Steve Sheridan is an engineer with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, which has sternly warned of the flood risk at Devil’s Gate Dam in Pasadena. The wildlife-rich riparian habitat, a rarity in the county, has become an oasis for joggers, hikers and equestrians. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Steve Sheridan, left, Bob Spencer and Kerjon Lee survey the mud- and debris-filled basin. There is little room for potential floodwater. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Carolynn Larner, 58, left, and Nancy Rose, 58, ride across Devil Gate’s Dam. The county Department of Public Works wants swift action to haul away the mud. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Water continues to course through the mud- and debris-filled Devil’s Gate Dam, where towering willow trees have taken root. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Bennington J. Williams, left, and Keith Tang of the Department of Public Works test a valve at Devil’s Gate Dam. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Under a worst-case scenario, torrential rains could send mud, rocks and water over the dam and flooding into the Rose Bowl, South Pasadena and northeast Los Angeles in less than 40 minutes. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
An overview of the Devil’s Gate Dam area beyond the 210 Freeway. The dam was built in 1920 after devastating floods in the early 20th century. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Water flows into the dam’s one functioning valve, right. The valve at left is clogged with debris and is unusable, worrying officials with the Department of Public Works. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
