Devil's Gate Dam Clean-out to be Discussed at Town Council Meeting

The Altadena Town Council will discuss at its Tuesday meeting whether to take any action on a planned clean-out of Devil's Gate Dam that could end up putting heavy truck traffic on Altadena streets for months.

The traffic would be the result of a plan to clear about 25,000 cubic yards of dirt, sediment, and debris that is part of the nearly 2 million cubic yards that has accumulated in the Altadena-adjacent dam from winter storms. 

The lack of vegetation in the San Gabriel Mountains  from the 2009 Station Fire has resulted in an unusual volume of dirt build-up, and county officials now need to began an urgent clean-up process of the 25,ooo cubic yards closest to the dam before the upcoming rainy season.

County officials have not decided how to get all that dirt out, but the removal if slated to begin in July, and would mean high volumes of truck traffic for several months through either Altadena or La Canada Flintridge (the full plan on proposed on-street truck routes can be ).

The county came up with an alternative plan to temporarily store most of the dirt on site and haul it out later, but that would require permission from the Pasadena City Council.  That is unlikely, as city officials where the Council would have discussed the alternative plan, and officials have since said they may not be able to study the plan in time to meet county deadlines.

The Town Council item is listed as an action item, meaning that the organization will discuss the plan and decide whether to make any recommendation to the county on how it should proceed with the dam clean-out.

The Town Council meeting is at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the .  For more on agenda items, read .