Lake Hollywood Reservoir
Department of Water and Power (DWP)

Reservoir Update Line (323) 463-0830 
for the latest information. 
Due to unstable ground following the 2005 rains, the reservoir is partially closed to the public until further notice.

Maps of Hollywood Reservoir

DWP Map of the Reservoir

Aerial photograph of  the lake
From the HWQIP Website

Lake Hollywood Reservoir Mileage for Joggers

Access Hours and Rules

Photographs

Click on the thumbnail pictures to see a larger version of the photographs. Use your browser's Back button to return to this page.

Flora and Fauna

The surrounding hillsides are covered by chaparral and coastal sage scrub plant. Fully grown oaks, eucalyptus, pine and wild walnut trees shade much of the path around the lake.

Joggers and hikers can enjoy deer, coyotes, rabbits, squirrels, turtles, hawks, ducks, California quails, woodpeckers, hummingbirds and numerous blue jays.

A mountain lion and several bobcats were observed near Lake Hollywood in the fall of 2005.

History

Lake Hollywood is a man-made reservoir built in 1924 to hold more than 2.5 billion gallons of water. The reservoir is part of the Owens River Aqueduct system. The Mulholland Dam was built by engineer William Mulholland who designed and built the system of aqueducts and reservoir providing Los Angeles with most of its drinking water. 

Construction began in 1923 and the lake was first filled in 1925. 

The dam is located in Weid Canyon, East of Cahuenga Pass. The dam is 210 feet high, 933 feet long and 16 feet wide at the crest with a maximum depth of 183 feet. 172,000 cubic yards of concrete were used for the construction of the Mulholland Dam.

The Mulholland Dam was later reinforced with tons of earth on the downstream side as a precaution after the similar St. Francis Dam burst in 1928. Later studies confirmed that the St. Francis disaster was not caused by a faulty design. 

The reinforced part of the dam, now covered 
with fully grown trees, makes the dam barely 
noticeable from Hollywood below. 

A small dam was subsequently built in the northern part of the lake to provide additional reservoir capacity.

As a reservoir for drinking water, the lake is not open for swimming or boating and dogs are not allowed on the perimeter path. In 1974, the California State Department of Health Services directed the Department to further improve water quality and the protection of open distribution reservoirs. In addition to normal environmental exposures faced by open bodies of water, the Upper and Lower Hollywood reservoirs could be contaminated by surface runoff.

The initial plans, in 1988, proposed to install reservoir covers. To protest these plans, 15 community groups (including the HKCC) formed the Coalition to Preserve Open Reservoirs (CPOR). A mediation process in 1990 let to the current solution of buried water storage and a small filtration plant at the base of the dam.

The City of Los Angeles, Department of Water and Power (DWP), is moving toward completion of new water storage facilities next to the Upper and Lower Hollywood Reservoirs. Two of the world’s largest underground tanks now store treated water, with new pipelines linking the tanks to the distribution system. 

Landform graded landscaping 
after construction of the 
Hollywood Reservoir Toyon tanks

More than one million cubic yards of soil were excavated to make room for the underground storage tanks. Much of that dirt was placed in fill sites in four canyons near the tanks and "landform graded" to blend with contours of the existing hillsides. That same fill has been used to bury the tanks. The earth moving and grading are now complete. Fill sites are being planted and irrigated. The irrigation system will be used for about three or four years. After that, the plants will be able to flourish using only rainwater.

The two new Toyon tanks are now taking over the water storage role previously played by both Hollywood Reservoirs. Even though the reservoirs will remain full in case of emergency, reservoir water will no longer need to be chlorinated. This gives DWP the opportunity to manage the reservoirs using a natural approach – without chlorine – to maintain the ecosystem and keep the water clear, odor-free and of good quality for emergency use.