It's not a joke -- the famous lotus of Echo Park Lake won't be attending the Lotus Festival this year. To date there is no consensus on what's killing them. Though there has been some study. One group of motivated high school students took it upon themselves to study the matter.

Meanwhile, the lake is going to be partly or completely drained (we HOPE not completely) as part of a "Rehabilitation Project." The rehab will be welcome if it is conducted sensitively and properly.

A meeting concerning the lotus and wildlife at the lake -- and other concerns -- is scheduled for Monday June 9. But Chicken Corner has heard that the meeting was not widely publicized.

So... if you don't already know:

The Bureau of Engineering [announces] the first public meeting about the Echo Park Rehabilitation Project. The day is Monday, June 9, 2008, 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Logan Street School.

Logan Street School is at the corner of Logan and Montana. It has a mural that Jerry Garcia was personally involved in painting.

Here are some details and background on the Echo Park Lake project, from Thomas DeBoe, who heads the Echo Park Lake Advisory Board:

On Monday, June 9, the Los Angeles City Bureau of Engineering will host the first community meeting to discuss the Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation Project. This project, which is estimated to cost about $84 million dollars to complete, is intended to restore water quality at the lake as part of Proposition O, the Clean Water Bond Act.

The Echo Park Advisory Board has been following the progress of the Project with great interest. We have reviewed the Concept Report document that outlines many of the problems at the lake and proposes solutions to make the Lake and the water cleaner. The rehabilitation of the Lake will also result in many positive changes within the park.

During the current “Pre-Design Phase”, BoE consultants will present more detailed ideas for actually doing the work. Construction itself will not begin until 2009, at the earliest. To protect our lotus pond and the wildlife, particularly the bird life at the Lake, we support two particular ideas that are especially worthy of incorporating into the design plans.

1. Draining the entire lake for a lengthy period of time will affect the ability of the Lake to serve as a rest and refueling stop for the many migratory birds that visit the lake each winter. Because so much of California’s wetlands have already been lost, even a small area like Echo Park Lake is important for the wild birds that come here. We think the engineers should keep the lake partially filled with water, particularly during the winter bird migration season. The north end of the lake where the lotus pond and the island are located is shallower than the rest of the lake. Creating a temporary dam would keep water in the north end while work continues in the larger, southern portion of the lake. For instance, the height of the control dam that separates the lotus pond from the main body of water could be increased.

2. Relocate the storm drain at the north end and create a mini-wetlands in that area. This would beautify that area and provide needed vegetation for migrating birds. A new and less conspicuous storm drain entry could be better accessed and maintained by the clean-up crews. The Echo Park Advisory Board feels these are worthy ideas for inclusion in the design plan, and we think most stakeholders will agree. When you attend the meeting on June 9, please express your support for both of these concepts.