Baldwin Lake (Los Angeles County, California)

Baldwin Lake
Looking north across Baldwin Lake from near the Queen Anne Cottage at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. California native fan palm trees (Washingtonia filifera) and Mexican fan palm trees (Washingtonia robusta) line the north shore.[1]
Location of Baldwin Lake in California, USA.
Location of Baldwin Lake in California, USA.
Baldwin Lake
Location of Baldwin Lake in California, USA.
Location of Baldwin Lake in California, USA.
Baldwin Lake
LocationArcadia, California
Coordinates34°08′31″N 118°03′15″W / 34.14194°N 118.05417°W / 34.14194; -118.05417[2]
TypeSag pond
Primary inflows
Primary outflowsAquifer recharge
Basin countriesUnited States
Average depth2 feet (0.61 m)
Max. depth30 inches (760 mm)
formerly 18 feet (5.5 m)

Baldwin Lake is a sag pond in the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, which is in the San Gabriel Valley of Southern California, south of the San Gabriel Mountains. The pond, arboretum, and botanic garden are all within the city of Arcadia.[3][4]

The pond is fed by stormwater[5] and natural springs; water flows out of the pond to the aquifer at Raymond Fault, and on to the Rio Hondo.[citation needed] Baldwin Lake is part of the Los Angeles River watershed.

The area of the pond is about 4 acres (1.6 ha).[4] Silt and pollutants embedded in the pond by surface runoff have reduced its depth from about 12 feet (3.7 m) to 30 inches (760 mm).[4][6]

  1. ^ Matt Ritter, A Californian's Guide to the Trees Among Us, 2011, Heyday, Berkeley, ISBN 978-1-59714-147-5
  2. ^ "Baldwin Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  3. ^ Price, Morton R. (2006). "Recharge and water quality of Baldwin Lake at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, Arcadia, California". AEG News. 49. Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists: 109 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ a b c Scauzillo, Steve (December 24, 2014). "L.A. County, Lucky Baldwin's relatives push for restoration of Baldwin Lake at arboretum in Arcadia". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  5. ^ "Arboretum works to clean up Baldwin Lake storm water pollution". ABC7.com. KABC-TV. November 21, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  6. ^ Rabe, John (August 24, 2016). "Bringing back the Arboretum's sludge-filled Baldwin Lake". scpr.org. KPCC. Retrieved June 19, 2017.