Silver Lake Reservoir
Encyclopedia
The Silver Lake Reservoirs comprise two concrete-lined basins, Ivanhoe Reservoir and Silver Lake, divided by a spillway, in the Silver Lake community
of Los Angeles
, California
.
.
The reservoirs are owned and maintained by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
(DWP), and currently they provide water to 600,000 homes in downtown
and South Los Angeles
. At capacity, it holds 795 million USgals (3,009,402.5 m³) of water. The Silver Lake Reservoir's water resources will be replaced by an underground reservoir in Griffith Park
, slated for completion in January 2015.
The reservoir is the focal point of the community and has evolved as a regional recreational resource. It is surrounded by several recreational areas, including a dog park
on the south, a nursery school
on the north, and the Silver Lake Recreation Center, which includes a basketball court
on the south side of the lake. There is also a walking and jogging path, which stretches 2.2 miles (3.5 km) around the reservoir. In April 2011, the City of Los Angeles opened up for public use a three-acre passive park on the east side of the lake dubbed the "Silver Lake Meadow," modeled after the Sheep Meadow in New York's Central Park.
-causing chemical bromate
, and were immediately isolated. The reservoirs were both drained over several weeks in March 2008, and refilled in May 2008. Two months later, 400,000 black hollow plastic "shade balls" were dumped in Ivanhoe, which remains in use, in the hopes to reduce the likelihood of the sunlight-fueled bromate. Silverlake Reservoir, too large to cover, was taken off-line permanently. This incident pointed out the necessity of protecting the water supply by using underground tanks.
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
Silver Lake is a hilly neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California east of Hollywood and northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Silver Lake is inhabited by a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but it is best known as an eclectic gathering of hipsters and the creative class.The...
of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
History
The lower body of water was named in 1906 for Water Board Commissioner Herman Silver, and in turn lends its name to the neighborhood. The upper body received its name after the 1819 Sir Walter Scott novel IvanhoeIvanhoe
Ivanhoe is a historical fiction novel by Sir Walter Scott in 1819, and set in 12th-century England. Ivanhoe is sometimes credited for increasing interest in Romanticism and Medievalism; John Henry Newman claimed Scott "had first turned men's minds in the direction of the middle ages," while...
.
The reservoirs are owned and maintained by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is the largest municipal utility in the United States, serving over four million residents. It was founded in 1902 to supply water and electricity to residents and businesses in Los Angeles and surrounding communities...
(DWP), and currently they provide water to 600,000 homes in downtown
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
and South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
. At capacity, it holds 795 million USgals (3,009,402.5 m³) of water. The Silver Lake Reservoir's water resources will be replaced by an underground reservoir in Griffith Park
Griffith Park
Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America...
, slated for completion in January 2015.
The reservoir is the focal point of the community and has evolved as a regional recreational resource. It is surrounded by several recreational areas, including a dog park
Dog park
A dog park is a facility set aside for dogs to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners...
on the south, a nursery school
Nursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
on the north, and the Silver Lake Recreation Center, which includes a basketball court
Basketball court
In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor with tiles at either end. In professional or organized basketball, especially when played indoors, it is usually made out of a wood, often maple, and highly polished...
on the south side of the lake. There is also a walking and jogging path, which stretches 2.2 miles (3.5 km) around the reservoir. In April 2011, the City of Los Angeles opened up for public use a three-acre passive park on the east side of the lake dubbed the "Silver Lake Meadow," modeled after the Sheep Meadow in New York's Central Park.
Environmental issues
In December 2007, the DWP announced that the Silver Lake and Ivanhoe reservoirs had both become contaminated with unusually high levels of the cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
-causing chemical bromate
Bromate
The bromate anion, BrO, is a bromine-based oxoanion. A bromate is a chemical compound that contains this ion. Examples of bromates include sodium bromate, , and potassium bromate, .Bromates are formed many different ways in municipal drinking water...
, and were immediately isolated. The reservoirs were both drained over several weeks in March 2008, and refilled in May 2008. Two months later, 400,000 black hollow plastic "shade balls" were dumped in Ivanhoe, which remains in use, in the hopes to reduce the likelihood of the sunlight-fueled bromate. Silverlake Reservoir, too large to cover, was taken off-line permanently. This incident pointed out the necessity of protecting the water supply by using underground tanks.
External links
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power official website
- Historic image gallery at Silver Lake.org
- Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy
- Silver Lake Reservoir at YelpYelpYelp, Inc. is a company that operates yelp.com, a social networking, user review, and local search web site. Yelp.com has more than 54 million monthly unique visitors as of late 2010.- History :...