Proposed expedition inquiry: Pacoima reservoir from the back door?

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Nate U
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Post by Nate U »

Greetings....This is a route I've wanted to try for a while, but am hesitant from a trespassing perspective, so curious if anyone here has experience, and if its attainable, or if there might be a better route.
Would love to stand on the shores of the Pacoima Reservoir - its the nearest body of water in the mountains to where I live, and I've hiked all around it without ever actually getting to it. Plus old episodes of Zorro were filmed there, which is cool.

With this goal in mind, it seem to me the best way to achieve this would be to start on Little Tujunga Canyon Rd at a big turnout, and follow the Pacoima Wash downstream through what seems to be called Maple Canyon(?) around the North Side of Kagel Mt to where it enters the top end of the reservoir. It looks very navigable on Google Earth, and only a couple miles.

Proposed route. You will notice the reservoir level is a lot higher on Cal Topo than Google Earth with imagery during the drought where I created the .kml file!!
Screen Shot 2023-04-30 at 12.30.54 PM.png


Concerns:
• At this beautiful turnout / starting point on little Tujunga Canyon Rd there are a bunch of obnoxious No Trespassing signs last I checked, (boooo) but is it just my hopelessly optimistic imagination or do they kind of refer to going upstream, when the proposed route would be going down?
street view of this turnout, you can't seem them really in this screenshot but there are some no trespassing signs. They look amateurish, and seem focused on going upstream, but I (generally) treat no trespassing signs with respect..... you just never know how legit they really are.
Screen Shot 2023-04-30 at 12.41.06 PM.png


• Would I encounter LADWP or similar water management reservoir access denial obstruction signage or worse at some point in the canyon that would really force me to turn around? I know reservoirs can be carefully protected like that....

Anyone with experience around this neck of the woods? Or with any reservoir bagging in the Gabes?
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HikeUp
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Post by HikeUp »

Why does this remind me of Chinatown?

Sorry, no answers.
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Gene
Old Dam Man
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Post by Gene »

The LA County Public Works operates the dam. The Forrest Services says you cannot fish in the reservoir here:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/angeles/ ... rdb5318019

"No fishing is allowed in Morris, Cogswell, Big Tujunga, Pacoima, or Bouquet Reservoirs." but nothing about visiting. I'm guessing it is more about accessibility for Pacoima and Big Tujunga and drinking water use for the others.
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anarchist
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Post by anarchist »

Others have been and followed about the same plan. Asphalt driveway past burned out two story foundation.
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Nate U
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Post by Nate U »

anarchist wrote: Others have been and followed about the same plan. Asphalt driveway past burned out two story foundation.
anarchist, you demonstrate how mysteriously unique this message board is - I like it! ;) Do you know if you can reach the reservoir without walking past any posted or no trespassing signage?
I've searched google earth, and am not certain of what you refer to with the burned out foundation and driveway. Could I potentially get coordinates or something? I know, not as mysterious....haha
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Nate U
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Post by Nate U »

Gene wrote: The LA County Public Works operates the dam. The Forrest Services says you cannot fish in the reservoir here:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/angeles/ ... rdb5318019

"No fishing is allowed in Morris, Cogswell, Big Tujunga, Pacoima, or Bouquet Reservoirs." but nothing about visiting. I'm guessing it is more about accessibility for Pacoima and Big Tujunga and drinking water use for the others.
Thanks Gene. Yeah, I haven't found any info saying visiting is forbidden, just signage on the ground where I want to start the hike.... If LADWP says the reservoir itself is off-limits, then no problem I will graciously accept defeat. But if the only obstacle are a few landowners along the road, then I can't help but wonder if there is a route to circumvent.
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anarchist
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Post by anarchist »

Nate U wrote:
anarchist wrote: Others have been and followed about the same plan. Asphalt driveway past burned out two story foundation.
anarchist, you demonstrate how mysteriously unique this message board is - I like it! ;) Do you know if you can reach the reservoir without walking past any posted or no trespassing signage?
I've searched google earth, and am not certain of what you refer to with the burned out foundation and driveway. Could I potentially get coordinates or something? I know, not as mysterious....haha
No signs that I can remember. Google Earth screenshot shows route used. The dam is darn impressive, at one point was the largest concrete dam.
Screenshot_20230503_122136_Earth.jpg
20201003_081052.jpg
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Nate U
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Post by Nate U »

anarchist wrote:
Nate U wrote:
anarchist wrote: Others have been and followed about the same plan. Asphalt driveway past burned out two story foundation.
anarchist, you demonstrate how mysteriously unique this message board is - I like it! ;) Do you know if you can reach the reservoir without walking past any posted or no trespassing signage?
I've searched google earth, and am not certain of what you refer to with the burned out foundation and driveway. Could I potentially get coordinates or something? I know, not as mysterious....haha
No signs that I can remember. Google Earth screenshot shows route used. The dam is darn impressive, at one point was the largest concrete dam.
Yeah, the dam is both historic and impressive. Was reading about how it has withstood multiple earthquakes. That must be quite a deep reservoir, at least when its not full of sediment.

Thanks so much for taking the time for the screenshot.... my concern with that starting point is, at least as of Feb 2023, that asphalt driveway entrance looks like this. Was the gate and signage not there when you hiked it?

Screen Shot 2023-05-03 at 1.00.45 PM.png
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anarchist
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Post by anarchist »

I do not remember the signs. And I think we actually parked east of the driveway to avoid any houses and from there went straight into the drainage. We didn't know that the house associated with the driveway had burned. On our return we went up the driveway and around the gates. Just go!
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anarchist
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Post by anarchist »

Oh, if you go and want company please let me know?
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Nate U
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Post by Nate U »

anarchist wrote: Oh, if you go and want company please let me know?
Sent you a message sir! ??
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Nate U
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Post by Nate U »

Hi guys,

This coming Sunday the 21st I've got the day free so I'm wondering, with the weather looking to be pretty warm, if anyone would be interested in doing this little hike/investigation of Pacoima Reservoir? I think this would be a good warm weather hike because there is plenty of Pacoima wash to cool off with, and little elevation gain. reply or PM me. :)
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