second surprising thing was how much the community agreed upon. We understood going into this project that there might be a great deal of disagreement on what people wanted. However, what we witnessed was a genuine and shared desire to amplify the site’s current resources for urban wildlife but also to create a great park for families and neighbors.
The remainder of our interview will be in the next issue of the SL Flyer. Stay tuned to find out how we compared to other projects, what she considered the greatest success of the process and if there were any lessons learned.
– Leslie Edmonds
HISTORY MATTERS
SILVER LAKE MEADOW 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY!
It’s hard to imagine now, but for 60 years, our sunny kid, kite and picnic-friendly meadow on the east side of the reservoir was a fenced off wasteland awash in tree stumps, tangled vines, and mystery.
Its transformation was part of Silver Lake’s first Master Plan, initially approved back in 2000. Longtime residents won’t be surprised to learn that negotiations over the meadow project were fraught with controversy, with proponents citing much-needed green space and rising property values, while critics worried over increased crime, traffic, and soccer-playing – and concern for local wildlife.
Council members Eric Garcetti and our beloved Tom LaBonge helped spearhead the project and smooth over community differences, finally presiding over the opening ceremony on April 2nd, 2011.
The hard-fought compromise resulted in what you see today: 2.5 acres of “passive space,” where dogs and sports are not allowed (but sunning, yoga, and the occasional frisbee certainly are), ample walking and jogging paths, and a nearby protected wildlife area.
The meadow may be in for another makeover. The newly conceived Master Plan calls for shoreside terraces, meandering walkways, and increased habitat for local and migratory wildlife.
– Cyndi Hubach
THE WILD LIFE
DUCKLING SEASON
There are few sights more endearing than a trail of tiny ducklings toddling after their mother in fluff-ball single file. Their first journey, just 12 hours after cracking out of their shells, is from nest to pond, and that epic hop-of-faith into their new aquatic home.
But as longtime residents of Silver Lake know, for local ducklings that first journey can be fraught with danger: crossing busy streets, being trapped in backyards, or ending, at best, at the edge of a concrete bank with a 15-foot near-vertical drop. So how can we help our web-footed friends avoid our particular urban perils?
Isabel Luevano of the International Bird Rescue offers two strategies. First, because the reservoir is so unsuited to young duck families, trying to discourage them from nesting in the first place may be the best course of action. And second, be prepared to support and possibly rescue them.
Mallard nesting season can go from about February through late July. If you spot a nest in your yard with no eggs, you may safely rake it apart and hope they’ll get the message. “Some will be very determined and keep going to new corners,” Luevano says. “You have to be vigilant.” Once the eggs are laid though, you’re stuck. Mallards are a protected species and it’s illegal to disturb their eggs (though it can be done by Fish and Wildlife).
If you have an active nest, keep it protected from dogs, cats, and kids, and in about four weeks, you’ll have a clutch of adorable ducklings. Luevano advises letting the ducks find their way, despite the dangers. Keep your distance, stop traffic if necessary, and hope for the best. However, if you find a family with nowhere safe to go, removing the ducklings may be the only option. Collect them in a deep, lidded box, preferably lined with a towel (not newspaper), and handle them as little as possible. “You can also try for the mother,” Luevano says, “she will protect them as much as she can but if it is too dangerous, she will leave.”
On the bright side, there is better hope for future generations of Silver Lake mallards. The new Master Plan includes extensive improvements for wild bird habitat -- including nesting sites -- that will make it safer and easier for them and other water birds to live and thrive, and for us to enjoy their beauty, and those little balls of fluff.
Additional Resources:
- North Central Animal Services
- International Bird Rescue: birdrescue.org
- California Wildlife Center: Cawildlife.org
– Cyndi Hubach
P L A N T S
ANNUAL WILDFLOWERS
Native Wildflowers for Native Pollinators and Garden Bounty
I found a native bumble bee busy buzz pollinating and foraging for nectar in this poppy flower. These bumble bees are expert pollinators, unlocking pollen with a powerful buzz that honeybees can’t manage. Some fruits and vegetables (including blueberries, tomatoes, eggplants and kiwi) require this extra buzz! Invite them to pollinate your edibles by planting poppies and other native wildflowers with (or nearby) your vegetables.
California poppies, the official CA state flower, grow throughout California and much of the West Coast. They are native to open, grassy meadows from the coast to the mountains. They are easy to grow from seed (and from nursery plants) and will reseed themselves and gently spread through your garden, if allowed. After spring and early summer flowers, like many of our native plants they rest during the hot dry and wither to the ground. But their roots are just dormant - if left alone they will sprout new leaves, and then flowers, after fall rains arrive and the earth warms again in spring. (This is why it’s important to stay on the paths at the Poppy Preserve, and other super-bloom wild hillsides, so the roots don’t get crushed underfoot and the plants can continue to grow, set seed, and bloom again next year!)
