Peck Road Water Conservation Park

5401 N. Peck Road, Arcadia CA 91006

PROJECT DATE: 2010 – Ongoing

Site Background

Peck Road Water Conservation Park is stunning 180 acre former alluvial pebble quarry located within a dense area of unincorporated East Los Angeles County. Peck features a sweeping view of the San Gabriel Mountains and double lake that was formed as a shallow spreading basin when the Army Corps channeled the San Gabriel and Rio Hondo Rivers and later deepened by the quarrying process.

This urban site is a microcosm of our LA Basin urban watershed in terms of water resources: stormwater and municipal water supply management, active transportation, access to outdoor recreation opportunities, habitat protection.

Peck Road Park lakes retain water year round

In water resources challenged Southern California this presence of vast expanses of water is a unique and compelling experience for visitors.

From all points in Peck, the mountains ridges of the Angeles National Forest are highly visible including the newly designated San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

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Recreation

In 1975 LA County Parks acquired jurisdiction of the upper-peninsula area of Peck Road Water Conservation Park from LA County public works for recreational purposes.

Since that time the Park has undergone a slow transformation from barren post-industrial quarry landscape to a destination nature park that provides a wide range of recreational activities including bird watching, biking, walking and running trails, group and individual picnicking and barbequing facilities and catch and release fishing opportunities.

Peck Park is also an important trail head providing access to growing regional network and could potentially become a unique nature based recreation facility for residents of park-deficient eastern L.A. County communities.

Natural Infrastructure

|Amigos De Los Rios | Emerald Necklace Group green infrastructure and urban forestry work at Peck provides regional air quality and water resources protection, greenhouse gas reduction, heat island reduction and the benefits of access to nature and regional trails to adjacent schools and residential communities.

Peck Road Water Conservation Park is a place to celebrate nature and cultural history of our watershed; improved access to physical recreation and sense of place; and opportunities for environmental stewardship and civic engagement. Amigos De Los Rios work at the park continues thanks to the support of

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Storm Water Management

Peck Road Water Conservation Park’s lakes are fed by Sawpit Wash, Arcadia Wash and the storm drain on Peck Road. The Site forms the headwaters of the Rio Hondo River which flows down to join the LA River in the area of South Gate. The Lakes at the park are integral to LA County’s Flood Control during storm events and are managed by the county to mitigate flooding. In addition, the sides of the lakes are used as groundwater recharge basins.

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Habitat Enhancement

Peck Road Water Conservation Park has become a key water habitat resource within the urban core along the Emerald Necklace Greenway network, providing critical habitat for regional wildlife, birds and butterflies and rare access to nature for overwrought urban residents.

Peck is truly an oasis – a sanctuary within the Asphalt quilt of Los Angeles. Two Hundred Fifty of the Five Hundred birds that reside or migrate through California have been sighted at Peck Road Water Conservation Park, making it an extremely important link for wildlife in this region. Over the years human development has seriously eroded habitat throughout Southern California making Peck Park home to increasingly rare riparian habitat created by the presence of the Gooding’s Black Willow, Arroyo Willow, Narrow Leaf Willow and Mulefat that has colonized the edges of the lakes.

KEY AGENCY PARTNERS: LA County Public Works and LA County Dept. of Parks and Recreation

FUNDING: California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection, Caltrans Environmental Enhancement Program, San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, California Natural Resources Agency, REI, and The Nature Conservancy

PROJECT DESIGN & BUILD TEAM: Emerald Necklace Group|Amigos de los Rios, Roberts International, Paul T. Norconk A.S.L.A., CCC, VCA Engineering and Randy Montgomery