Urban Wildlife Preserve Dedicated

Cinnamon teals, sandpipers and Savannah sparrows were already bathing and swimming in the new wildlife preserve at Sepulveda Basin Friday morning when Mayor Tom Bradley led a host of officials in praising one of the state’s first bird sanctuaries set in a populated area.

The $1-million preserve, located in the Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area in Van Nuys, covers 60 acres including an 11-acre man-made lake that is expected to attract water birds flying south for the winter. The lake was approved in 1981 as part of the basin’s master plan and is a joint project of the state Department of Fish and Game, the state Department of Parks and Recreation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“Residents of the city will now be able to take a short drive and discover a unique, tranquil wildlife area that is open each day,” Bradley said at the dedication ceremony. “Geese and hundreds of species of birds have already found refuge in this natural environment. With other recreational opportunities available in other parts of Woodley Park, the wildlife area is a wonderful, exciting excursion for the whole family.”

Bordered by Burbank Boulevard and the San Diego Freeway, the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Area restricts pedestrians to dirt trails. Wooden blinds allow visitors to watch birds without disturbing them. Saplings and rose bushes also have been planted in the preserve.

Water pumped last month created a four-inch-deep pond surrounding a small island. About eight more inches of treated water will be added to the lake within two months once the water lines of the nearby Tillman Water Reclamation Plant are completed.

Sandy Wohlgemuth, of the Los Angeles Audubon Society, said the preserve is located on the migratory route of birds flying south for warmer weather.

“It’s necessary to have it here to accommodate the birds because there are so few places for them to sit down where it’s safe,” he said. “You can’t have dogs chasing them, people fishing there. This is going to be a wintering area and migration stop. They have to fatten up and get their energy up. Some of them will stay.

“When I come here, I like it because it’s somewhat wild,” he said. “It gives me the feeling I’m not in the city, even though you can see the skyscrapers.”

Wohlgemuth saw about 20 species of birds Friday and said a third of them would not have been there without the lake.