Los Angeles County is planning to build a water-play splash pad at Whittier Narrows Recreation Area park, one of the county’s largest regional parks located in the unincorporated community of South El Monte, at 750 Santa Anita Ave.
The park, used for day walking, exercising, miniature boat races, picnicking and also fishing and paddle boats is a major county park that takes in visitors from a 25-mile radius. The park is defined by its three lakes: Legg Lake, Center Lake and North Lake that are used primarily for wildlife and fishing.
But the lakes are strictly off limits for swimming.
By adding a splash pad, it would provide a place for children to cool off, while detering children and adults from swimming in the lakes, which are unsupervised and strictly illegal, the county reported.
“In addition to enhancing the park experience, the splash pad will provide the added benefit of helping to deter children from swimming in the unsupervised waters of Legg Lake, thereby supporting ongoing efforts to improve safety at the park,” said the motion authored by L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, whose district includes the park and surrounding areas.
On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, at Solis’s request, added $549,532 in funding from Prop. A’s excess funds to the project. Prop. A funds local parks and open space as a result of a ballot measure passed by voters in 1996.
Also, the project previously received $4 million from Proposition 68 Per Capita Program, a grant program for local park rehabilitation and improvements out of the California State Parks, and $950,467.17 in First District Measure A County Priority Project funds.
The project, which will cost $5.5 million, will provide ground sprays and bubblers with shade structures and outdoor showers and a new private fire hydrant.
“Whittier Narrows is a vital regional resource, and investments like this are about making sure the park continues to meet the needs of the communities it serves,” said Solis in a statement. “This project builds on my work to strengthen public spaces throughout the San Gabriel Valley and make sure families have more opportunities to gather, play and spend time together. I’m proud to help bring this long-awaited improvement to Whittier Narrows.”