2-Acre Swim Area Is Proposed in Plan for Restored Hansen Dam

There will be less water for swimmers under new plans for a recreational lake at Hansen Dam but it will be cleaner, federal and city officials said Monday.

Officials said they will limit the size of the swimming area to two acres rather than five at the reconstructed 15-acre lake, a key element in the long-planned restoration of the once-popular Hansen Dam Recreation Area in Lake View Terrace. Over the last 13 years, the lake has been choked off by debris washed into the basin, and the surrounding park area has deteriorated.

Boating also will be allowed at the lake, and there will be fishing at a nearby 70-acre lake under plans prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns the Hansen Dam property.

Dick Ginevan, of the city Recreation and Parks Department, said the swimming portion of the smaller lake is being limited to two acres because it will allow city officials, who will operate the recreation area, to keep bacteria counts lower and avoid having to shut down the lake in summertime for health reasons.

“The two acres are going to be treated more like a swimming pool,” he said.

Officials are still studying two versions of the swim area, and plans for both will be shown to community members tonight by Rep. Howard L. Berman, (D-Panorama City), who has worked for years to secure federal funds to rebuild the recreation area.

The differences in the versions involve a larger beach area versus a larger picnic area, and whether a barrier separating the swim area from the rest of the lake will be made of concrete or earth, said Ed Louie, the Army Corps’ Hansen Dam study manager.

Ginevan said city officials studied recreational lakes around Southern California and found that swim lakes larger than two acres often must be closed for health reasons during peak summer months.

The costs of a smaller swim area also are considerably lower.

According to corps figures, the cost of building a five-acre lake is $6 million, compared to $4.8 million for two acres. Annual operating costs for a five-acre lake are $2.3 million, versus $1.1 million for the smaller version.

Berman is scheduled to present the plans at 7:30 p.m. at the Lake View Terrace Recreation Center, 11075 Foothill Blvd.