Construction Under Way on DWP Pipeline to Balboa Lake

San Fernando Valley fishermen will soon have a new place to look for a big catch.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has started construction of an underground pipeline that will eventually transport 70 million gallons of reclaimed water to fill up the now dry Balboa Lake in the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area, said Jerry Gewe, engineer of water resources for the DWP.

The park surrounding Balboa Lake has been open since August, 1990, but the 26-acre man-made lake has remained empty.

It is expected to be filled by the end of January after the pipeline is completed, Gewe said.

The pipeline will run through the Sepulveda Basin and will not affect housing or city streets.

The structure will take treated water from the Donald C. Tillman Reclamation Plant to Balboa Lake.

The water will then flow into the Los Angeles River, “which will help to keep a wetlands habitat for wildlife in the river,” said Dick Ginevan, chief parks supervisor for the Valley region of the Department of Recreation and Parks.

About 10,000 gallons of reclaimed water will be pumped into the lake daily to keep it clean and fresh, Ginevan said.

In addition to supplying the lake with water, the 11,000-foot pipeline will also bring in water to irrigate golf courses in the Sepulveda Basin, Ginevan said.

The pipeline and an accompanying pump station will cost the city about $2 million.

When filled, the lake will be stocked with trout and warm-water fish, Ginevan said.

It is uncertain when the lake will be ready for public use.

Canoeing and fishing will be permitted, but not swimming or motorized boats.

Two full-time lifeguards have been approved.

Plans are also under way to revamp the water system of the nearby Woodley Golf Course so that it will also be irrigated with reclaimed water from the Tillman plant, Ginevan said.