2 Reservoirs Put Off Limits to the Public

As an $80-million project to change the Upper and Lower Hollywood reservoirs nears completion, work is now proceeding out of public view and away from public recreation.

Joggers and hikers have been banned from the popular 3.1-mile route around the scenic bodies of water in the Hollywood Hills because of security measures imposed at Los Angeles Department of Water and Power facilities since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

DWP officials decline to talk in detail about their citywide security measures other than to say they are following federal guidelines. But they concede that the ban against visitors to the picturesque Hollywood reservoirs, separated by a dam, is the most public evidence of the department’s tougher security stance.

DWP officials say it is essential to guard against willful contamination of the city’s water supply and possible interruptions of its electricity grid.

Jim McDaniel, the DWP’s director of water quality and operations, said the ban against public access at the Hollywood Reservoirs began soon after the terrorist assaults and could end Dec. 11. But McDaniel also said the ban might be extended at least into next year.

“We’ll assess our security to see whether it is appropriate to renew public access,” he said.

Teenagers but No Terrorists

No terrorist-related incidents have been reported by DWP officials, though some teenagers who ignored posted warnings against trespassing have been issued citations.

Agency officials say they have not received any complaints from joggers and others who are banned.

“It’s a pretty place to run,” said Joe Klass of the Griffith Park Athletic Club, a runners group. But he added that his group prefers to run in Griffith Park.

The Hollywood Reservoir running path is relatively easy to close to the public because most of it is not a regular roadway. Joggers continue on the streets that surround the adjacent Silver Lake and Ivanhoe reservoirs, but nearby residents say security patrols are now seen nightly on the grounds of those open-air but fenced-in water facilities.

Other water agencies in the region also have imposed strict restrictions on public access. The Metropolitan Water District, which serves 17 million customers in six Southern California counties, has cut off public access to its facilities, a spokesman said. Because many of them are little known and isolated, MWD spokesman Adan Ortega said, the agency’s decision has had little impact on the public.

“Obscurity can be a good thing,” Ortega said.

The one exception to the MWD prohibition is Skinner Reservoir in Riverside County, where anglers can still fish. The lake is managed by Riverside County authorities, who now check boats and cars entering the recreational area.

Meanwhile, crews at the Hollywood reservoirs are working to complete work on the new water system there. The project was required by state laws that prohibit runoff rainwater from entering an agency’s drinking water supply.

2 Reservoirs Kept for Emergencies

Earlier this year, two 30-million-gallon tanks were buried near the open-air bodies of water. In addition, a pipeline to transport the water from the San Fernando Valley to the underground tanks was completed. As a result, the two old reservoirs, built in 1927, were taken out of active service but will continue to store water in case of emergencies and to maintain the beautiful lake vistas.

Steve Cole, DWP’s project manager, said some cleanup work, minor grading and fine-tuning to improve the water’s sometimes milky appearance remain unfinished. He said the project should be completed by May.

Cole said a DWP special hotline, (323) 463-0830, is periodically updated with information on the project and when the reservoirs, called the pride and joy of legendary Los Angeles water engineer William Mulholland, might be reopened to the public.