Corralitas Red Car Property: Mudwatch, Rainfall Totals

Video: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 20, 2017, 11:20 AM.  After the second of three storms dumped 1.5" of rain on the Red Car Property, this morning alone, Lake Corralitas was overflowing its banks and heading toward the LA River via the Corralitas Drive storm drain (the inlet is about 150' down the street from here).  

The Corralitas Red Car Property serves as a natural catch basin for the stormwater runoff from the very steep slopes rising hundreds of feet to the top of Silver Ridge Ave.  The rain also collects in Red Car Canyon and flows both north (toward Riverside Place and India Street)  and south (toward Corralitas Drive)

In the video, you can catch a glimpse of the predictable mudslides on the Red Car Property portion of the slope, particularly noticeable since LAFD brush contractors took out trees six months after the Silver Lake Fire. 

We're tracking rainfall totals in the Corralitas Drive rain gauge:
January 20, 2017: 1.7"
Rain year to date: 15.35"

Storm #3 hitting Sunday, is supposed to be the largest of the three this week.  Batten down the hatches!

Red Car Property: Forget Your Mud Boots, Bring Your Figure Skates!*

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, December 24, 2016.  With overnight frost warnings, we're thinking of expanded recreational opportunities on the Red Car Property vernal pools.  This one is close to Rose Scharlin Nursery School. Those future Olympians have to start somewhere.  Lace up your skates and practice those double axles!*  Of course you might have a muddy landing.  Watch out for the dog poop.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Happy Holidays!

*In light of fake news stories causing harm, we'd like to make it perfectly clear, the skating rink proposal is a joke.  However, the photo is real and the Red Car Property is a natural catch basin for stormwater. The Red Car Property is not a park, it just looks like one.

Red Car Property Lot C: Mudwatch, Creeks, Stormwater Flow

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, December 24, 2016.  You can see the motor oil and other black stuff around the edges of the many deep puddles on Lot C.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, December 24, 2016.  Lot C Creek drains down toward India Street where it meets up with Red Car Creek (originating as Upper Red Car Canyon Creek), flows down India Street, then makes its way down to Riverside Drive.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, December 24, 2016.  Red Car Creek was not deterred by the City's paving of the vernal pool at the India Street entrance to the Red Car Property.

Today, City of LA laying asphalt in the vernal pool on Private property: Red Car Property at India St, 3rd time this month @MitchOFarrell pic.twitter.com/0JX9fYZ4GC

— Corralitas (@RedCarProperty) December 21, 2016

Yesterday, I received an email response from a representative of CD13 responding to my email inquiry including a neighbor's photos regarding the City's paving of the Red Car Property this week:

"Street Services is investigating this issue and should be getting back to us shortly. We're [the City] is not in the business of placing asphalt on private property so you can be assured that this won't happen again."

Red Car Property: Mudwatch, Rainfall Totals

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, March 12, 2016.  Yesterday afternoon's squall line that dumped a whole lot of rain really fast, left the Red Car Property walkable today. When the rain comes fast it much of it runs off and into the storm drains. 

We're tracking rainfall totals in the Corralitas Drive gauge...

March 11, 2016: 0.6"
Rain year to date: 8.54"*

*Normally, the "rain year" would have ended June 30.  However, this rain year, California joined the rest of the country, reporting rainfall totals between October 1 to September 30.  Who expected to have significant rain between July 1 and October 1?  There will always be an asterisk next to the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 rain years on Corralitas Drive.  The 2014-2015 rain year ended with 15.17."  We got an unprecedented 4" between July 1 and September 30. 

Lake Red Car In 2009: Need Sandbags? Know Where Stormwater Flows & Collects

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, February 17, 2009.  Lake Red Car is one of the vernal pools that reappears with almost every rain on the Red Car Property, between Lake View Ave and Riverside Place, just north of Rose Scharlin Nursery School.

It looks like we may be hit with another round of El Niño rain starting this weekend.  If you need sandbags, homeowners can get sandbags and sand at LA City Fire Stations.  Be sure to call before you go because not all stations have both sand and bags.  The City has an emergency alert and resource website: www.ElNinoLA.com.  You can find links to the LAFD station phone numbers there too.

If you are Red Car Property adjacent and missed the last big round of rain in 2011, you can search this blog for the routine problem areas on the Red Car Property by clicking on the following searches:

vernal pools
creek
mudwatch
(There is a lot of overlap in the searches because we never thought we'd still be doing a daily blog for the Red Car Property after 9 years.  Photos date back to 2005.)

