2023 Southern California Best Projects
Best Project - Potrero Canyon Park - Landscaping
Photo by Barbara Nielsen
Potrero Canyon Park - Landscaping
BEST PROJECT
Los Angeles
Submitted by: City of Los Angeles, Public Works, Bureau of Engineering
Owner: City of Los Angeles, Dept. of Recreation and Parks
Lead Design Firm: MARRS Design Services Inc.
General Contractor: Ford E.C. Inc.
Project Construction Inspection: City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Contract Administration
Construction Management: City of Los Angeles, Construction Management Division
Consulting Designer: MARRS Design Services Inc.
Potrero Canyon spans 46 acres of steep slopes along the coastline of the Pacific Palisades. A series of landslides have long plagued homes and properties around the coastal bluffs of the canyon as far back as the 1950s.
To stabilize Potrero Canyon’s unstable slopes and prevent landslides, the team buttressed infill at a 2:1 slope and simultaneously restored a natural habitat for the community to learn about and enjoy. A new drainage system was installed with natural tan colored terrace drains as well as a pump station and storm drain that control water running through the canyon to ensure long-term stability, creating a self-sustaining environment for wildlife and plants.
Crews also restored 10 impermeable liner riparian basins that act as check dams from the top of the canyon down to a pump station at the bottom along Pacific Coast Highway, which recycles the water as needed or releases it into an existing storm drain. Each basin has two impermeable layers: one to line the basin as a whole to hold water below ground for vegetation to thrive on and a second beneath the creek that runs down the center of the entire canyon to create a high water table for riparian vegetation to flourish. These designs allow for a marsh-like natural riparian zone to grow with minimal irrigation and recycles stormwater to reduce water demand, particularly during times of drought. After an initial establishment period, the park will be self-sufficient. The park features more than 12,900 plants, 530 trees and 1.75 miles of walking paths.
