Trucks to Resume Rolling out of Devil’s Gate Reservoir

The rumbling of dirt-filled dump trucks is about to fill the summer air for people living near Devil’s Gate Reservoir, as L.A. County Public Works set Thursday as the day to kick off six months of sediment removal as part of Pasadena’s so-called “Big Dig.”

Hauling hours planned through November are weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The county said it has “implemented mitigations to further contain and reduce fugitive dust emissions from entering communities surrounding Devil’s Gate Reservoir,” according to a statement. Those steps include watering sediment before it’s loaded onto trucks, watering the sediment again once it’s loaded, street sweeping, and truck wash stations to remove dirt from tires and undercarriages.

The four-year Devil’s Gate Reservoir Restoration Project, which includes removing 1.7 million cubic yards of sediment, is designed to increase flood protection for communities downstream from Devil’s Gate Dam and restore habitat within a popular section of the Arroyo Seco Watershed. Arroyo Seco Foundation and Pasadena Audubon Society have filed a lawsuit to stop it. Another hearing is scheduled for June 25.

Devil’s Gate is the oldest dam constructed by the L.A. County Flood Control District, providing flood protection for Pasadena, South Pasadena and Los Angeles.

In addition to providing flood relief to communities that have endured nearly a decade of elevated flood risk along the Arroyo Seco, the project will also establish a permanent stormwater maintenance area that allows for the creation of 70 acres of enhanced habitat for wildlife and recreational opportunities.

A large amount of sediment has not been removed from Devil’s Gate since 1994, when workers hauled out 160,000 cubic yards. The Station Fire in 2009 dumped a million cubic yards of soil and debris into the basin.

Donovan McCray contributed to this report