Red Car Canyon: First Tree Down

Photos: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 12, 2023.  

A large Eucalyptus tree went down on the Lake View Ave side of Red Car Canyon. 

We’ve seen a number of Eucalyptus go down in the same part of the canyon over the past 3 decades.  

Eucalyptus do not hold hillsides together like native Coast Live Oak, Black Walnut and Toyon.

  

 

Red Car Canyon: Swampy

Photos: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 12, 2023.  

Two days after a major storm dumped around 6” of rain on the neighborhood, Red Car Canyon was swampy but walkable.

Just stop driving through the canyon. The Red Car Property is not a park, but it still looks like one.

The pine tree leaning at a 45 degree angle has been been held up by another tree for decades.

Red Car Canyon: Rainfall Totals

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, February 18, 2017.  Red Car Canyon.

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

February 24 - 26, 2017: 0.1"
Rain year to date:  23.37"

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!

Corralitas Red Car Property: Stuck In The Mud

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 12, 2017, around 5 PM.  After a day of nearly 3" of rain, a white Ford 4x4 crew cab pick-up truck with what appears to be a large chair in the truck bed, got stuck in the mud.  Another neighbor reports the California license plate as: 2901901.  We don't know if they were joyriding, planning of dumping the chair or actually had legitimate business on the Corralitas end of the Red Car Property.  The white stuff on the ground is water (Lake Corralitas) reflecting the sky. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

On a separate note, check out all the rows of new plantings on the southbound lanes of the 2 Freeway.  Sadly they are just shrubs, not trees.

Red Car Canyon: Not A Park, Rainfall Totals

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 9, 2017.  Red Car Canyon Lakes are filling up fast this week.  Click on photo to enlarge.)

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

January 10 - 11, 2017: 0.7" 
Rain year to date: 9.95"
 

Red Car Property: Mudwatch Lot C

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 5, 2017.  The fence blocking the walkable portion of the Red Car Property for the Riverside Drive construction site, also crosses the vernal pool on Lot C, forcing pedestrians up the slippery slope to access the portion of the trail the developer left open to the public.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The pile of drywall debris dumped a year ago remains to the right side of the frame. But look, through butchered trees, you can see Griffith Park.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 5, 2017.  The flat portion, where cars are parked, is the Red Car Property.  It is not a public road, nor is it even a public right of way.  To make it a private street, it would require a discretionary action by City Planning.  The upslope side is also Red Car Property.  It is well documented as the most crumbly slope on the property.  The side where most of the cars are parked, is where neighbors have encroached onto the Red Car Property by 20' or more.

See also: Vernal Pool on Lot C on October 14, 2009

Red Car Property Mudwatch, Rainfall Totals

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 5, 2017. Red Car Canyon's vernal pools will likely be around for a while with the current weather pattern.  

We're tracking rainfall totals in the Corralitas Drive rain gauge:

January 5, 2017, 3 PM: 0.7"
Rain year to date: 8.3" ("Rain year" or "season" started October 1.)

Follow us on Twitter for up to the minute Mudwatch photos and news.

Red Car Property: Mudwatch, Creek Flow

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 5, 2017.  The swamp just north of Rose Scharlin Nursery School has always been mudtastic in the rain. (Click on photos to enlarge.) 

We'd only had a half inch of rain before these photos were shot today.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 5, 2017.  Not only is the swap/vernal pool fed by the run-off from the Lake View Ave slope side of the Red Car Property, it's also fed by a portion of Red Car Canyon Creek.  While it's hard to see in this photo, if you've ever actually walked the property in the rain, you'll see the water flowing out of Red Car Canyon in both directions: north toward India Street and south toward the 2 Freeway.

