Remember, September is a Great Month to be a Clean Water Advocate!
Aug 31st
Summer has come to an end. Kids are back in school. Fall is right around the corner. You know what this all means? It’s a great time to get out and volunteer for a cleaner Los Angeles! Below is a list of events in our area. There is sure to be one that fits your schedule!
>Transition LA asks you to join garden veterans and enthusiasts in Westchester as they tend and harvest the Community Garden on Thursday, September 1st.
>Saturday, September 3rd, is sure to be a fun-filled day. Cabrillo Marine Aquarium invites you to a beach cleanup. LA Conservation Corps. is paddling the LA River, TreePeople is planting trees in the Angeles National Forest, the Sanitation Districts of LA County is giving a tour of the newly restored 17-acre Bixby Marshland, and much, much more.
>Sustainable Works will be busy every Tuesday in September giving Green Living Workshops, covering everything from water and energy use to transportation and shopping for food.
>The Los Angeles Basin Section (LABS) of California Water Environment Association is organizing a specialty conference on September 8th to promote clean water practices with some of the environmental leaders of LA.
>On Saturday, September 10th, Friends of Ballona Wetlands will be giving an informative tour of More >
How are you celebrating National Water Quality Month?
Aug 24th
Did you know that the month of August is National Water Quality Month? Yeah, we knew there was a reason we loved this month so much. It’s a perfect time to look at how we can improve local water quality by following a few simple tips!
How are water quality and stormwater related? Here’s how: when stormwater is cleaner then the environment benefits because less pollution is spread through our waterways. Storm drains in L.A. eventually drain into the ocean, so cleaner runoff means cleaner beaches for nature and people alike!
Below are 5 tips that will get you thinking a bit more about water quality (with an emphasis on stormwater!).
1) Lawn clippings don’t belong in the streets! That’s right, after you mow or rake leaves, do not blow or sweep this debris into the road where it will eventually flow into the storm drain. Instead, leave the clippings on your lawn or compost them!
2) Ditch those lawn chemicals! Yep, chemicals are not good for the environment. The less you use, the less that ends up washing into the stormwater system. When possible, use eco-friendly alternatives to pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides.
3) Tear out that concrete driveway! Permeable surfaces, which concrete is not, allow water to More >
Sea Life Trivia Contest
Aug 15th
The Prize: Win a framed Stormwater Marine Poster signed especially for you by the artist – LA Stormwater’s very own graphics director, Oscar Amaro.
Contest: We had such a great response to our Name That Animal contest we decided to give you more trivia questions and another opportunity to win an iconic LA Stormwater design! Urban runoff drains into our ocean every day endangering many different sea animals, some of which are depicted in our Stormwater Marine Poster below. Take a good look at the poster and read through our trivia questions to name that sea creature!
*Write your answers in the comment section below.
Deadline: We will select a winner on August 31, 2011. One last thing, anyone who gives it a try will receive a FREE poster, so you have nothing to lose!
Sea Life Trivia 1) Many larger sea animals eat plastic bags because they think it’s me. What am I?
2) Pesticides and Herbicides strongly affect plankton, which is one of my favorite foods. I can consume 5,500 pounds of plankton a day! What am I?
3) I’m a furry marine animal with flippers that likes to eat bottom-dwelling sea life such as mussels, abalone, and clams, which can be hard to find when they’re covered with trash. What am More >
Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation Project Kicks Off
Aug 10th
In 1984, Echo Park Lake was drained and cleaned up in preparation for visitors from around the globe during the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Now, almost three decades later, LA’s most iconic lake is being emptied once again. This time Echo Park Lake, long considered the crown jewel among Los Angeles’ recreational lakes, will undergo a thorough restoration and revitalization project thanks to funds from Proposition O.
