Echo Park Lake is one of the City of Los Angeles' crown jewels and is a designated cultural-historic landmark. Originally built as a water supply reservoir in 1870, Echo Park Lake was formally established as a city park in 1892. The 29-acre park, however, suffered from decades of neglect and in 2006, it was identified on the California 303(d) list of impaired water bodies.
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The Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation Project, which began in 2007 as part of the City of Los Angeles' Proposition O Clean Water Bond Program, sought improved water quality, habitat, and recreational opportunities. The project consisted of relocating wildlife, draining the lake, removing contaminated sediments, replacing the liner and lake edging, re-configuring storm drain inlets, restoring the lotus beds, implementing stormwater treatment wetlands, enhancing the wildlife habitat, implement parkland BMPs, developing interpretive signage, preserving the park's cultural resources, and improving the park and in-lake recreational uses. A rehabilitated Echo Park Lake opened in June 2013 to rave reviews in blogs, newspapers, and other local publications.