Let's imagine natural flowing water throughout much of the L.A. Basin. It's not such a far-fetched idea. The watershed of Ballona Creek encompasses 130 square miles, from Griffith Park and Mulholland Highway to Westchester and South LA, to Dodger Stadium and USC. But almost all the creek and its tributaries are in concrete channels, and much of it is buried in underground storm drains. All that can be changed.
You can be one of the leaders in restoring more vibrant, natural habitat in L.A. that invites wildlife into backyards, front yards, multifamily residences, and public places. Sign up for “Dialogue: Envisioning A New Paradigm for the Ballona Watershed” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 14. Join us too for a Sunday morning bus tour to key sites in the watershed from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 15. Cost for both days is $30 per person. For details, contact Jeanette Vosburg at saveballona@hotmail.com.
The watershed area
Discover this important water source and the possibility of uncovering portions of the creek. The revitalization of the watershed would capture millions of gallons of rainwater for nature parks and seasonal wetlands before it goes into storm drains. This is doable, sensible, and would pass a cost benefit analysis. In some cases, these 1917-era drains have been parching the water-starved inner city ever since.
With local governments -- City of Los Angeles, L.A. County and the state of California -- talking about and funding water resiliency projects, it's time to put our heads together and dialogue ways we can partner together to set a new, higher standard for projects that link Los Feliz Boulevard and Western Avenue at Fern Dell Park to Venice Boulevard and Cochran Avenue in a contiguous green belt.
The campaign
The weekend workshop is the first step in a bigger campaign that will combine activism and workshops over the coming years. The goal is to educate and empower a broad base of Angelenos who are committed to drafting a plan for a comprehensive design for the creek's resilience as well as its biological and social complexity. wildlife, plants and trees thriving.
The end goal is the transformation of a pipe shed to a watershed.
Resources:
Fly-Over of the Ballona Creek Watershed
LA Storm Water: LA’s Watershed Protection Program