*Photo courtesy of Rich Alossi
Built in the 1860s as a drinking water reservoir, Echo Park Lake now functions primarily as a detention basin in the City’s storm drain system, while providing recreational benefits and wildlife habitat. Currently, polluted urban runoff drains into Echo Park Lake and eventually flows into the LA River and San Pedro Bay. A cleaner lake will ultimately mean a cleaner river and ocean. The surrounding park also plays host to numerous community events, such as the beloved annual Lotus Festival.
“The rehabilitation of Echo Park Lake will provide the Echo Park community with an improved and more sustainable lake to enjoy,” says Enrique C. Zaldivar, Bureau of Sanitation Director. “As an added benefit, the restoration of the lake allows the City of Los Angeles to reduce pollution in our local More >
Make your Garden Ocean Friendly – A Chat with Surfrider Foundation’s Paul Herzog
Aug 4th
Paul Herzog works for Surfrider Foundation and is the National Coordinator for their Ocean Friendly Garden Program. The LA Stormwater Program recently caught up with Paul to discuss the program he oversees and glean a little insight on how to make our yards and gardens friendlier to our waterways.
LA Stormwater: Hi Paul! Can you explain how exactly runoff from gardens impact local water quality?
Paul Herzog: Runoff is the number one source of pollution in our local creeks, rivers and oceans. Water running off landscapes from sprinkler overspray or rain gutters directed to the driveway gets into the street gutters and is carried to ocean. It takes with it landscape chemicals and fertilizers, pollutants from car exhaust and oil, dog poop and other stuff. People that swim in these waters may get sick. We’re told that we are supposed to stay out of the ocean for 72 hours after a storm – but that’s often the best time to surf. This can affect the economy. If the ocean near where we live or where people want to vacation is thought to be polluted, many may simply stay away. People may also decide not to eat locally-caught fish.
Maintaining an Ocean Friendly Garden at home, work More >
A Clean Water August: Your Monthly Events are Here!
Aug 2nd
August is here, and we know your month is full of fun summer activities! Why not add a great community event to the list? Here’s a breakdown of a few taking place in August.
>Every Thursday this month Transition LA will be tending and harvesting community gardens. And guess what? They need volunteers!
>On Saturday, August 6th join the Sanitation Districts of LA County to tour the newly restored Bixby Marshland in Carson, or head on out to Agoura Hills for La Sierra Restoration Day.
>TreePeople are going to be at it on Sunday, August 7th in serene Calabasas for a Santa Monica Mountains Restoration project. Volunteer and restore some native habitat!
>Saturday, August 13th is going to be a busy one. First, drop off your Household Hazardous Waste in Downey, attend a Smart Gardening Workshop in Torrance and then kick it in Long Beach for a World Port and Sealife Cruise.
>Conquer those weeds with native plants! The California Native Plant Society is going to be working in the shade of majestic oak trees clearing some invasive understory on Sunday, August 14th.
>The week of August 15th through the 19th is a busy one at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific where Ocean Adventures Day Camp will explore the More >
5 Ways to Get Kids Excited About Stormwater
Jul 26th
The kids are out of school and it’s starting to heat up here in Southern California. We all remember those lazy summer days of our youth, trekking to Disneyland or hanging out at the beach. Well, what if this summer your kids went back to school with a new found interest in something important, like stormwater issues? We think that would be pretty cool, so here are 5 ways to help get you started!
#1: Do a Beach Cleanup
Nothing like a little reward for hard work. Every month Heal the Bay and other organizations coordinate beach cleanups which we list in our community calendar. So why not pick one and have the kids chip in for a morning? They will learn a little about how litter from the streets ends up at our beaches, and they will feel good about doing their part to make the environment a better place. Plus, you can reward them by hanging out for the afternoon at the beach, so they can play in the water!
#2: Plant a Native Garden
Not many kids enjoy mowing lawns, so why not have your kids help you get rid of one! Have them join you in turning your lawn into a More >
Celebrate the Completion of Westside Park Rainwater Irrigation Project!
