LEARN ABOUT
Rory M. Shaw Wetlands Park Project
Background
The Rory M. Shaw Wetlands Park Project (In dedication to City of Los Angeles engineer, Rory M. Shaw) is a collaborative initiative by the Los Angeles County Flood Control District (District), the City of Los Angeles, and the Sun Valley Watershed Stakeholders Group. This project aims to address flood risk, reduce stormwater pollution, and increase water conservation, recreational opportunities, and wildlife habitat. This will be achieved by converting a 46-acre engineered, inert landfill into a multi-purpose wetlands park.
The park will feature a 21-acre detention pond with the capacity to hold runoff collected from the upstream tributary area. The captured stormwater in the detention pond will then enter a 10-acre wetland that will act as a natural water treatment system by removing pollutants from the stormwater runoff. In addition, the wetlands will form a sustainable habitat for various plant and animal species. Finally, the treated stormwater will be pumped to the existing Sun Valley Park infiltration basins for groundwater recharge.
Sun Valley community currently lacks recreational opportunities. The Rory M. Shaw Wetlands Park Project meets this need by creating approximately 15 acres of open space and community amenities.
A new 4.75 mile long storm drain system will be constructed as part of a separate project (Sun Valley Upper Storm Drain Project) to capture and convey runoff from the upper portion of the watershed and deliver it to the detention pond. The storm drain system is proposed along Glenoaks Blvd, San Fernando Road, Tuxford Street, and Tujunga Avenue.
The next phase of the Rory M. Shaw Wetlands Park Project involves over excavation and grading of the site, which is expected to take four years to compete. Due to the complexity of the Project and significant construction cost based on current estimates, the construction of the Project has been delayed. While these factors have prolonged its completion, the District is committed to moving the Project forward. In the meantime, the District continues to implement interim measures to enhance site security, maintenance, and aesthetics. These efforts aim to ensure that the site remains safe and visually pleasing as the District continues to work towards securing the necessary funding to complete this transformative project. The District appreciates the community’s patience and support as it strives to bring these vital improvements to Sun Valley.
Rory M. Shaw Wetlands Park
8175 Fair Avenue
Sun Valley, CA 91352
FAST FACTS
15 acres
of open space & recreational areas
10 Acre
wetland natural water treatment
21 Acre
detention pond
For questions regarding the project, contact:
Genevieve Osmena
Phone Number: 626-458-4309
Email: gosmena@dpw.lacounty.gov
For site maintenance and/or fugitive dust concerns, contact:
Laren Bunker
Phone Number: 818-896-0594
Email: lbunker@dpw.lacounty.gov
Gallery
Conceptual Renderings: Rory M. Shaw Wetlands Park




Interim Measures Updates
December 2024
Construction is now tentatively scheduled to begin in January 2025 and will last approximately 4 months. Access to properties will be maintained throughout construction and work will only be performed on weekdays between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Expect temporary traffic control on Strathern St., and Tujunga Ave. and lane closures along Fair Ave. during working hours.
August 2024
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a plan for up to $4.1 million in interim improvements including: new fencing, native plants, 24” box trees, and irrigation. Landscaping and fencing installation is anticipated to start in April 2025 and be completed within three to four months.
June 2024
Public Works attended the monthly Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council Planning and Land Use Committee meeting and provided updates on the maintenance of the Project site and the funding status and obtained feedback on interim measures to be implemented.
May 2024
Public Works submitted a 30-Day Board motion report back summarizing the executed and proposed measures to improve site security, maintenance and aesthetics.
April 2024
The Board passed a motion directing Public Works to identify interim measures to improve site security and maintenance, investigate possible interim measures along the Project site perimeter, and develop a funding plan for the construction of the Project
Timeline
2024: The District initiated additional interim measures while continuing to seek funding for the permanent project. The District hired consultant teams to prepare a complete Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan application and CEQA-Plus/NEPA documents to better position the Project to receive federal funding. Additionally, the District began preparing a loan application through the Water Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act (WIFIA).
2023: Project permits were obtained, and the final review of the plans, specifications and cost estimate was conducted.
2022: Final plans, specifications and cost estimate continue to be finalized. Moreover, additional environmental analysis was completed and progress was made in permit approvals.
2021: Design plans are being revised to incorporate constructability, environmental, and safety measures determined by previous analyses.
2020: Third-party analysis is requested by Board of Supervisors to ascertain ways to improve project schedule, cost, and constructability; Additional environmental analysis is performed to determine if any additional impacts from off-site truck hauling, compaction methods, and passive methane treatment system.
2018 to 2019: Extensive geotechnical testing and investigations including compaction testing and additional borings are performed which inform the development of the design plans; it is determined that larger amounts of earth will need to be removed and require hauling off-site; discussions begin with landfill groups to find suitable disposal locations.
2017: Over & Over, Ready Mix vacates the site; Site demolition, trash and waste removal, and site investigations including ground penetrating radar are performed to identify underground utilities and storage tanks.
