A Haven Is Threatened by Progress : Chatsworth Reservoir holds valley oaks, wetlands and bird habitats that deserve permanent protection. Plans to develop the land don’t hold water.

On Nov. 1 at lovely Lake Balboa, the city of Los Angeles and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a cost-sharing agreement to improve and expand parkland in the Sepulveda Basin.

The agreement will result in new facilities at Lake Balboa and planting the barren areas there, new sports fields and facilities, improved irrigation lines that will permit reclaimed water to irrigate much of the park, and, what I have been most eager to attain, the expansion of the wildlife reserve. The corps and the city recognize that natural areas and recreation are high priorities in our densely populated region. They deserve compliments for seizing the chance to provide additional recreation opportunities for the people.

But while we have cause to celebrate progress in Sepulveda Basin, the future of Chatsworth Reservoir, one of the few other large, publicly owned open spaces, is in jeopardy.

Mayor Richard Riordan has officially cast his revenue-hungry eyes at it, suggesting that it ought to be making money for the city. There is no specific proposal on the table now, but we can anticipate that the city, not to mention private developers, will continue to dream up various uses that would be slightly good for the city treasury and very bad for wildlife.

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Chatsworth Reservoir is an irreplaceable ecological treasure needing protection in its entirety for the sake of wildlife and for future generations of Los Angeles residents. Fortunately, City Councilman Hal Bernson is leading the effort to protect the reservoir.

Adjacent to the Simi Hills, Chatsworth Reservoir is located on the floor of the San Fernando Valley and has unique significance. The 2-square-mile reservoir contains ancient Chumash ruins and supports a large valley oak savanna. It has both permanent and seasonal wetlands and a wildlife pond. It contains large grassy expanses required by flocks of migratory Canada geese for feeding. These open areas are also needed by several species of raptorial birds that are on the California list of species of concern, such as the white-tailed kite and northern harrier.

The reservoir is one of only five locations in Los Angeles County where tricolored blackbirds breed, and it is the breeding place of migratory songbirds that winter in the New World tropics, many species of which are threatened by habitat loss both in their wintering and breeding areas. Deer and other large mammals are able to move between the reservoir and the wildlife corridor that links the Santa Susana Mountains, Simi Hills and Santa Monica Mountains.

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The reservoir’s location on the Valley floor means that it contains habitat not found in the mountains and that it can provide greater access to citizens as a place to view natural surroundings and wildlife. Because of its status as an unused reservoir, only occasional school groups and ornithologists are presently able to visit the reservoir. We need to make long-term arrangements to preserve Chatsworth Reservoir that will protect the area and permit public guided walks and other appropriate access.

Chatsworth Reservoir’s history explains why the San Fernando Valley is so fortunate to have this wildlife bonanza within its borders and also why it is threatened. It began to supply agricultural water in 1919. As the West Valley urbanized after 1950, the reservoir gradually became a supplier of residential water. In 1969 it was drained for remodeling to improve its water quality to drinking-water standards. The 1971 San Fernando earthquake struck before the reservoir was returned to service, and resulting analysis of the two dams forming the reservoir showed they would have to be completely rebuilt to make them earthquake-safe before any water could be stored there. The reservoir has been a de facto wildlife reserve ever since.

For the city Department of Water and Power, Chatsworth Reservoir is surplus property requiring expensive maintenance. Proposals to develop parts of the empty reservoir to produce income for the city are made from time to time.

Ideas include golf courses, a driving range and video arcades. Fiscally tight times and Mayor Riordan’s search for income sources are increasing the pressure to develop parts of the reservoir. These suggestions ignore Chatsworth Reservoir’s great wildlife value and the fact that much of this value comes from its large expanses of open space. Golf courses are attractive, but they are not natural, and the runoff of pesticides and fertilizers from golf courses at Chatsworth Reservoir would degrade its wetlands and cause problems for many species of birds that nest or feed at the reservoir. The serenity of the reservoir would be broken.

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Let us find other land for active recreation and income. In preserving Chatsworth Reservoir we may keep open future opportunities for urban needs such as ground-water recharge. In any case, let us preserve Chatsworth Reservoir and its natural values for generations to come.