Archive for July, 2010
Transforming F’s to A’s – One Beach at a Time
Jul 29th
Ah, summertime. A season filled with warm balmy nights, backyard barbecues, Little League games, and weekend trips to the beach. Each of us has favorite summer memories, and I’d venture to guess that those recollections involve a beach, river or lake – we just naturally gravitate towards water during hot months. We’ve all enjoyed that morning bike ride along Santa Monica Bay, been mesmerized by the festive sights of Echo Park Lake’s Lotus Festival, watched the kids splash in the waves at Dockweiler Beach or explored Cabrillo’s tide pools.
So what better way to say thank you to the places that have been so memorable than by creating a new summer tradition that gives back. Make the pledge, like some Sanitation employees already have, to participate in one clean-up event this summer to keep those special places clean for generations to come. It’s easy to do. There are clean-up events happening year round here in Southern California. A few hours of your time can make a positive impact on those beaches, lakes and rivers we love.
In this issue of LA Stormwater, we focus on the beaches that are so much a part of LA life this time of year. Just before Memorial More >
Win Two FREE Tickets to Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach!
Jul 28th
Subscribe to the LA Stormwater YouTube channel and post “I love clean water” in the channel comments section from now until August 16th, 2010 and you will be entered to win 2 FREE tickets to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach!
Big thanks to the Aquarium of the Pacific’s sustainable seafood initiative – Seafood for the Future – for donating the tickets!
Winner will be announced on August 17th in LA Stormwater‘s channel comments section, so make sure to check back on that date.
The Coast is Clear(er)
Jul 27th
We live in an age where cutting edge technology is everywhere, making our lives and its related challenges easier to solve. Often times we aren’t aware or able to understand the technology that makes our lives easier. It just happens in the background, without us knowing. We simply reap the benefits. And so it is in our ongoing fight to combat ocean pollution. On any given summer day here in Los Angeles more than 100 million gallons of polluted urban runoff flow untreated to Santa Monica and San Pedro Bays. To put this amount into perspective, 100 million gallons is enough water to fill the Rose Bowl to the brim. This flow easily increases to one billion gallons during a normal storm event.
Unbeknownst to many Angelenos, the City of Los Angeles has been employing state-of-the-art technology all along Pacific Coast Highway to address the urban runoff issue plaguing Southland beaches. This technology comes in the form of low flow diversion (LFD) projects. Here’s the gist: during low rainfall periods (like summer months) water still flows through the storm drain system. This water ends of flowing to the ocean. However, when this water hits LFD installations bacteria and other pollutants get removed.
Since More >
Kids Ocean Day Through the Eyes of a Teacher
Jul 21st
Hi there, I’m Natalie Guerboian, Special Education teacher here at Newcastle Elementary school, which participated in Kids Ocean Day 2010. It was a first time experience for me and my students, as I am a first year teacher. It was something special to see thousands of students coming together to help keep our oceans clean.
A few of my students were amazed to see the amount of trash left behind and washed up on the beach. They really enjoyed picking up the trash and having an impact on cleaning up a small part of our coastline. The experience of cleaning the beach taught them why it is important to recycle and throw away trash. I enjoyed watching their debates and reasoning as to why one item should or should not be recycled.
As one of my students said, “Ms. Guerboian, why is it so hard for people to just throw their trash in the trash cans?” It is so true. There is trash and recycling bins conveniently available for us, therefore there is no excuse for not properly dispensing trash.
I would like to see beach clean-ups take place more often, but that doesn’t mean we should only clean on “clean-up” days. My More >
The Great L.A. River Cleanup: An Interview with Sofia Mohaghegh
Jul 16th
In May 2010 Sofia Mohaghegh, an Environmental Engineering Associate II with the City of Los Angeles’ Watershed Protection Division volunteered with other City Sanitation employees during La Gran Limpieza (or the Great Clean-Up) an annual spring Los Angeles River clean-up event organized by Friends of the Los Angeles River. Sofia recently answered a few questions about the event and the day’s enviro-happenings.
City of Los Angeles: Was this your first clean-up event or do you regularly volunteer at these types of events?
Sofia Mohaghegh: I have been participating in clean-up events since I was in college, and I carried the habit with me from then on. It’s just a great way to invest yourself in the community. I’ve attended Coastal Cleanup Day at a different site every year since 2005, and also a few other events that occur sporadically at different times throughout the year.
City of Los Angeles: What is your motivation for participating in this type of event?
Sofia Mohaghegh: I want to do my part to help clean up our waterbodies, especially since it is related to my day job. I want to see how well we’re doing and if our projects are working. I also live in LA near the LA River and bike More >
New Bacteria Limits Set for LA River
Jul 14th
On July 9, 2010, The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB) held a hearing in Glendale to decide the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for bacteria in the LA River.