Red Car Canyon Lake: Vernal Pools

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, December 24, 2016.  Red Car Canyon Creek flows in both directions out of the canyon between Lake View Ave and Corralitas Drive, filling the vernal pools.  In 2005, we had so much rain, giant tadpoles hatched in the canyon's vernal pools.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)   

Just a couple of weeks ago, brush clearance was done by LAFD contractors.  Responsible Hillside property owners have their brush cleared by May 1.  The brush and some trees on Lake View side (on the left) burned in the June 19, 2016 Silver Lake Fire.  LAFD stopped it before it destroyed homes.  Neighbors want to know why the brush was not cleared, nor the owner even cited, by May 1.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, December 24, 2016. Red Car Canyon is at the base of a very steep hill going all the way up to the top of Silver Ridge Ave, including some of the steepest terrain in Silver Lake. Water drains to the lowest point on the slope, then out to the sides: both north and south on the property, as well as down to Riverside Place.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, December 24, 2016.  Despite fire, developers, drought, tree butchery, it still looks like a park. The native trees should recover well with 5" of rain in the past month.  Just watch your step.
 

Red Car Canyon: Mudwatch, Rainfall Totals

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor: December 24, 2016.  Not a park; it still looks like one. Be sure you step carefully around Red Car Canyon Lake and creeks that flow in both directions from it.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

On neighbor described last night's rain as if the house were "being hit by a firehose."  We're tracking rainfall totals in the Corralitas rain gauge...

December 23-24, 2016: 1.8"
Rain year to date: 6.4"
 

Red Car Canyon Lake: Mudwatch, Rainfall Totals

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, December 19, 2016.  After 72 hours, the vernal pools of Red Car Canyon Lake are sticking around. 

We're tracking rainfall totals in the Corralitas Drive rain gauge:

December 15 - 16, 2016: 2.1"
Rain year to date: 3.6"

Red Car Canyon Lake: Mudwatch, Rainfall Totals

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, November 21, 2016.  Last Monday's inch of rain brought the vernal pools back to Red Car Canyon.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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

November 26-27, 2016: 0.2
Season to date: 1.5"

Red Car Canyon: Vernal Pools, Rainfall Totals

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, March 6, 2016. A little more than 1" of rain Saturday night into Sunday morning brought Red Car Canyon Lake back to life. 

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

March 5 - 6, 2016: 1.2"
*Rain year to date: 7.44"

For more timely updates on storm related happenings, follow us on Twitter: @RedCarProperty

*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.  

Red Car Property Lot C: Vernal Pool & Dumping

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer March 6, 2016.  With just over an inch of rain overnight Saturday into Sunday, the vernal pool on Lot C, north of India Street, stretches nearly across the entire  path. If the rain hits as expected Monday - Tuesday, we might have a tough time navigating this body of water on foot.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, March 6, 2016.  The piles of dumping, trash and construction debris make it tough to go around vernal pool on the side of the path closest to Riverside Drive. The City does not pick up dumping from private property.

For more timely updates on storm related happenings, follow us on Twitter: @RedCarProperty

Red Car Property: Mudwatch, Rainfall Totals

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, February 19, 2016.  Red Car Canyon Lake revived with a little less than an inch of light, but steady rain Wednesday into Thursday, this week.  The canyon was muddy, yet walkable this morning.  Considering it's been more than two weeks since our last measurable rainfall, that's a fair amount of water in the bottom of the canyon, one day after the rain.

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, February 19, 2016.  Similarly the trail was muddy, yet walkable, north of Rose Scharlin Nursery School.  

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

February 17 - 18, 2016: 0.8"
Rain year* to date: 6.42"

*Normally, the "rain year" would have ended June 30.  However, this 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 Canyon Lake: Dawn, Mudwatch

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, January 8, 2016.  This week's 4" of rain brought the vernal pools  back to Red Car Canyon.  Walk carefully and STOP DRIVING THROUGH THE RED CAR PROPERTY!  You're not helping.  

If neighbors really want to help - there are plenty of pieces of scrap concrete, bricks, pavers, logs and large rocks around the canyon area - place them along the edges of the canyon floor to create a walking path.  (Think of it as a workout.)  It's going to be a long muddy rainy season.  Take a look at some canyon photos from the last big rain year, 2005.

We'll be posting more mudwatch photos later today.  During this El Niño rainy season, we'll likely post updates on Twitter, faster than the blog.  Follow us on Twitter @RedCarProperty

Email us your storm related photos from the Red Car Property Neighborhood: redcarproperty@gmail.com   

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.