In 1996, the Los Angeles & San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council formed to address issues of inadequate communications between agencies with responsibility for water management. The five different water agencies were not exchanging information with the public or even among themselves, resulting in ineffective policy, ill will and the occasional lawsuits. It was for this reason that, 11 years after founding Heal the Bay, Dorothy Green led a group in forming the Watershed Council.
On July 14th, the organization officially changed its name to Council for Watershed Health. This new name reflects the desire to create a sustainable Los Angeles by educating people everywhere that healthy waters mean healthy communities. By taking a proactive role through the very best research, analysis, and education, the organization can and will take the progress it has made over the past 15 years and move it forward to achieve Vision 2025, which sees greater Los Angeles as a region that is a model of sustainable, urban water¬shed management.
Since its founding, the Council has tackled issues that were difficult for government and business to address individually. Issues such as poor water quality, heavy reliance on imported water, park scarcity, imperiled open spaces, and ignored rivers. In 2000, the organization initiated the Water Augmentation Study (WAS), which proved that polluted stormwater in an urban setting could be safely used to augment local groundwater supplies. The implications of that research are being felt region-wide, resulting in better policies, practices and a healthier region for us all. The Elmer Avenue Neighborhood Retrofit in Sun Valley is an exemplary demonstration of these principles in action.
The Council continues to work toward a more sustainable southern California. Some recent achievements include:
• The completion of one of the first and most comprehensive “green streets†in Los Angeles at Elmer Avenue in Sun Valley. The street was completed through a partnership with residents, 14 government agencies, and consortium of non-profits. By incorporating the latest in innovative water saving techniques and water saving elements, Elmer Avenue is able to capture more water yearly to than is used on the entire block! In addition, drought-tolerant landscapes were added to show that native plants will not only improve the environment, but can actually beautify a neighborhood.
• Working with the community of Compton to develop the Compton Creek Watershed Management Plan.
• Training hundreds of professionals through the Sustainable Landscape Seminars, learning how they can be good stewards of the land.
• Providing a forum for discussion and greater understanding of issues related to the intersection of land use planning and watershed management through a quarterly symposium series.
Dorothy Green had an incredible ability to push everyone to look at the bigger picture. Where others saw concrete, she saw the river. Where others saw a river, she saw the watershed. Where others saw stormwater pollution, she saw more drinking water. Green also saw collaboration. She knew that she couldn’t make the vision a reality without bringing together diverse groups. As the Council for Watershed Health looks toward the future, we hope residents will share our Vision 2025:
We envision that by 2025 the Los Angeles region is a model of sustainable, urban watershed management. The region’s watersheds are managed for environmental health, social equity, and economic vitality, with clean waters, reliable local water supplies, restored native habitats, ample parks and open spaces, integrated flood management, and revitalized rivers and urban centers.
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The Council for Watershed Health supports a healthy watershed for the region by serving as a robust center for the generation of objective research and analysis. The Council has established a platform for meaningful collaboration between governmental organizations, academic institutions, businesses and other nonprofit organizations with a vested interest in preserving the watershed.
Founded in 1996 by leading environmental activist Dorothy Green, the Council for Watershed Health produces continuing research programs that examine water usage and quality as well as create and enhance preservation and conservation tactics.
For more information: www.watershedhealth.org