Send us your rain related photos from the Red Car Property neighborhood: redcarproperty@gmail.com.  During this El Niño rainy season, we'll likely publish updates faster on Twitter than the blog.  Follow us on Twitter: @RedCarProperty

Red Car Property: Corralitas End Muddy, But Walkable

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, January 8, 2015.  Between Red Car Canyon and Corralitas Drive the trail was walkable early this morning.  

Here too, someone's been driving through the mud.  Driving on the mud compacts the topsoil, making the soil less able to absorb water,  thus plants won't grow.  Sure, it may only be weeds, but weeds are allowing water to absorb into the ground.  When the topsoil is compacted the water runs off and into the storm drain rather than eventually making it into the aquifer via the soil.

For years, I mocked the City using a bulldozer towing a giant rototiller for brush clearance on the large lots in the area.  It turns out, it helped plants grow by aerating the soil.  More importantly, the method helped the land absorb stormwater.  

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, January 8, 2016.  Lake Corralitas is one of a series vernal pools fed by Lower Red Car Canyon Creek.  

Red Car Creek: Flowing From The Red Car Property To Riverside Drive

Photos: Jonathan Vandiveer, January 5, 2016, all before 10:15 AM.  Red Car Creek flowed north from runoff of the hills above (Lake View and Silver Ridge) toward India Street.  "The heavy rain had stopped about 15 minutes before I took these pictures, just some light rain at the moment," Vandiveer wrote in an email.  "Not as dramatic as it could have been."

If you think there is not a lot of water in the next few photos, skip down to the last one -  Riverside Drive at Allesandro Elementary School.

From the Red Car Property, the stormwater flows from the Red Car Property onto India Street.

India Street is lucky to have sidewalks on both sides of the street, as it is much steeper than it photographs.  India Street is only a block long, east of the Red Car Property, where it ends at Riverside Terrace.  There are no storm drains on India or Riverside Terrace.

From Glen Eden the stormwater continues downhill taking a quick left from Riverside Terrace onto Glen Eden.  Glen Eden is a very steep street that is the only way to reach not only a large number of homes in the neighborhood, it is also the only way to drive into both parking lots at Allesandro Elementary School.

Every time it rains, water and mud collect at Riverside Drive and Glen Eden.  The storm drains are not well placed for moving the water off the street.  The mud usually doesn't get cleaned up quickly either, creating a dangerous situation when cars try to drive up hill even once the rain stops.  

If you see blocked stormdrains, call 311.  According to the mayor, in a press conference today, they will be answering 24/7 this week, for storm drain emergencies, if you listen to the prompts.  You can also try this link on the City's website.

It's going to be a long El Niño year.  Send us your rain related photos from the Red Car Property neighborhood: redcarproperty@gmail.com
 

Red Car Creek: Rainfall Totals, Stormwater Trivia

*Photo you missed this year...

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 15, 2015.  Are you ready for El Niño rains?  Know where stormwater runs through your property, like this creek that flows down the Red Car Property to India Street from Lake View.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Little known fact: there's a old cistern, half on private Lake View Property, half on Silver Lake Court, an unbuilt City street right-of-way west of and adjacent to the Red Car Property.  

LAFD offers sandbags, and sand at specific fire stations. See the LAFD website for details.

Rainfall totals as collected in the Corralitas Drive rain gauge:

December 21 - 22, 2015: 0.25
Rain year to date: 1.07" 

*Stuff You Missed This Year is our annual wrap up of interesting photos and things we just didn't have a chance to run, because everything seems to always happen at the same time.
 

Red Car Property: India Street Entrance Mudwatch, Rainfall Totals

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 14, 2015.  The Red Car Property was dry and walkable after more than a quarter inch of light rain over several hours last night.  However, usual runoff patterns coming from both directions on the Red Car Property, mostly just pooled up at India Street. 

We're tracking rainfall totals in the Corralitas rain gauge...

December 13, 2015: 0.3"
Rain year to date: 0.57"

Normally, the "rain year" would have ended June 30.  However, this year California joined the rest of the country, and will report rainfall totals between October 1 to September 30.  Who expected to have significant rain between July 1 and October 1?  There will always be an asterisk next to the 2014-2015 rain year on Corralitas Drive, which ended with 15.17."  We got an unprecedented 4" between July 1 and September 30. 
 

Red Car Property: Predictable Mudslides, Stormdrains & El Niño Preparedness

Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 2005.  Whenever we have big rain years, the Red Car Property slopes at the Corralitas end, have mudslides where earth was removed to build the 2 Freeway (1960 - 1962).

