Southern California Regional Watershed Assessment Framework · The California Watershed Assessment...
Transcript of Southern California Regional Watershed Assessment Framework · The California Watershed Assessment...
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Southern California Regional Watershed Assessment Framework
Robert Vos Michael Antos
Terri Hogue Mark Fenn
Carmen Milanes Stephanie Pincetl
Fraser Shilling Nancy L.C. Steele
Barbara Washburn
July, 2008
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Introduction
Understanding and communicating about watershed condition over the long-term is a critical
aspect of water and watershed management. There is currently no science-based, systematic
approach designed specifically to assess the health of watersheds in the Southern California
region. Assessment of progress in environmental management founded on investigation and
reporting of watershed conditions is crucial because activities and programs impacting the
watershed occur in numerous agencies and organizations. Many of these agencies and
organization do not have environmental management at the forefront of their missions.
Additionally, the lay public impacts the watershed, and relies on its services, in a multitude of
ways that are often unseen or misunderstood. Through assessment of watershed conditions,
cooperation and integration of environmental management for the region’s watersheds may be
promoted due in part to greater public awareness of the condition of the region’s watersheds.
Statewide Context: California Watershed Assessment Framework (WAF)
The California Watershed Assessment Framework
(WAF) offers a way to systematically identify and
organize information about watershed condition to
chart the progress in environmental management of
regional watersheds. It has become the foundation
for a broader statewide effort to develop regional
frameworks and indicators to assess watersheds
throughout the state. This Southern California
Regional Watershed Assessment Framework
(SCRWAF), as part of the statewide effort, adapts the
statewide framework (WAF) to the particular
challenges of the region.
The WAF was created by a steering committee, co-
chaired by the Resources Agency and California EPA. It adapted a United States EPA science
advisory board (SAB) report for use in California watersheds. It maintains the
comprehensiveness and scientific rigor of the SAB report. It goes beyond the SAB report by
recognizing and discussing the socio-economic component of watershed health. The California
WAF articulates seven essential attributes of watershed health for building indicators (Figure 1).
Figure 1 - Essential Watershed Attributes from CA WAF
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The California WAF and SAB describe a process for indicator
development that starts with definitions of goals and objectives for
environmental management of the watershed and moves down
through attributes, indicators and measures. Attributes summarize
essential ecological features of the watershed in, “a limited number
of discrete, but not necessarily independent categories” (SAB, 2002,
p. 36). Within each attribute, indicators depict discrete elements of
progress toward or movement away from the identified goals.
Linked to each indicator are one or more measures drawing on
watershed data to express the condition and/or trend in the
indicator. The California WAF and SAB both guide the development
of the SCRWAF architecture (Figure 2) and serve as a detailed
reference to check that attributes are covered.
Southern California Regional Watershed Assessment Framework
This regional framework articulates a vision and corresponding goals to aid development of
indicators and reporting mechanisms for assessing and communicating the health of the
regional watersheds. Following the WAF and SAB process, indicators will be designed to
express change in relation to goals and objectives in the region, and reporting mechanisms will
be designed to report an assessment of watershed health. Two major challenges for Southern
California are to diminish harm to distant source watersheds by reducing the import of water,
and to manage watershed health in the face of pressure from the highly urbanized and rapidly
urbanizing region. Broadly speaking, these issues will guide questions to be answered by the
assessment, ensuring relevance to the region.
The overarching purpose of the framework, indicators, and resulting assessments is to increase
public participation in environmental management of watersheds. In Southern California, there
is limited public engagement in watershed issues due in part to the way that the semi-arid
climate and the extensive flood control infrastructure in the region hides watersheds and their
functions from the public view. The aim is to have reporting systems for indicators developed
using the framework widely reported in the media, fostering public attention on watershed
functions.
Another purpose of this framework is to facilitate scientifically rigorous watershed assessments
throughout the region. By systematically reviewing attributes of watershed health, the
framework delivers a scientific foundation for indicator selection. It will provide a menu of
Figure 2 - SCRWAF Architecture
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indicators from which NGO’s and local governments doing assessments can select indicators
matched to available data or priority goals for specific stretches of regional watersheds. The
menu of indicators will in turn be linked to a unified scheme for reporting to the public. This
framework will also allow for consistent comparisons and reporting among various stretches of
watersheds in the region.
