Pasadena : The Making of Hahamongna

The 250-acre flood-control area around Devils Gate Dam has been christened Hahamongna Watershed Park.

The area is being returned largely to its natural state in the $40-million Devils Gate Multi-Use Project. The name was suggested by project board member Vera Rocha, a leader of the Gabrieleno Indians.

Hahamongna (pronounced ha-ha-mung-na ) is a Gabrieleno word that means “flowing waters, fruitful valley,” said Tim Brick, vice president of the Devils Gate Joint Powers Planning Authority, which approved the change last month.

Hahamongna conjures up “a whole different connotation than Arroyo Seco or dry riverbed,” said Brick, adding that it suggests “that water resources are valuable and we need to value them.”