Volume 1, Issue 2

The Three R's: Restore, Revitalize, Rejuvenate

In this issue of LA Stormwater we underscore a few of the restoration efforts the City and our partners are embarking on to enhance the area’s water quality. One of the key goals of our program is to support projects that have multiple benefits to the City as they improve our communities, habitats, and water quality.

When we design projects to improve the health of our waters, we are not only helping to restore our oceans for beachgoers, we are also ensuring that aquatic life will thrive. Additionally, when we expand open space/wetlands to help purify storm water runoff, we are also providing additional habitat for migratory birds and park space for residents in the midst of our city.

A great example of this is our project to renovate Echo Park Lake. Once completed, this project will vastly improve the lake’s water quality. Captured water will flow into the City’s storm drain system through better, more advanced infrastructure, cleaning out bacteria growth along the way. Other benefits will include enhanced water circulation, more pristine habitat for wildlife, and improved growing conditions for the lake’s famous lotus flowers -- rejuvenating a cultural landmark, and one of our most treasured urban lakes and open spaces within Los Angeles.

The Sheldon-Arleta Landfill in Sun Valley, closed in 1974, is now in the middle of a major conversion into the Cesar Chavez Recreational Complex. This is another example of a project serving a dual purpose: improving water quality while providing new amenities and various recreational opportunities for local residents. As a part of the City’s development of this new 44-acre recreational complex, the site is being designed to capture and route stormwater runoff into the adjacent Tujunga Spreading Grounds. This effort will both help to manage peak volumes of stormwater runoff and increase the regional water capabilities by recharging our groundwater supplies.

Restoring Los Angeles’ urban environment is a complex and expensive task. Our goal is to develop stormwater revitalization projects in tandem with partnerships with other agencies inside and outside the city. Striving towards collaborative efforts means that we are working to fund projects that make the most out of our dollars in order to help us reach the collective goal of revitalizing our local landscape while fostering an improved quality of life in our urban environment.