TMDLs establish the maximum amount of pollutants that are allowed to enter a particular water body in order to comply with federal water quality standards. LARWQCB approved a new bacteria TMDL for the LA River during dry weather seasons over the next 25 years in order to meet already established goals.
The adoption of new TMDL standards came after a two-year long stakeholder process called Cleaner Rivers Through Effective Stakeholder-led TMDLs (CREST). The City of Los Angeles spearheaded the group’s discussions.
“This was the first TMDL adopted AFTER completion of significant scientific study, with detailed assessment of implementation strategies to meet the waste load allocation, and their costs,” said Catherine Tyrrell of Malcolm Pirnie, one of several individuals on the CREST consultant team.
This fix will help to keep dangerous strains of bacteria like E. coli from entering the stormwater system and then entering the LA River where it is dumped into waters off of Long Beach. Such pollutants can harm human and aquatic life.
Inland cities will have to comply with the standards by adopting a More >
Consideration of LID Ordinance at Energy & Environment Council Committee
Jul 14th
Due to a scheduling conflict, the proposed Low Impact Development (LID) Ordinance will not be considered by the Energy and Environment Council Committee at their July 20, 2010 meeting. The Committee will schedule the LID Ordinance for a future meeting once the City Council returns in September from their recess.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and will continue to notify you as early as possible about upcoming LID Ordinance related meetings.
For the latest information on the LID Ordinance and a copy of the latest draft of the proposed ordinance, please visit our LA Stormwater LID Page.
Best Regards,
Shahram Kharaghani L.A. Stormwater Program Manager
L.A. River to Receive Protections under the Clean Water Act
Jul 9th
A big change occurred in how the Federal government views the L.A. River. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson visited Southern California and announced that the river would be designated as ‘traditional navigable waters’. That may not mean much on its surface, but it certainly means a lot for those that want to see the river repaired.
“We’re moving away from the concrete,” Jackson told more than 200 residents and government officials as she stood next to Compton Creek, one of the LA River’s main tributaries, and one that has been marred by chronic pollution. “We want the L.A. River to demonstrate how urban waterways across the country can serve as assets in building stronger neighborhoods, attracting new businesses and creating new jobs.”
Check out when Lisa Jackson announced the great news (footage courtesy of Creek Freak’s Joe Linton).
With the ‘navigable’ designation, the L.A. River will now receive protections under the Clean Water Act, which the community hopes will be a step toward cleaning up the watershed. Ultimately the goal will be to make the river safe for humans and for wildlife.
The Los Angeles Times explained its significance:
“Protection under the Clean Water Act sets the stage for a multitude of ambitious plans, including removing the More >
Monthly Events: Sunshine and Volunteering: A Recipe for a Great July
Jul 7th
Summer is in full swing here in Southern California. This month is packed full of great events and volunteer opportunities, so pick a weekend to check out a local eco event or donate a few hours of your time to a good green cause!
- On Saturday, July 10th there are a number of events to choose from. Check out the Eco Fest in Venice, the Lotus Festival in Echo Park or hop on over to Topanga Canyon for a creek side tree planting. You might want to check out the Green Expo, hosted by The Metropolitan Water District, where 40 environmental exhibits will be ready for the browsing. You could also put on your boots and help Santa Monica Baykeeper restore Stone Canyon Creek near UCLA.
- If Saturday is too busy, come out on Sunday, July 11th where Surfrider is putting on an event in Los Angeles in conjunction with Green Garden Group in a hands-on workshop about landscaping and water use.
- Want to share your gardening expertise? Help maintain trees that were planted by TreePeople and volunteers two years ago in San Pedro on Tuesday, July 13th.
- Saturday, July 17th is another busy day for nature lovers. Prune some fruit trees in Sylmar or chip in for some hearty mountain restoration More >
Low Impact Development (LID) Ordinance and Handbook Update
Jul 1st
Legislative action, meetings, committees selected – we have a lot to update you on regarding the City of Los Angeles Low Impact Development Ordinance and its related handbook. Here is what’s going on:
Mayor’s Office Completes Review of LID Ordinance
We’re pleased to report that the Mayor’s office has completed its review of the proposed Low Impact Development (LID) Ordinance and has forwarded it onto the Los Angeles City Council for their review. The first Council committee reviewing the proposed ordinance will be the Energy and Environment Council Committee, possibly in the later part of July. We’ll notify you when the date of the hearing has been announced. This is another major milestone reached on the path towards enacting Los Angeles Low Impact Development legislation.
Kick-Off Meeting gets LID Handbook Project off on the Right Foot
On Thursday, May 20th, 55 contractors, consultants, officials, non-profits and active residents came out to the LA River Center for an informational and impassioned kick off-meeting for the LID Handbook Project. Several presentations from City representatives as well as an involved Q & A session comprised the launch meeting for the Handbook Project.
Vik Bapna of California Watershed Engineering stated “As a whole, I think the meeting went pretty More >
