Sepulveda Dam Basin Master Plan - Los Angeles District - U.S. Army

Sepulveda Dam BasinMaster Plan and Environmental Assessment7 CONCLUSIONThe Federal government owns and the Corps manages eleven Basins in southern California withthe primary purpose of flood risk management. Since the Basins are “dry” most of the year,holding water only after storm events occur (usually December through March), the Basin mayalso be used for other purposes, primarily recreation that may not impede Project operations.Over sixty (60) years of Federal laws and regulations have empowered the Corps to work withlocal interests to develop, construct, operate, and maintain recreation amenities within the Basinsserving community needs.The Corps leased to the City of Los Angeles through its Department of Recreation and Parks asignificant portion of land in the Basin to the City for recreation purposes. Over the last fifty (50)years the Corps and the City have developed a variety of recreation amenities with Federal andCity funds through cost sharing agreements. Amenities include ball fields, picnic areas, trails,and lakes. The City has also independently developed recreation amenities.The Master Plan is a tool for the Corps, stakeholders, and public interests to guide futuredevelopment in the Basin. Corps regulations and policies guide the development of amenitiesthrough the Master Plan. This Master Plan is an update of the last Master Plan for SepulvedaDam Basin completed in 1981. Although Corps regulations recommend the update of a MasterPlan every five (5) years, Federal funding is not always available to initiate and complete thisprocess. As a result, this Master Plan incorporates a longer time frame into it, identifying shortand long term recommendations for recreation development, amenity maintenance, restoration ofnative habitats, and other actions. This has been accomplished through a process which has:Identified existing recreation amenities and other facilities within the Basin,Incorporated the local community’s needs and desires for recreation development,Developed resource goals and objectives, andDeveloped additional policies to facilitate these goals and objectives.As a result, this Master Plan identifies land use classifications for the Basin based on this processwithin the definitions of Corps regulations. This will guide interested parties for futuredevelopment through years to come to preserve and protect the Nation’s lands and resources.Conclusion 7-1