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See Vicinity Map below for Extend Wildlife Reserve
Wildlife Area Manager: (818) 756-9710
** View Map
General: Ringed by mountains, rivers and streams, the Sepulveda
Basin Wildlife Reserve is haven of rest for wildlife and humans
alike, a welcome oasis within an urban setting. It is here where
the visitor of today can get a sense of what this part of the San
Fernando Valley might have been like before agriculture and urban
settlement forever changed the Valley floor:
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The leaves of willows, cottonwoods, and sycamores glistening in the breeze; |
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The calls of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds such as ducks, Canada geese, herons, and egrets penetrating the stillness as they take flight after resting and foraging at the wildlife lake; |
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The musty scent of mulefat, sages, and mugwort heavy in the air after a winter's rain; and activity of small birds such as the goldfinch, woodpecker, and oriole as they search for food and shelter amongst the oak savannah. |
The Los Angeles River drains the vast watershed of the San Fernando
Valley and surrounding mountains--finally emptying into the Pacific
Ocean at Long Beach. In years of heavy rainfall, this normally tame
watercourse becomes a mighty force--as was the case in 1938 when
torrential rains caused the river to flood adjacent farms and homes.
Consequently, the U.s. Army Corps of Engineers channelized the river
and built the Sepulveda Dam to capture and hold floodwaters for
later gradual release down the river. Except for infrequent but
dramatic flood episodes, this otherwise dry-land flood control basin,
most of which is leased from the Corps by the City of Los Angeles
Department of Recreation & Parks, plays host to diverse uses
today including athletic fields, agriculture, golf courses, a fishing
lake, parklands, a sewage treatment facility, AND A GROWING WILDLIFE
RESERVE.
Forward-thinking citizens and government planners hatched the idea
for a designated wildlife reserve in the 60s and 70s when much of
the basin was open land or in agriculture and becoming surrounded
by suburban growth. With so much land being developed for urban
and recreational uses, some saw it critical to reserve lands in
the lowest flood-prone basin areas and "re-create" a natural
habitat for birds and small animals with native vegetation where
people would be welcome as visitors.
Click here to download MAP.
The present-day wildlife reserve is a product of several phases
of development. The first effort in 1979 established the 48-acre
riparian area south of Burbank Blvd. between the dam and The Los
Angeles River. Formal establishment of the 60-acre habitat north
of Burbank Blvd. between the dam and Haskell Creek in 1988 involved
grading for the wildlife lake and extensive plantings of native
annuals, shrubs, and trees. Pathways were created for educational
and enjoyment purposes. The lake became filled with reclaimed water
from the nearby Tillman Water Reclamation Plant in 1992.
The latest and most extensive addition to the area is the 1998
expansion project funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers adding
an educational staging area and amphitheatre, various pathway/signage/viewing
area improvements, new pedestrian bridges over and a reconfiguration
and revegetation of Haskell Creek, additional native plantings,
and the formal inclusion of 60 additional acres west of Haskell
Creek to Woodley Ave.
The resulting 225-acre Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve today is
one of the finest refuges of its kind within a major urban area
in the country. It serves not only as a restored natural habitat
for wildlife but as a living laboratory for all to enjoy.
To be a healthy place for wildlife and for people to enjoy, the
Wildlife Reserve needs your help.
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To protect the plants that provide habitat, stay on the paths; |
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This is a refuge for wildlife--no dogs allowed; |
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Respect & protect the wildlife--no fishing or hunting; |
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To avoid conflicts with hikers & wildlife, bikes are not allowed; |
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Keep the wildlife area tidy & natural--use trash cans for all litter; |
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Feeding wildlife upsets their natural diet and makes them dependent on handouts--no feeding of ducks & other wildlife. |
The Wildlife Reserve also needs volunteers to help maintain
this special place. Opportunities for involvement are listed on
the next panel.
To make a tax-deductible financial contribution to ongoing projects
and upkeep of the Wildlife Reserve, use the tear-off
form.
: To download the form, it must be viewed with
Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download Acrobat Reader, click this link http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html
WALKS to view and study more than 200 different species of birds
seen in the wildlife reserve are conducted by the San Fernando Valley
(SFV) Audubon Society. There's a Bird Walk on the first Sunday of
every month from 8am-11:30 am, year-round. For families & beginners,
there's a Bird Walk on the second Saturday of winter months between
October and March starting at 8:30 A.M.and ending around 11:00 A.M.
GROUP HIKES & CLEAN-UPS are sponsored by environmental organizations
including the California Native Plant Society, SFV Audubon, The
River Project and Sierra Club.
The wildlife reserve serves as an outdoor classroom for EDUCATIONAL
FIELD TRIPS for local school, sponsored by SFV Audubon.
INVOLVEMENT to track the migrating Canada Geese and promote habitat
conservation originates through the Canada Goose Project. You
can participate in the Goose Count from October through March on
the following schedule: Sat. 3-6pm, Sun. 5:30am-8am, Tues. 3pm-6pm,
Wed 5:30am-8am.
ADOPTION of habitat areas by volunteers including "Hummingbird
Hill" and other projects (weeding, new planting, maintenance)
are organized through the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Areas Steering
Committee.
To join or volunteer in new or ongoing projects, call the committee
or organization listed on this brochure.
SEPULVEDA BASIN WILDLIFE AREAS STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS*
CA Native Plant Society......(818) 881-3706
Canada Goose Project........(818) 769-1521 extention # 2
Los Angeles Audubon.........(323) 876-0202
S.F. Valley Audubon...........(310) 457-5796
Resource Conservation District of the
Santa Monica Mountains..(310) 455-1030
Sierra Club, S.F. Valley Group of
the Angeles Chapter........(818) 884-6210
SW Herpetology Society....(818) 503-2052
The River Project.............(818) 980-9660
TreePeople.....................(818) 753-4600
* Advisory to the Department of Recreation
& Parks, City of L.A.......(818) 756-8190
Click here to download VICINITY
MAP.
The area is also reachable by Metro Bus
Line #154 (Burbank and Woodley) and
Line #164 (Victory and Woodley).
Information provided by the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Areas Steering Committee, originally produced as a printed brochure, April, 1999.
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