In late 2011, a $13.5 million settlement was reached between the Presidio Trust and CALTRANS for cleanup of contaminated sediments that have run into Mountain Lake off of the Park Presidio roadway above it. The runoff has been occurring since the roadway opened 70 years ago.
Under the terms of the settlement, Caltrans will pay $5.5 million to the United States for remediation of Mountain Lake, $4 million for re-configuring the Mountain Lake overflow pipeline, $500,000 for the Presidio’s legal costs, and will fund and construct a run-off diversion project, at an estimated cost of $3.5 million, so that contaminants from Highway 1 will no longer enter Mountain Lake.
According to project organizers, sediment at the bottom of the lake “contains contaminants of concern at concentrations that pose a potential risk to the environment.” The contaminated portions will be removed by dredging and Caltrans will make changes to treat future storm water runoff from Park Presidio before it enters the lake.
On April 19, the Presidio Trust will host a public meeting to receive feedback on the project’s Draft Feasibility Study/Remedial Action Plan (FS/RAP). The Draft FS/RAP proposes excavation by dredging as the preferred cleanup alternative for Mountain Lake. A California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Draft Negative Declaration for the cleanup project has also been prepared. (View FS/RAP & CEQA Documents | View project fact sheet)
The contaminants are in the lake sediment and do not pose a risk to human health, but do pose a potential risk to the lake’s freshwater aquatic habitat. The Presidio Trust plans to remove contaminated sediment from the lake by dredging. The dredged sediments would be processed on site to remove excess water and then placed in trucks and hauled to a disposal facility off the Presidio. Caltrans would stabilize Highway 1 before remediation to protect the roadway from failure during dreding operations. After dredging, the bottom of the lake would be graded to a stable and natural lake configuration. The Presidio Trust is working closely with the City of San Francisco and Caltrans to develop the dredging plan.
The meeting will take place Thursday, April 19 at 6:30 pm at the Golden Gate Club, 135 Fisher Loop, Main Post, Presidio of San Francisco.
Comments can also be mailed to: Genevieve Coyle, Presidio Trust, P.O. Box 29052, San Francisco, California 94129, sent in via email to gcoyle@presidiotrust.gov or by calling (415) 561-4293. Comments must be received by May 3.
Sarah B.
I’d rather have some sort of sound wall– the noise from the highway is just neverending.
@Alai
great idea!
I always thought a large waterfall would be better at hiding/buffering the noise from the cars/road.
But who made the video? They seem to have missed 2 whole blocks of the park and included much of Presidio land instead. What about the card shack and flag pole? What about the picnic table area with the palm trees? WHAT ABOUT THE DOG RUN?! West Pacific Road is NOT part of Mountain Lake Park. Sorry, but it’s true.
I’m guessing that large fake waterfalls are no longer in vogue, unlike 100 years ago in Golden Gate Park.
Maybe the video should be renamed “A Tour of the West Side of Mountain Lake Park and Some of the Presidio”