Local Context: Southern California Watersheds
This framework is designed for use in the
coastal watersheds that drain the
Southern California Bight (Figure 3). It
includes the entirety of Orange County,
and portions of the counties of San Diego,
Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino,
Ventura and Santa Barbara. Over 18
million people live in these counties,
which cover over 40,000 square miles (US
Census Bureau, 2008). The watershed
area considered is just less than 12,000
square miles, and includes the Santa
Clara, Los Angeles, San Gabriel, Santa Ana,
and San Diego Rivers watersheds, among many others. The area shares a heavy reliance on an
imported water supply to augment withdrawal from numerous groundwater basins. The
watersheds in this area also experience similar ecological stressors from urbanization. The
climate is primarily Mediterranean (hot-summer, wet-winter), with steep rugged mountains
which, through atmospheric processes, ‘capture’ much of the ocean moisture during winter
storms. These mountains, that form the headwaters for streams in the region, are mostly
contained in National Forests. The historical ecology of the watersheds includes both fires and
floods.
Regional Vision and Goals for Southern California Watersheds
The first step in the assessment process is to articulate a vision and the corresponding goals for
the region. Throughout the region there are a considerable number of organizations and
agencies that are working on issues connected to Watershed Health. An investigation of
published reports and websites was made to uncover goals and objectives of a wide-array of
Figure 3 - Southern California Bight Reference Map
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stakeholders with institutional constancy, control, and interest in aspects of the region’s
hydrography. Goals and objectives were recorded and overlapping goals were noted. The
regional vision and goals identified below are derived from a broad synthesis of the goals and
objectives identified among these stakeholders. The vision and goals for this framework
capture most of the goals uncovered, with a focus on goals held in common by numerous
groups. Appendix A of this framework lists the groups, and reports in narrative and tabular
form on how each relates to the vision and goals.
The Vision for Southern California Watersheds
TO SUPPORT HEALTHY COMMUNITIES THROUGH RESTORING, PROTECTING
AND BUILDING VITAL ECOSYSTEM AND WATERSHED FUNCTIONS .
Southern California Watersheds need improvement and restoration of natural structure and
function to benefit natural and human communities. Appropriate integration of natural and
human landscapes will achieve an overall improvement in the quality of life for communities by
seeking multiple benefits, including reliable water supply, improved water quality, restored
habitat, and recreation.
Goals in Southern California Watersheds are:
To improve and protect the services that watersheds provide to meet human needs and
enhance human quality of life in the region
To protect and increase local water supply reliability
To restore and preserve a diversity of native habitat types to support fish and wildlife
To discover and maintain a balance of natural disturbance patterns with the needs of
human and natural communities
Elements of the Regional Watershed Assessment Framework
To assess Southern California watersheds relative to this vision and these goals, the regional
watershed assessment framework is comprised of several elements. First, there is
development of a menu of indicators based upon a systematic review of the essential ecological
attributes of watersheds. Specific measures for these indicators will later be developed as the
framework is tested in a specific stretch of the regional watershed (i.e., a “sub-watershed”).
Once this process is complete, a guide for selecting, applying, and reporting the indicators for
sub-watersheds throughout the region will be produced to complete the framework.
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Essential Watershed Attributes
To derive a menu of indicators for Southern California watersheds, an important step is to
consider each goal in relation to the six essential attributes of watersheds as defined by the
EPA, SAB Report on Watershed Assessment. These essential watershed attributes are:
landscape condition, natural disturbance, hydrology / geomorphology, ecological processes,
chemical / physical properties, biotic conditions. The California Watershed Assessment
Framework extends the list to a seventh attribute: socio-economic conditions. Examination of
each of these attributes in relation to the goal and objectives for the region will yield a subset
of indicators that report on progress for improving functions in Southern California watersheds.
The menu of potential indicators reflects the overall needs and goals of the Southern California
region. From this menu, each application of the framework will select and adapt an
appropriate set of indicators for specific study areas.
Attribute - Landscape Conditions
The landscape conditions attribute describes the characteristics of the natural and urbanized
land surfaces and how they shape and impact the hydrologic function of the watershed. This
includes natural topographic variation, human modification and amenities, habitat extent and
fragmentation, and other surface conditions. Biological assessments included in landscape
conditions are done at the largest geographic scale among the essential ecological attributes
that touch on biology (e.g., ecological processes and biotic condition). Many other attributes
touch on landscape condition, as it is the base of the watershed structure and function.
