City engineers make room for bird baths during Echo Park Lake rehab project

Echo Park bird lovers expressed their frustration earlier this year over the city’s proposal to drain all of Echo Park Lake as part of an upcoming  $84 million water quality project. Wildlife advocates wanted to keep some water in the 13-acre lake for the benefit of migratory birds. But city engineers said doing would slow down construction, forcing the closure of  the park for up to four years instead of two.  After more study, however, the city engineers have come up with a compromise, proposing that up to four temporary pools will be maintained during the construction period “to provide a water source for migratory birds.”  That information comes from a notice informing the public that a draft environmental impact report is now available for inspection.  The report is not online, however, but is available  at local libraries.  The public has until the end of August to comment on the report. A public hearing as been scheduled for August 4 at Barlow Hospital.

Related stories:
* Will cleaning up Echo Park Lake wipe away its historic landscape? The Eastsider
* Cleaning up Echo Park Lake is going to be a big mess for residents. The Eastsider

Photo by Mocdragon/Flickr