current slippage in the Portuguese Bend area began in 1956, coincident with the construction of a road (the Crenshaw Boulevard extension, south of Crest Road) along the top of the ancient landslide complex. During this construction, excavated sediment was dumped onto the upper slopes of the complex along with hundreds of thousands of gallons of water which lubricated a layer of bentonite clay formed by the subsurface weathering of volcanic rock called tuff. This layer of bentonite slants down to the Pacific ocean enabling down-slope movement which continues to the present. A 1958 video newsreel was shot of the effects of the movement on the homes in the area. A successful suit was filed by area homeowners in 1961, winning $10 million in compensation against Los Angeles County, the party responsible for the road construction. Another possible contributing cause of the sliding was the construction of hundreds of homes on and above the unstable rock and soil in the early 1950s prior to the slide. Each home had its own sewage treatment facility (cesspool or septic system) and home owners established lawns and gardens on their properties. Some homes were damaged, but others remain intact. Homes which remain occupied now have water and sewage lines available to them. The new lines were constructed above ground, so the slide can move freely below them.