Role of Landscape Conditions in Regional Goals
In the Southern California region, landscape conditions impact the ability for local groundwater
resources to be replenished by precipitation, detracting from the local waters supply. The
extent of impervious surface in the landscape is the primary factor. However the dynamics of
those impervious surfaces and their relationship to infrastructure and soil conditions must be
assessed to understand how the landscape impacts infiltration.
The health of human and natural communities also relies upon flood conditions. Alterations in
landscape conditions cause a change from the natural conditions at peak flow, usually causing
larger volumes to crest sooner after peak precipitation, which then travel faster in the natural
or infrastructural drainage system. These peak flows (or infrastructural response to them)
threaten habitat and human life and property.
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The Southern California watershed landscape condition is also marked by fragmentation that
harms native habitat and human communities. Native species habitat is reduced in spatial
extent, and often fragmented by development. The connectivity of both the stream bed, for
aquatic habitat, and the stream bank for riparian habitat should be considered. Fragmentation
in the built environment surrounding streams (e.g., fences, roads, channels, etc.) should also be
considered in relation to human communities. Connectivity is important in terms of access to
recreation, walkability, and the role it plays in creating the social fabric of human community.
Indicators of Landscape Conditions in Southern California
Surface flow captured by landscape for potential groundwater recharge
o Measures:
Impervious surface % *Precipitation = runoff
Precipitation – runoff = capture + ET
Impact of altered landscapes on timing and volume of peak flow (severity of peak flow
curve modification from altered landscapes)
o Possible Measures:
Impervious surface runoff coefficient compared to pre-development
runoff coefficient (slope/soil measurement?)
extent and fragmentation of native habitat types
extent, access, and connectivity for recreation, walkability and bikeability on the
waterways
the fragmentation or connectivity of the social landscape created by the built
environment in and around streams
o Possible Measures:
Distance to nearest pedestrian crossing of waterway or waterway
infrastructure
Extent of “hard edges” impeding the social landscape.
Attribute - Natural Disturbance
The attribute for natural disturbance recognizes the dynamics of short- and long-term cyclical
events in ecological and physical systems. Watersheds and their dependent ecosystems
depend upon periodic and significant events that disrupt and alter basic system conditions,
including physical structure and substrates, population structure, and community dynamics.
Such events include wind and ice storms, wildfires, floods, drought, insect infestations,
microbial or disease outbreaks, earthquakes, and landslides and debris flows. The frequency,
intensity and extent of these events form a "disturbance" regime in each watershed that is
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responsible for maintaining the dependent ecosystem over long time spans. With knowledge
of the physical history, specific elements in the natural disturbance regime within a watershed
can be estimated as a reference condition, serving as a crucial benchmark for evaluation of the
sustainability of the watershed and ecosystem.
Role of Natural Disturbance in Regional Goals
In Southern California, assessment of natural disturbance is necessary to achieve the objective
to restore and maintain the balance of natural disturbance patterns with the needs of human
and natural communities. Specific natural disturbance events of interest in Southern California
watersheds are fires, floods, and drought. Because Southern California watersheds are highly
urbanized, they are unlikely to make anything close to a return to reference or pre-
development conditions. In some cases, natural disturbance regimes are mitigated (e.g.,
floods, fire) to meet the needs of the large human communities in the region. However, it is
critical to understand the role that natural disturbance plays in achieving the over-arching goal
of building and maintaining vital watershed functions. Through education and assessment,
human communities can also find benefits from allowing limited re-establishment of natural
disturbance regimes. In some cases, specific environmental management activities may also
seek to replicate the impact of natural disturbances on the ecosystem without endangering
human communities.
Many of southern California’s ecosystems are dependent on fire to maintain plant reproduction
and healthy communities. However, decades of fire suppression have resulted in unnaturally
large fuel loads and, when conditions are conducive, extensive and destructive wildfires.
Watersheds affected by wildfires experience increased erosion rates, debris flows, degraded
water quality, and channel alterations (e.g. scour, bed mobilization and deposition). The
increasing severity (temperature and extent) of wildfires at the urban-wildland interface has
resulted in most or all of these processes being heightened and has increased the likelihood of
negative impacts on downstream populations and ecosystems. Regular and sustainable fire
regimes, with increased frequency but reduced intensity, diminish the overall severity of fires as
well as the related impacts.
Functional channels and floodplains reduce flood peaks and velocities, improve recharge and
lessen impacts on downstream systems. Periodic, natural floods adjust and maintain sediment
loads and healthy channel and stream systems. Most of southern California watersheds have
been artificially altered and include reduced floodplain structure and channelized flow systems.
