Devil's Gate Reservoir

The Devil’s Gate Project is a flood management project located in the city of Pasadena, California.

The project reduced the risk of flooding in the surrounding areas during heavy rains by overhauling the sediment management of the facility which had become innundated with leftover wildfire debris after the 2009 Station Fire.

The centerpiece of the project is the Devil’s Gate Dam, which was built in the 1920s and has since been upgraded to meet modern safety standards. The dam serves to capture and store stormwater runoff from the nearby San Gabriel Mountains, which can then be released into the Arroyo Seco channel downstream. The project also includes the construction of debris basins and sediment removal facilities to help mitigate the impact of erosion and sedimentation on downstream communities. In addition to its flood control functions, the Devil’s Gate Project also provides recreational opportunities for visitors, including hiking trails and picnic areas. The project has been the subject of controversy in recent years, as some local residents and environmental groups have raised concerns about the potential impact of the project on the surrounding ecosystem, including endangered species and cultural resources.

My role was to aid in the design of the habitat restoration and recreational facilities, as well as to help calculate the overall estimate of excess debris within the dam walls. This role extended approximately 2 years and covered a large portion of the pre construction design process.

To learn more about this project and how it looks today, you can go to the County’s project webpage