Jul 20th
The LA Stormwater Program invites you to the Grand Opening Celebration of the Westside Park Rainwater Irrigation Project on Saturday, July 23rd at 11am (details below).
The Prop O funded project at the park is significant for the quality of life of the surrounding community and the health of the coastal environment. Runoff from approximately 3,700 acres of land adjacent to South Fairfax Avenue is being collected and treated to reduce stormwater pollution. Prior to the project’s completion, this water ran straight into Ballona Creek and Santa Monica Bay.
Reusing rainwater to irrigate Westside Park is central to the project’s purpose. Utilizing this rainwater will cut costs and conserve this valuable resource. The project will also aid in reducing local beach closures, benefit marine habitat and help the City reach its stormwater pollutant reduction goals.
In addition to the stormwater improvements, the park now features recreational amenities as well. A new jogging path, an improved perimeter fence, a garden and a fitness playground have been installed.
Join Councilmember Herb J. Wesson, Jr. of the 10th District and the Departments of Public Works and Recreation and Parks in celebrating this great project. Details are as follows:
Date: Saturday, July 23, 2011
Time: 11:00 AM
Location: Westside Park
2785 Clyde Street
Los Angeles, CA 90016
For More Information More >
Combating the Litter Problem is a Team Effort
Jul 19th
Take a moment to think about the last time you saw a piece of litter on the ground. Did you see a soda can, a plastic bag or maybe even a cigarette butt? Aside from being an eye sore, litter also has a tremendous negative impact on our environment. Here in the Los Angeles area, whenever a piece of litter finds its way to the streets, it can end up in our storm drain system where stormwater can carry it all the way to the ocean.
Here’s a fact that may startle you. According to Californians Against Waste, people living in our state use 12 billion plastic bags every year. If you break it down, that is about 400 bags used every second! Far too many of these bags end up in places they shouldn’t be, such as the sidewalk or side of the road.
Plastic products do not biodegrade, they photodegrade, which means these products are broken down by the sun over long periods of time into even smaller pieces. As such, these plastic materials, when floating in the ocean after being washed through our storm drains, end up confusing turtles, birds and fish into believing they are food. Sadly, this More >
Santa Monica Baykeeper and Ballona Creek Need You!
Jul 12th
Do you want to help improve LA rivers’ and coastal water quality? If the answer is yes then you ought to consider volunteering with Santa Monica Baykeeper‘s new DrainWatch program, which is in need of dedicated clean water supporters like yourself!
DrainWatch will help to identify and address sources of pollution that impact the LA and San Gabriel Rivers, Ballona Creek and eventually the Santa Monica and San Pedro Bay in the Pacific. Santa Monica Baykeeper has, for over 15 years, worked to cleanup and improve the coastal ecosystems of this portion of Southern California. This hands-on program will provide background on the causes and implications of stormwater pollution.
Samples, collected by volunteers, will serve as indicators of water quality. They will be collected directly from flowing storm drains and analyzed for harmful pollutants. The results of the samples will be shared with the appropriate municipalities and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. The findings will also be used by Santa Monica Baykeeper to educate the public.
In order for DrainWatch to succeed in these goals they will need a base of great volunteers, and they will need a lot of them! Ballona Creek is nine miles long and has 152 More >
LID Handbook Adoption at Board of Public Works
Jul 7th
Dear Clean Water Supporter:
We are pleased to announce that on July 1, 2011, the City of Los Angeles’ Board of Public Works adopted the 4th Edition of the Development Best Management Practices Handbook – Part B: Planning Activities, which incorporates Low Impact Development (LID) principles and strategies.
The Bureau of Sanitation is working with the City Attorney’s office to finalize the LID Ordinance language. We plan to present the LID Ordinance and its associated handbook for Council consideration sometime in July.
A copy of the newly adopted 4th Edition of the Development Best Management Practices Handbook – Part B: Planning Activities can be found at www.lastormwater.org.
Sincerely,
Shahram Kharaghani
L.A. Stormwater Program Manager
