Canyon Inflatable Dam Project Completed

L.A. Sanitation has completed its inflatable dam project in the Santa Monica Creek channel, according to Councilwoman Traci Park’s office.

The project “was designed to divert low-flow storm water into the sewer system, allowing it to be treated at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant, instead of flowing untreated to the ocean,” according to Park’s newsletter. “This important upgrade will protect the local ecosystem and strengthen our community’s resilience during heavy rains.”

The location of the dam is southwest of Short Street near the terminus of Santa Monica Creek. The city refers to the project as the Rustic Canyon inflatable dam, apparently because Rustic Creek merges into Santa Monica Creek just above the dam.

While the city department LASAN has been working on the project, the physical system is owned and operated by Los Angeles County. The L.A. County Flood Control District, which dates back to 1915, has numbered the varied creeks and channels in its 2,758 miles of coverage area, and the dam is located in number 196, which they call Santa Monica Canyon Channel.

Recently, LASAN also cleared out the built-up debris behind the inflatable dam, which had interfered with the operations of the system, according to LASAN representative Heather Johnson.