2015 to 2016: The design plans are redesigned to address the discovery of the organic landfill material, this involved the realignment of park features, rephasing of the project construction, and addition of a passive methane treatment system.
2014: Geotechnical investigations including 20 test pits and 15 borings are performed over the Strathern Pit and Over & Over site; organic trash and methane from the previous Newberry Landfill is discovered underneath the northern portion of the site; additional methane testing is conducted along northern boundary of site; Rory M. Shaw Wetlands Park Groundbreaking Ceremony.
2013: The project name is changed from Strathern Wetlands Park to Rory M. Shaw Wetlands Park in memory of Rory M. Shaw, an engineer with the City of Los Angeles who lost his life while helping repair a sinkhole during the 2005 storms.
2011: Series of three workshops are held to obtain feedback from the community on their needs and design features of the park.
2009 to 2012: Land acquisition process is completed. Concrete mixing company (Over & Over, Ready Mix) decides to remain on site and continues to operate until the end of their lease in 2017.
2008 to 2009: Strathern Pit site is purchased by LA County; Former company (LA By-Products) continues to fill the site until they are required to cease operations and vacate site.
2007: Tuxford Green Multiuse Project is completed.
2006: Sun Valley Park Drain and Infiltration System is completed; Design consultant is on-boarded to begin conceptual development of the Strathern Wetlands Park.
2004: Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approve the Sun Valley Watershed Management Plan.
FAQs
What is the Sun Valley Watershed Management Plan?
The Sun Valley Watershed Management Plan is a guiding document for the Sun Valley region which identifies 18 different projects that would help address flood risk, improved water quality, and create wildlife and open space opportunities.
Who are the groups involved in developing of projects?
The Management Plan and projects were developed in collaboration with various community, government, non-profit, and other local groups. Groups include:
- Sun Valley Watershed Stakeholder Group
- Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council
- City of LA Council District 6
- City of Los Angeles Public Works
- Supervisorial District 3
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
- Los Angeles County Public Works
- Greater Los Angeles Vector Control District
Why has it taken so long for the project to be designed?
The project has taken additional time to develop because of the discovery of organic landfill material, the need for thorough geotechnical investigations and testing, and a delay in the County obtaining full access to the site. Organic landfill material was discovered in 2014 which required a redesign of the whole project. Due to the presence of methane generated from the organic material, the project features not only had to be rearranged, but a new passive methane treatment system was incorporated as part of the project design to address any potential health issues.
Additionally, extensive geotechnical investigations and testing were needed to analyze the site. This project site was previously a construction debris landfill (i.e. asphalt, brick, concrete, etc.). This is a unique challenge to develop the site (different from typical sites) and poses a higher risk of differential settlement due to large voids from the debris. We must ensure the site is sufficiently compacted to prevent the park from settling unevenly which can endanger the stability of the flood control detention pond and wetlands on the site. Numerous testing and analyses were done to determine the needed level and approach to compaction to ensure the safety of the future park.
Lastly, the County did not have full access to the site until early 2017 when the previous concrete mixing company left the site. The subsequent demolition work and additional geotechnical testing could not be completed until the site was completely vacated.
Why does the Rory Shaw Phase 2 project take 4-years to build?
To properly prepare the site for the future park amenities, a tremendous amount of earthen material must be excavated, processed, back-filled, and compacted. Specifically, there is ~1.8 million cubic yards to be excavated; ~1.4 million cubic yards to be processed (screened, crushed, and further tested), back-filled, compacted; and ~500K cubic yards to be exported. As a point of reference, the total excavation amount (~1.8 million cubic yards) is roughly the equivalent of 4 Rose Bowls in volume. While the project site is quite large at 46 acres in size, all that space will be needed for equipment and mobilization of trucks to excavate, stockpile, and process all the earthen material.
Aside from the large volume of material, the County has strict safety and environmental requirements for construction activities to ensure there are minimal impacts to the community and the environment. This includes required setbacks and safe heights of stockpiles, as well as limiting noise, air, and sound impacts from the equipment and trucks.
Why is there a focus to build the storm drain before the park?
The Storm Drain is an essential component and will work together with the park’s detention pond and wetland to provide the necessary flood control benefit for the upstream watershed. Also, as noted in the previous paragraph, all the excavation and rough grading activities to prepare the site must be completed before the park, detention pond, and wetlands can be installed. However, please note that both the Rory Shaw Park and Storm Drain projects are being designed and built in parallel. There are multiple phases to the Storm Drain project, that like Rory Shaw, will require multiple years to build. The County wants both projects to be done as close to one another as possible to minimize any down time. For additional information visit the Storm Drain project website.
Who will own and manage the park after it’s completed?
The site is currently owned and maintained by the LA County Flood Control District. Long term ownership of the future park is yet to be determined.
How can I stay engaged with the project progress?
You can receive ongoing updates through our quarterly email blasts by signing up at the bottom of the Sun Valley Watershed website where it says, “Learn more about Sun Valley Watershed”. We will continue to update more details on all Sun Valley projects on each of their individual project pages. Future community meeting information will also be posted on our Community Engagement page of the website.