Poppies grow best in full sun and need very little water to thrive. Water just twice a month during summer months, and between winter rain. They grow well with other locally native wildflowers, including Lupines, Sages, California Buckwheat and California Fuschia.
Butterflies & moths hosted locally: Acmon Blue, Mormon Metalmark, Veined Blue, Buckwheat Borer Moth, Ni Moth
PHOTO: California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) and Yellow-faced Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)
Resources
– Stephanie Bartron, FAPLD
AROUND THE RES
Reservoir Fence as Public Forum
The reservoir fence took on a new role in 2020. Always a source of some controversy – is it keeping us safe, or just keeping us out? Is it protecting wildlife, or a barrier to mobility? – it came to reflect the particular moment of American life in 2020. And it raises the question, what should it be going forward?
In May of that year, outraged by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, Lia Brody, her son Eli and their friend Micah Woods expressed their grief and solidarity by weaving his name -- in letters four feet high -- in fabric through the fence links. In an outpouring of community action and support, other volunteers joined their efforts until 100 lives were likewise honored.
Just a few weeks before, with Covid-19 showing no sign of slowing, the City of Los Angeles posted one-way directional signs around the reservoir, with instructions to wear a face-covering and keep 6-feet apart. It took a while to catch on, but eventually, we became a counterclockwise, mask-wearing, socially-distanced walking community.
The backlash followed close behind. In mid-May, someone slashed and pulled down the directional signs. City officials tried several times to replace them, only to see them vandalized again and again. With hopes that Covid is on the wane, there are no plans to try again.
The Say Their Names project has met a similar fate. Almost as soon as the tributes to Floyd and others went up, they were vandalized, defaced, and torn down. Lia’s group is repairing and maintaining the fabric names for the foreseeable future.
She says, “it didn’t feel right to let those people have the last say in whether the project lasted.” And though technically the DWP does not allow non-city signs on the fence, as one official said, “we're sensitive and supportive of the movement, so we made an exception.”
But what of the fence going forward? On the last weekend of Black History Month, students at Ivanhoe Elementary installed a temporary exhibit in tribute to “Black Excellence.” Will the fence continue to be a public platform? Should it? Even some residents who support Black Lives Matter prefer a walking path free of social issues.
Under the new Master Plan, the existence of the fence itself is in question, but as long as it remains, it will continue to be a source of passionate debate.
ARIELLE SKYE AND HER DOG WIZZY!
What do you come to the reservoir for?
Peace.
What’s your favorite part of the reservoir?
The walking path that cuts across by the dog park.
If you could wave a magic wand and change anything about the reservoir, what would you like to see?
I don’t know if I would really change it. I like the meadow, it’s really nice. I like to lay out with a blanket. I know they had all these plans like a beach and I wasn’t really vibing with that. I would love to bring back the sodium lights, vs the LED, the orange ones. Also, making sure the reservoir is not lit at night. If there are changes made, making sure there aren’t more lights added, it’s nice to have somewhere that’s dark. Keeps it more peaceful. I stopped coming at night because of that. You can see more stars with the orange. Getting a little closer to the water would be a little bit nicer.
How do you think the reservoir reflects Los Angeles?
You get lots of people, LA is full of people, you get some nature, you get some peace, but you’re still in the hustle of things. It’s a fun place.
– Patty Jausoro
RESERVOIR DOGS
GERTRUDE
Gertrude is a six-month old English bulldog with spina bifida and the world’s best moms, Cara and Christin.
How did Gertrude get her name?
We named her Gertrude because her face looks kind of like an old lady. So, we decided we needed an old woman name, and Gertrude felt right.
What is her strangest habit?
She goes back to bed after breakfast. She’ll crawl right back to sleep for at least another hour. I think she feels happy and full, and she’s just a lazy, lazy gal.
Why does she have the stroller?
Gertrude has spina bifida. She’s a rescue from Road Dogs and Rescue (a special-needs bulldog nonprofit). We love the organization in California. She can’t quite walk the whole rez. She can walk, but it’s better for her if she’s in the stroller. She loves the path though, and the grassy patch down at the end, and she especially loves meeting new people!
C A L E N D A R
C R E D I T S
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Cyndi Hubach
Newsletter Cover Photo
by Amanda Schumaker, IG handle: @amanda_schumacher_, website: amandaschumachermedia.com
NEWSLETTER LAYOUT
By Allison Brooker, alliex@icloud.com, webpages: Spark // Camp Glen Green, Allie Bakes
email us: info@silverlakereservoirs.org