Los Angeles Watershed

 

              My hometown watershed is the Los Angeles River, although it usually dried up. It is the largest in the region covering 834 square miles. The eastern portion stems from the Santa Monica Mountains to the Simi Hills and in the west from the Santa Susana Mountains to the San Gabriel Mountains. Thirty-seven percent of it is used for residential, eight percent is used for commercial, 11 percent is used for industrial, and forty-four percent is open space (2).

              One of the main threats to this watershed is the pollutants from dense clusters of residential, industrial, and other urban activities. These pollutants are found in the lower and middle portions of the river. There are also many permitted point source pollutants from urban and stormwater runoff that are causing excessive coliform, metals, and nutrients in the water (1). Another threat to the water’s health is development and poor management. Currently, there is a plan to restore the river in places that have been harmed by racial, environmental, and institutional injustices called the L.A. River Master Plan. While this seems like a great idea, there are some aspects that raise concerns, particularly the overuse of concrete. The concrete takes away from what is left of the natural part of the river and increases the pollutants that flow into it. There is a positive correlation between the most industrialized parts of the river and pollutants (5).

                                                                                                                                                                             California’s groundwater accounts for forty percent of the state’s water supply. In drought years, it accounts for sixty percent of it. Los Angeles specifically gets most of its groundwater from the Colorado River Aqueduct. The majority of this goes towards agriculture. One of the reasons California is running out of groundwater is because of the climate. California typically has warm weather all year round with little rain or snow. Snow levels are five percent less than what they should be and most of the rain it gets ends up in the ocean because of poor infrastructure. The groundwater from the Colorado aqueduct also suffers from water leaks and evaporation during transport to Los Angeles (3).

              Currently, the Los Angeles public works department is fighting to restore the ground and surface water. Their mission is “to create a balance between urban and natural resources within the Los Angeles River Watershed”. Their goals include enhancing water quality, increasing flood protection, promoting groundwater recharge, providing recreational and habitat growth opportunities, and creating open space (2). The government has also implemented acts such as the California Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act which requires large urban areas that release stormwater into the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean to have an NPDES permit (7). Many communities in California are also collaborating with Los Angeles Waterkeeper to create task forces to identify facilities causing water pollution. This organization also trains people to identify toxic runoff (8).

 

Los Angeles River Watershed, www.waterboards.ca.gov/rwqcb4/water_issues/programs/regional_program/Water_Quality_and_Watersheds/los_angeles_river_watershed/la_summary.shtml. Accessed 11 June 2023.

“Los Angeles River Watershed.” LACDPW: Los Angeles River Watershed, dpw.lacounty.gov/wmd/watershed/LA/. Accessed 11 June 2023.

“Los Angeles Water Issue.” LA’s Water Issue, viterbi.usc.edu/water/#:~:text=In%20the%20city%20of%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20groundwater%20represents,gallons%20of%20water%20per%20day%20to%20Southern%20California. Accessed 11 June 2023.

Map: Los Angeles River Watershed - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-07/documents/Map-LA-2014.pdf. Accessed 11 June 2023.

Unzueta, Pablo. “Concrete River.” Circle of Blue, 9 Dec. 2022, www.circleofblue.org/2022/world/concrete-river-pollution-water-life-and-the-future-of-the-los-angeles-river/.

Zack Waller, California Department of Water Resources. “California Groundwater Live.” California’s Groundwater Live, sgma.water.ca.gov/CalGWLive/. Accessed 11 June 2023.

“Stormwater Pollution Prevention.” CCAG, ccag.ca.gov/programs/stormwater/. Accessed 11 June 2023.

7, Oct, et al. “Pollution Prevention.” LAWaterkeeper, www.lawaterkeeper.org/pollution-prevention/#:~:text=LA%20Waterkeeper%E2%80%99s%20efforts%20to%20address%20ongoing%20pollution%20of,there%20is%20no%20backsliding%20of%20gains%20already%20made. Accessed 11 June 2023.