Revitalization of floodplain and channel function will significantly advance watershed function
and dependent ecosystem communities, while also improving watershed aesthetics. Southern
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California also experiences periodic droughts, earthquakes, insect infestation and other lesser
observed disturbances (wind storms, ice storms, etc.). Understanding historical dynamics and
disturbance interactions will allow for improved management of necessary disturbance
regimes.
Indicators of Natural Disturbance in Southern California
Fire frequency and intensity (temperature, extent)
Frequency and duration of catastrophic insect infestations
Landslide frequency (or a vulnerability index based on slope, vegetation, soils, fire
damage, etc.??)
Flood frequency
Drought periods (defined by PDSI/or using U.S. Drought Monitor (NOAA?))
Cooling Degree Days (days over 100 ?)
Attribute - Hydrology/geomorphology
The hydrology/geomorphology attribute describes the dynamic interaction between landforms
and water, including the relationship between surface waters, soil moisture, and ground
waters. The hydrologic cycle includes the balance of water added, transported, stored and lost
from the watershed. The geomorphic patterns inscribed by water as it moves through the cycle
provide the stage upon which a watershed’s biology is played out. Thus,
hydrology/geomorphology is fundamental to watershed health.
Role of Hydrology/geomorphology in Regional Goals
In the Southern California region, hydrology/geomorphology is particularly important to the
objective to protect and increase local water supply reliability. Generally, the overall water
balance in the region’s watersheds is predicated upon imported water. The needs of the region
outstrip the natural local water supply; a supply also greatly reduced by paving and flood
control measures which diminish the intensity and extent of infiltration from surface to ground
water. Groundwater basins are to some extent used as a hedge against risks to imported water
like droughts and earthquakes. However, adequate replenishment of groundwater is
challenging because of reduced infiltration. Sub-objectives here include: a.) Encouraging
increased replenishment of groundwater while preventing contamination; b.) Preventing
saltwater intrusion in ground water aquifers; and c.) Remediating existing groundwater
contamination (including desalting).
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The Southern California hydrology/geomorphology is also important to the objective to protect
and restore a diversity of habitat types for watersheds. The extent and patterns of human
settlement have greatly altered water flow and sediment transport. Extensive concrete
channelization of rivers and streams speeds rainwater to the ocean, leaving it unavailable to
support habitats. Ironically, in some rivers and streams, dry weather flows of imported water
from irrigation or treated wastewater are now crucial to supporting habitats. To protect and
restore a diversity of habitat types requires a hydrology/geomorphology that is sufficient to
create the dynamic and variable structures that can support various habitats.
Indicators of Hydrology/geomorphology in Southern California
Water storage (aquifer storage capacity vs. unused capacity)
Water storage (aquifer storage filled with “clean” water vs. contaminated water)
Net recharge/withdrawals (water year)
Detention/retention basin capacity vs. bio-retention capacity
Extent and diversity of soft bottom conditions in rivers and streams.
Water flow dynamics adequate to support diverse habitats (e.g., volume, rate, and
seasonality).
Sediment and material flows adequate to support diverse habitats.
Per capital water use
local (native) vs. imported source for delivered
Attribute - Ecological Processes
Ecological processes are the metabolic functions --energy and material flow --in the watershed.
Biological processes could be reported here, but instead are included under the biotic attribute
condition in this framework. The flows of energy and materials warrant separate reporting as
they are the foundation for the biology of the watershed. Assessment of energy flow may draw
upon measures of ecosystem productivity, which are scientifically mature and well understood.
Assessment of material flows may include some of the same constituents of concern in the
chemical/physical properties attribute (e.g., Nitrogen or Phosphorous), but with a focus on how
they are processed by the watershed. For example, a budget that expresses how much of a
given material enters and leaves a sub-watershed, and ability of the sub-watershed to handle
that material. In general, evaluating the condition of this aspect of watershed health means
measuring the rates and extents of natural processes relative to goals for those processes.
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Role of Ecological Processes in Regional Goals
Where hydrology represents the blood flow through the watershed arteries and veins,
ecological processes represent respiration. One way to measure the condition of this attribute
is through energy and material budgets for specific timeframes and spatial extents. Because a
large proportion of Southern California watersheds are heavily disturbed by human activities,
most ecological processes will be correspondingly affected. Objectives for ecological processes
in these watersheds include a) improving stream and riparian functioning in processing excess
nitrogen and phosphorous, b) maintaining natural primary and secondary production needed to
support native fish and wildlife, and c) maintaining and improving energy and material flows
through natural food webs.
