A planned four-year effort to remove 1.7 million cubic yards of sediment from Devil’s Gate Reservoir will conclude in mid-August, more than a year ahead of schedule, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger announced on Tuesday.

“The County’s goal of restoring flood protection to communities downstream of Devil’s Gate Dam has been achieved with a level of robust community engagement that makes the project a model of collaboration, safety, sustainability and innovation,” Supervisor Barger said.

Devil’s Gate Dam was built in 1920 by the Los Angeles County Flood Control District to provide flood protection to communities in the lower Arroyo Seco watershed. The 2009 Station Fire burned more than 160,000 acres of the San Gabriel Mountains, and subsequent storms brought in more than a million cubic yards of sediment into Devil’s Gate Reservoir

“On behalf of the residents of Pasadena, particularly those who live in and around Hahamongna, I’d like to thank our County partners for completing this project nearly one year ahead of schedule,” said Pasadena Mayor Victor M. Gordo. “Now it is time to restore the native plants and habitat. I look forward to working with Supervisor Barger and County staff to accomplish this in the near future.”

The Devil’s Gate Reservoir Restoration Project began in December 2018. Managed by Los Angeles County Public Works, the project’s sediment removal operations began months later in May 2019 with the goal of removing the equivalent of three Rose Bowls full of sediment that had accumulated behind the dam. The project was designed to restore the facility’s flood control capacity while establishing a permanent maintenance area surrounded by 70 acres of native habitat and various recreational opportunities.

“First, I want to thank all the neighbors and neighborhood groups that worked to ensure the project was being done as mindfully as it possibly could to minimize impacts on the native wildlife and the nearby residents,” said Pasadena District 1 Councilmember Tyron Hampton. “I’d also like to express my gratitude to Supervisor Barger who diligently worked on the concerns that were raised to get us to the point we are today. The project is not yet complete, but I’m excited that the Big Dig is behind us. The next phase of the project involves native plant restoration, and I look forward to once again working with the Supervisor and the neighbors. I am very grateful to everyone for their continued engagement.”

“There was remarkable collaboration between the County, local residents, community groups and regulatory agencies,” said Mark Pestrella, director of Los Angeles County Public Works. “Working with the community, we envisioned a facility that would provide multiple benefits for generations. Once sediment removal operations are completed, the County will continue its habitat restoration efforts to achieve a richly-diverse and sustainable reservoir.”

“Thanks are due to my Community Advisory Committee, all our stakeholders, and the residents throughout Altadena, La Cañada and Pasadena for their patience and support during this project. The fact that the sediment removal is finishing early is a testament to what can be accomplished by working together,” Supervisor Barger said

Crews will perform construction finishing activity within the reservoir through November of this year. The habitat enhancement component of the project will continue.