Community Corner
Take a Look at the New Echo Park Lake
Mayor-Elect Eric Garcetti and several other city officials kick the day off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
After a two-year, $45 million renovation, Echo Park Lake officially reopened to the public Saturday.
After Mayor-Elect Eric Garcetti and several other city officials kicked the day off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, hundreds of visitors streamed into the Echo Park Lake Recreational Center area to eat a picnic on the grass, take a walk, watch their children play on the new playground or simply bask in the sun and enjoy the views.
Take a look at the attached photos from Saturday.
The lake was completely drained as part of the project and now features improvements to the lakebed and lining, plant life and recreational area. The improvements include new observation decks, a renovated boathouse, a new walking path and the reemergence of lotus plants, which had died off about five years ago.
The man-made lake was originally built in 1860 as a reservoir for drinking water, and was eventually converted into a park and recreational area. In 2006, the lake was suffering from pollution and was was identified by the State of California as an impaired body of water.
The park’s restoration was paid for with bond money from Proposition O, a 2004 voter-approved initiative.
What do you think of the new Echo Park Lake? Tell us in the comments.
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