Protecting and restoring ecological processes will require a combination of structural and
functional activities. For example, providing ample space for riparian vegetation growth in the
flood plains will permit energy and material processing by this plant community type. Managing
runoff and other inputs to terrestrial and aquatic communities to reflect natural seasonal cycles
will allow natural energy and materials flows to occur in these communities. Controlling
nutrient and other pollutant inputs to regional watersheds permits the recovery of species and
nutrient cycles to more natural conditions.
Indicators of Ecological Processes in Southern California
Net ecosystem production (carbon fixation, flux, and storage)
Gross and net primary production (carbon fixation and respiration rates)
Nutrient cycling (nitrogen and phosphorous turn-over among ecosystem compartments)
Growth limiting factor analysis (e.g., light, nutrient, space)
Attribute - Chemical/Physical Properties
The attribute Chemical / Physical Properties includes focused measures of chemical substances
in the water and physical parameters (e.g., temperature). Many of them typically receive
attention because they are the subject of pollution control laws (e.g., the Clean Air Act, the
Clean Water Act, etc.). They are of interest in the assessment because outside of particular
ranges, they stress the health of human and/or natural communities. Major categories of
chemical/physical properties include nutrient concentrations, trace inorganic and organic
chemicals, other chemical parameters (e.g., pH), and physical parameters (e.g., temperature,
water turbidity, etc.).
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In watershed assessment, the focus may well be on chemical/physical properties in the water
itself. However, it may be important to inventory properties in sediment, soil, or air as well.
Depending upon the constituent, it may be important to integrate reporting across all three
environmental compartments (e.g., atmospheric deposition). The focus for this attribute is
fundamental reporting on concentration and condition. Most are related to the protection of
aquatic life, however, some suggested indicators relate to human uses of the surface water for
fishing and swimming.
Role of Chemical/Physical Properties in Regional Goals
Two regional monitoring programs are underway in the San Gabriel and Los Angeles Rivers
watershed. Each seeks to assess water quality using the following questions as a guide to the
investigation:
1. What is the condition of streams in the watershed?
2. Are conditions at areas of unique interest getting better or worse?
3. Are receiving waters near discharges meeting water quality objectives?
4. Is it safe to swim?
5. Are locally-caught fish safe to eat?
The spectrum of regional water quality concerns can be seen within this list. The need to meet
regulatory objectives, the need for body-contact recreation safety, and the need to protect
ecologically important or fragile areas are all part of the regional perspective on
Chemical/Physical Properties.
Indicators of Chemical/Physical Properties in Southern California
Suggested Indicators for Physical Conditions
Turbidity, the major cause of water quality impairment around the nation and in many
areas of California as well.
Temperature &/or DO, associated with low flows and destruction of riparian canopy.
Canopy cover, one of the physical habitat assessment attributes measured as part of the
California Bioassessment protocol
Riparian buffer area or width, including measurement of connectivity. Protection of the
riparian buffer provides numerous water quality and aquatic habitat values. This metric
can be conducted as a desktop GIS exercise.
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Suggested indicators for Chemical Conditions
Pyrethroids in water and sediment, the major class of chemicals currently in use in non-
agricultural settings
Coliform bacteria levels
Copper concentrations in water (a highly toxic metal and surrogate for other metals)
Nutrients (N, P)
Water and sediment toxicity (a general umbrella for the presence of any kind of
contaminant).
Chemicals in tissues of key fishes (trends in the concentration (ug/g fish tissue) of key
chemicals of concern such as Hg, DDT, As, PCBs.
Attribute - Biotic Conditions
The biotic conditions attribute describes the structure and composition of biota at a scale
below the landscape level. It may include measures at scales ranging from ecosystem
community to particular species, and down to the level of individual organisms. Assessments of
condition at the level of ecosystem community assess the "biotic integrity" of a given
assemblage of species that are tied together by similar environmental features. Assessments
should bear in mind both total species diversity and native species diversity. Species or
population level assessments provide an inventory of size, structure and dynamics for a given
species population. Measurement often focuses on "focal" species that are disproportionately
important to the overall health of the watershed. In cases where species are imperiled by
extinction, assessment may also be critical at the level of individual organisms.
Role of Biotic Conditions in Regional Objectives
This section is not yet written.
