“Most floods are caused by man, not weather; deforestation, levee construction, erosion and overgrazing all result in the loss of ecosystem services.”

– Paul Hawken, American environmentalist

Summer is soon to arrive. Nature’s sprinkling system – rain – is now at a low trickle. Water sources are low. The lush green spring grasses have dried and turned brown … and it’s only May! What now? There are barbecues, pool time, beach trips and vacations all to look forward to. On the flip side there is the threat of wildland fires. And so goes the cycle. But the chance for a flood can’t be overlooked. The connectiveness of fire and flood is a real and potentially deadly one.

I got to thinking about floods as we were recently walking (running) Brighton through Hahamongna Watershed Park. For years it was known as Devil’s Gate Dam. It’s been in recent news as the area is under major renovation; over the years sediment has built up. The concern is a rainy year could cause an overflow, sending water into the Arroyo Seco communities below the dam.

Hahamongna is the rare spot in the Arroyo Seco at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains where the mountainous watershed meets the urban plain. Due to our elevation and steep incline there’s a pronounced orographic lift, bringing heavier rains to outlying places. Periodically floods roar into this basin. When there were heavy rains the water gushed forth from the narrow canyons. Left behind in its wake? Not much!

Hahamongna is bounded on the north by the mountains and Jet Propulsion Laboratory and at the south by Devil’s Gate Dam. Most sites like this in Southern California have been destroyed whether by man or naturally occurring. Any traces of these sites in our valley have been erased by our cycles of fire and flood or by development.

The relatively most recent floods are well documented and told by local historian Mike Lawler. But what about the first locals? The following is Mike’s summarization:

“The Tongva Indians hunted, camped, established villages, lived entire lives of tragedy and triumph right here where we have our homes – in Briggs Terrace, in Sparr Heights, and Verdugo City. They had a strong central village – Wikangna (wi-kong-na) –somewhere along the base of the Verdugo Mountains, probably where the Verdugo Hills Golf Course is today. The trail between the neighboring villages of Tujungna (Big Tujunga Canyon) and Hahamongna (where JPL is) followed the routes of Honolulu Avenue and Tujunga Canyon Boulevard. They gathered acorns in the dense oak forests of CV Park and in summer retreated to the cool forested canyons of the San Gabriels and Cooks, Dunsmore and Pickens canyons.” The first people suffered the effects of wildfires as well, although they practiced fire suppression.

Low clouds and fog will move into the valleys the next few nights. Then the heat gets turned up and a warming trend hits early next week. Meteorologists are butting heads over the degree of heating. Temperatures will range from 90 to 100 degrees.