HELP PLAN THE FUTURE OF
WHITTIER NARROWS RECREATION AREA

Save These Dates to Attend Community Workshops
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
More details (locations and times) coming soon

A series of public meetings and workshops are being scheduled in which the community will help to create a vision for Whittier Narrows Recreation Area as a premier regional facility while preserving essential flood control and water resource functions. Based on this vision, specific proposals for improvements will be developed during early 2009.

Whittier Narrows Recreation Area serves many purposes: its primary function, flood protection, as well as water conservation and public recreation. The area is under the jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers, which leases approximately 1,200 acres to Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and the City of Pico Rivera for recreation, and approximately 100 acres to other entities for non-recreational uses.

One of the most popular regional parks in Los Angeles County, with an estimated 2 million visitors per year, the Area’s facilities include the following features:

• A soccer complex, baseball/softball fields, BMX track, rifle range, an area for remote control model airplanes and cars, special events area, community gardens, group picnic areas, tennis center, equestrian center, skeet and trap range, sports arena, and military museum.
• North, Central, and Legg Lakes provide opportunities for fishing, boat rentals, and model boat racing.
• Riparian corridors along the San Gabriel River and Rio Hondo, and a large natural area south of Durfee Avenue provide important nesting and foraging areas for many birds and small mammals as well as opportunities for hiking. A nearby nature center provides educational programs.

A master plan was completed for the Area in 1974 and updated in 1999. Population growth, increased demand for recreation services, and changing recreation preferences have prompted a series of agency partners, including the Army Corps, Los Angeles County Departments of Parks and Recreation and Public Works, the cities of Pico Rivera, South El Monte, Montebello, and Rosemead, and the Watershed Conservation Authority, to seek input for possible improvements to the Area. Opportunities for improving water quality and enhancing habitat are also being sought.

The agency partners involved in the planning process include the Army Corps of Engineers; Los Angeles County Departments of Parks and Recreation, and Public Works; the cities of Pico Rivera, South El Monte, Montebello, and Rosemead; and the Watershed Conservation Authority.

We invite everyone to join with us in planning for the future!
For more information, contact
Alina Bokde
phone: (626) 815-1019 ext. 101
email: abokde@rmc.ca.gov.