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 21, 2010.  The Red Car Property goes up to the power lines.  The Red Car Property "meadow" is also a handy catch basin for  stormwater run-off.  Additionally,  stormdrains run down the side of the 2 Freeway, as well as through the Red Car Property, from the very steep hills going up to Lake View and Silver Ridge.  

Why we're not on anyone's radar for a stormwater management project must be because of the morass of City, County and CalTrans (State) stormdrains in the area not being together on one map.  (CalTrans is not exactly known for cooperating with other agencies or neighbors.)  We've talked about the Red Car Property's potential as a stormwater project to anyone who would listen for many years. 

A host of City departments are hosting an El Niño Town Hall TONIGHT:

City of LA El Niño Town Hall

Thursday, November 5, 2015 

6:30 - 8:30 PM

Glassell Senior Center 

3750 Verdugo Road 

Los Angeles, CA 90065

Regional El NiñoTown Hall, Thurs, Nov 5, 2015

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 15, 2015.  India Street entrance to the Red Car Property is a perennial problem spot in even a normal rainy season, as nothing stops the mud from flowing onto India Street other than the vernal pools.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

From the Red Car Property,  water and mud flows down the deceptively steep India Street, takes a right at Riverside Terrace, left onto the steep street of Glen Eden, past the parking lot entrance to Allesandro Elementary School and out onto Riverside Drive. 

A host of City departments will host four Regional El Niño Town Halls to help residents prepare for the "Godzilla El Niño" by learning about their community's risks.  Thursday's meeting is the only meeting in out area.

City of LA El Niño Town Hall

Thursday, November 5, 2015 

6:30 - 8:30 PM

Glassell Senior Center 

3750 Verdugo Road 

Los Angeles, CA 90065 

Red Car Property: Not A Park...

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 15, 2014.  It just looks like one.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Last week's rain mostly drained right off the Red Car Property, since 3" was far too much in one morning.  The property was pretty much dry to walk, the following day.

Red Car Property: Updated Rainfall Totals

**Correction 12-11-15: updated season to date rainfall totals

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 15, 2015.  If you look closely, you can see where a stream ran from the puddle, to the canyon* canyon to the puddle (from the lower left corner of the image.)

We're tracking rainfall totals in the Corralitas rain gauge we got another 0.1": by midnight yesterday:

September 15, 2015: 3.0"
**Year to date: 15.17"

*9-16-15, Correction: Thanks Jonathan.  Yes, the water flows both ways out of Red Car Canyon.  The high point in the canyon is where the path from Riverside Place meets up with the Red Car Property.  I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

**12-11-15: Normally, the rain year would have ended June 30.  However, this year California joined the rest of the country, and will report rainfall totals between October 1 to September 30.  Who expected to have significant rain between July 1 and October 1?  There will always be an asterisk next to the 2014-2015 rain year. 

Red Car Property: Vernal Pools, Mudwatch

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 15, 2015.  With almost 3" of rain in this morning, most of the water ran off the hills and into the vernal pools of the Red Car Property, and then to the storm drains.  Despite all 3 Red Car Canyon Lakes filling up quickly, you could still walk easily around their shores.  This will not be the case once the rains come more frequently.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 15, 2015.  Once north of the last lake, the wooded canyon area was quite walkable.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 15, 2015.  The midsection of the property had smaller puddles, except for the vernal pool draining into the  downslope neighbor's backyard.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 15, 2015.  The Lot C vernal pool is going to be very difficult to navigate this winter since berm constructed years ago to discourage people from joyriding on the north end of the property traps the stormwater draining from the slope above (Adelbert).

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 15, 2015.  The taller green weeds in the marsh in Lake Corralitas, at the south end of the Red Car Property, are beneficiaries of the inch of rain we had in one day in July.  

The slope above the Red Car Property meadow is extremely steep and drains directly onto the Red Car Property.  In big El Nino years,  most of the the meadow will be under ankle deep water. 

Corralitas Drive: Mosquito Check!

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July25, 2015.  If you've got a garden, chances are, you had buckets out to catch last weekends' torrential rain.  Now you have mosquito larvae swimming around.  If you haven't already, use it to water your plants today, before the the next generation of mosquitoes takes flight. 

Be sure to check your yard for standing water and don't let it go to waste!  Plan ahead for next winter's rains by looking at the drainage from your roof (and your air conditioner's condensate drain for that matter) and consider installing rain barrels and/or drainage swales.  According to the MWD website, the DWP may still be offer rebates on rain barrels, but good luck with that.