Descanso Gardens Master Plan

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation adopted the comprehensive 15-year Descanso Gardens Master Plan (Master Plan) to guide the development of Descanso Gardens (Gardens) between 2020 and 2035. The Master Plan proposed the Winery Canyon/Descanso Stormwater Capture Project (Project) to capture stormwater and the ecological performance of main water features and optimize the lake for stormwater capture for non-potable use. Since the Master Plan's approval in 2020, modifications to the Project have been proposed. The proposed Project will use an underground cistern for stormwater storage after passing through a pretreatment device. The Project proposes to distribute stored water via pump station that would connect the Project's diversion infrastructure to the Lake Pump Room. New electrical conduit would be installed to power the proposed equipment. The proposed Project also includes concrete gutters along the eastern, southern, and southwestern edges of the Auxiliary Parking Lot. In the Main Lot, the Project proposes replacement of 200 linear feet of curb and gutter near the Gardens' visitor entrance with precast porous concrete panels along the curb and gutter. Stormwater that does not infiltrate would continue to discharge south via gravity flow into Winery Canyon Channel. The County of Los Angeles (Lead Agency) adopted the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the Descanso Gardens Master Plan and filed a Notice of Determination (NOD) with the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder/County Clerk on October 13, 2020 (County Clerk No. 2020165043) and submitted the NOD to the State Clearinghouse on October 14, 2020 (SCH No. 2020019072). An Addendum to the Master Plan's IS/MND was prepared to analyze modifications to certain water conservation elements considered in the Master Plan in 2020. The Lead Agency filed a NOD with the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder/County Clerk (County Clerk No. 2024254873) on December 17, 2024, and submitted the NOD to the State Clearinghouse on December 19, 2024 (SCH No. 2020019072). Acting as a Responsible Agency for the project, the Los Angeles County Flood Control District (District) has reviewed the MND adopted by the Lead Agency for the project and concludes it is adequate for use by the District.