Echo Park Lake and the surrounding park that once played host to countless family gatherings and festivals now have the appearance of a fenced-in construction site.
The lake's 21 million gallons of water have been drained in preparation for a two-year remodel-renovation project that will outfit the lake with a clay liner and create four acres of urban wetlands.
The complete makeover is projected to cost more than $64 million, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Pictures posted on TheEastsiderLA.com show shopping carts, steel barrels and various other unwanted treasures protruding from the sludge at the bottom of the lake.
The Echo Park Lake rehabilitation team is working to address some of the project's main concerns, including odors, dead fish and a coyote, according to a news release.
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