What does the future hold for the Silver Lake reservoir, a veteran of LA water infrastructure system? Built in early 20th century by William Mulholland to serve as an alternative source of water should the aqueducts fail, the reservoir was drained following a change in regulations that required reservoirs to be covered. A voided basin at the moment, it awaits the spring when, according to City Councilman David Ryu, it will be refilled once again.

In the meanwhile, the dusty void poses a gaping question that Silver Lake Forward, a group of community enthusiasts invested in the future of the lake, seek to answer with design assistance of Mia Lehrer + Associates. Archdaily reports that the group’s conceptual plan “aims for the gradual reintroduction of natural landscape ecologies by artificially raising the reservoir’s floor and converting the complex into a 31-acre park. The scheme features lookout points, boardwalks, and a series of small islands set aside for roosting water birds.” This certainly sounds like an exciting preposition! Check out Silver Lake Forward to learn more about this plan, and if you are curious about the way that the state of the reservoir affects Silver Lake real estate market, take a look at the story over at Eastsider that features Tracy Do and Rob Kallick of Sotheby’s International Realty as they weigh in on this important issue.