Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Not the Last Day, After All

Word has it that the Devil's Gate Dam interim silt removal project is complete. If so, all the silt has been moved to Johnson Field from the dam. For now.

It's not the whole project by a long shot. There will be an environmental impact report before the rest of the work is done. I don't know how long that'll take or what the end result will look like, but it will be a much larger project.

Here's how Johnson Field looked last Saturday at dusk. Not nearly as bad as I'd feared. I took the photo from my usual spot, so those of you familiar with PDP's Last Day Project could make comparisons even if you've never seen Johnson Field in person.

A pan to the left:
It's a bit dark, but I hope you can see in both photos that the trees have been spared. Basically, the county workers piled the silt neatly at the north end of the sunken basin that is Johnson Field. The silt took up about half the space. Room for more silt in the future, I guess.

I have a list of disappointments related to this work, but those disappointments are (mostly) not with LA County. There's plenty of time for it to get worse but so far, the work they've done has been more sensitive than I expected. We even saw a few toads at the fountain. With a little rain we'll soon have some nice weeds growing in the silt. Maybe wildflowers.

We were treated to spectacular skies that night. More pictures to come.

17 comments:

Book Dragon said...

I was imagining piles but this looks okay. You're right about the wildflowers...maybe someone will sneak in a spread some seeds ;)

Petrea Burchard said...

Maybe someone will, BD. The way things grow in that basin, though, it won't be necessary. Nature will out, in the long run and the short! She's a cagy one, Nature is.

Bellis said...

Hope Johnny Poppyseed walks by that way...

I wish I could have captured the sight I saw yesterday evening - a ground squirrel ran across the field toward the big earthmovers, then reared up to face them for ages like that guy in Tiananmen Square.

It'll be interesting to watch nature taking back her field.

(link to archive not working)

Petrea Burchard said...

Try it again, Bellis. It's working okay here.

I often see creatures at Hahamongna that I'd like to capture on film. Those toads are too small and too fast for me. And lately I've been carrying my smaller camera, which doesn't really do the job. But when I see a coyote or, more rarely, a bobcat, I'm too much in awe to lift the camera.

dive said...

It's not as bad as I'd feared. A lot of that will wash and weather away, but you're right; the local wildflowers will be fighting for a spot in the new soil. I wonder what it will look like in the Spring?

Petrea Burchard said...

I'll make you a picture then, Dive. I was afraid there would be piles of the stuff to block the view, but it almost can't be ugly with those mountains in the background.

Anonymous said...

As I've said before, I'm confused. But I do think all the eyes on the Haha forces Pasadena and LA County to try to do the right thing rather than the easy thing.

MG said...

re-wilding will happen

in the Devil's bowl of soot

what is limped upon now

plugs the holes in the foot



-

Petrea Burchard said...

I hope so, Hiker.

MG, I'm shooting for a good, straightforward walk. I like your pome.

Ms M said...

It's been very interesting to watch as you've documented this. I'll look forward to what spring brings to this area, too.

Susan Campisi said...

It isn't as bad as I'd imagined either. Still, some wildflowers would be lovely.

Petrea Burchard said...

Ms. M, I'm glad I haven't bored you to death with this. I never thought I'd still be taking pictures of Johnson Field at this point, but it turns out those old shots may have a sort of historical interest.

Susan, I thought of the seed bombs from that vending machine over by the Little Flower Candy Co. But I think I'll wait and see what happens naturally.

Pasadena Adjacent said...

I guess the palms are gone

Petrea Burchard said...

No, PA, all the trees are still there. The County has been surprisingly sensitive to this.

Lucas Kain said...

Wow, Petrea. The first picture took my breath away, smashed it in the wall, then ran it through a paper shredder. Then forgot to give it back. :( Very nice background, would be insanely happy to be in your place. Gah. :)

___
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Patrizzi Intergarlictica said...

Where's August?

Petrea Burchard said...

If you mean August, 2011, I actually completed the Last Day project in August of 2010. Click on the Last Day tag at the bottom and scroll down, you'll see them.