Beginnings Echo Park Lake's earliest use by the city was as a reservoir for drinking water. The Los Angeles Canal and Reservoir Company formed Reservoir No. 4 in 1868. The company obtained the water by digging a ditch that sent water flowing from the
Los Angeles River — in the area now known as
Los Feliz — along a zigzag path that emptied into the reservoir. In 1891 the four owners of the surrounding area gave up of land to the city around the reservoir so that it could be used as a park. The city began work landscaping the park in October 1892. By 1895, the park and accompanying boathouse were completed. The lake was closed off and drained in the summer of 2011 when renovation work began. The rehabilitation project tackled Echo Park Lake not only as a recreational body of water, but also as an important part of the Los Angeles ecosystem. Although Echo Park Lake is man-made, it is part of the local watershed. As part of the rehabilitation project, the lake was drained and dredged, a
wetlands feature was added, a new boardwalk and walking paths were added, and aquatic plants and lotus flowers were re-planted. A temporary chain-link fence was placed along the park's perimeter, to protect vegetation and to enable authorities to monitor activity in the park. As the encampment grew in size, crime at the park surged, disproportionately affecting the homeless. Four homeless individuals died at the park in 2020. On March 25, 2021, the park was closed for renovations and cleared of nearly 200 homeless tents. This was done to address the high increase of the homeless population throughout the park and repair any damages. Closure notices were posted throughout the park at least a day before the sweep, but a crowd of over 200 protesters met LAPD. This situation escalated tension between neighbors on how to handle the homeless problem in Los Angeles properly. The lake reopened on May 26, 2021, after the tents were removed. Upon its reopening, the park was closed after hours, from 10 pm to 5 am nightly. The city spent $1.1 million to repair and cleanup the park. 183 people experiencing homelessness at Echo Park Lake were successfully moved into transitional housing. By March 2022, only 17 individuals had transitioned to permanent housing, and 48 remained on a waiting list. After the
2022 Los Angeles elections,
Hugo Soto-Martinez was elected as the council member for
Los Angeles's 13th City Council district, where the lake is located. He had campaigned to remove the fence, calling it a symbol of the city's "biggest policy failure on homelessness." On February 2, 2023, Soto-Martinez announced plans to remove the fence. The issue immediately proved divisive, with many concerned residents and park visitors expressing safety and cleanliness concerns and fearful of a return to the homeless encampments. Others advocated for the fence to remain, or for a permanent wrought iron fence to be installed around the park's perimeter, similar to other parks in the city, like the
Los Angeles State Historic Park. While Soto-Martinez struggled to convince concerned residents and local businesses, he otherwise remained intransigent. The fencing was removed late March 2023 and since then has been free of homelessness. == Public art ==