Indicators of Biotic Conditions in Southern California
This list of indicators is still under consideration.
Attribute - Economic/Social Conditions
The attribute of economic/social conditions describes the relationship of human communities
with the watershed. Watersheds often play an essential role in creating a sense of place for
social interactions and community-building. Recreational activities like birding, biking, hiking,
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fishing, boating, and swimming are among those rooted in a watershed. Watersheds also
undergird the economy by providing drinking water, water for industry, and supporting
recreational and fishing economies. Watersheds may also provide special economic potential
for commercial land development (or redevelopment) and increased local tax revenue. Often,
watershed assessments fail to appreciate the relationship between watersheds and human
communities that live in them. The California Watershed Assessment Manual calls for
particular attention to the integration of economic and social conditions with the physical and
biological indicators described above.
Role of Economic/Social Conditions in Regional Goals
The goal to improve and protect watershed services for human needs and quality of life is
most relevant in measuring social/economic conditions. In Southern California, several specific
areas of human need and quality of life emerge in conjunction with watersheds.
One particular area of concern is adequate recreational open space with equitable access. Low
income and minority communities in the Southern California region lack adequate access to
recreational open space. Watershed restoration efforts can play a role in creating increased
access. Watershed restoration efforts also can play a role in providing community access to
lush (wet) natural environments. Such access could improve social acceptance of less water-
intensive landscaping, like restoration of native vegetation in other parts of the community.
The headwaters for the region emanate from National Forests that already provide significant
recreational opportunities.
In Southern California, watershed projects also play an important role in the built environment
of adjoining communities. Fencing and concrete channelization may act as a "hard edge" that
divides the human landscape. Watershed flood control infrastructure is often a target for
graffiti, litter, or illegal dumping. Economic revitalization may occur with redevelopment of
residential, commercial or industrial land in the watershed (e.g., the Los Angeles river
"revitalization" effort). For example, "day lighting" of streams that have been tunneled under
the urban fabric may provide a new community resource. The presence of flowing water, and
landscape design around water elements, may be an important part of economic revitalization
efforts. Aesthetic beauty is challenging to specify as an indicator, but plays a role in the quality
of life experienced through the watershed.
In Southern California, consideration of watersheds in terms of transportation planning is also
key. Watershed projects provide opportunities for pedestrian paths, bike trails, and mass
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transit that avoid grade conflicts with existing road infrastructure. In many cases, existing rail
and trail projects are already closely coordinated with rivers and major tributaries.
In terms of meeting human needs in Southern California communities, it is also important to
reduce the threat of flooding with watershed restoration projects. Despite wide-spread
channelization of rivers and streams, recent reports and flood plain management plans for the
Southern California region identify needs for improved flood control. Adequate flood control as
balanced with existing land use is an important aspect of a community's relationship with the
watershed.
The need for communities to participate in making plans and policies for their watersheds is
less tangible but also an important aspect in integrating the physical and biological assessment
of the watershed with economic/social attributes. Educational outreach is important to create
informed participation in decision-making, and also to encourage public participation in
watershed restoration (e.g., reducing litter, conserving water, volunteer clean-ups, etc.).
Indicators of Economic/Social Conditions in Southern California
Assessment of potential and realization of recreational opportunities for swimming,
boating, and/or fishing.
Assessment of potential and realization of recreational open space access in land
adjoining major tributaries and rivers.
Amount of low-impact development in the watershed.
Assessment of presence of urban blight in the watershed landscape.
Assessment of levels educational outreach and civic engagement in the watershed.
Recent numbers of flooding and wildfire incidents.
Models for risks of flooding and wildfire (potential economic damage)
Economic models of impacts of watershed management on adjacent land values.
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Appendix A
The efforts already underway within the Region were a natural starting place when creating this
Framework. The stated goals from the wide group of stakeholders in regional watersheds are
identified and explored in this Appendix (in narrative and tabular form). Once a sub-watershed
is selected for analysis, stakeholders at local or community levels will also be identified. For the
initial phase, the focus was on understanding goals across the entire region. Thus, the focus is
on stakeholders with institutional constancy and control or interest in wider aspects of the
region’s hydrography. These stakeholders also maintain and develop data that will be of use in
measuring indicators later in the project. The following are the stakeholders investigated thus
far:
Researched Regional Actors / Plans
Amigos de Los Ríos
Aquarium of the Pacific
Arroyo Seco Foundation
ARTScorpsLA
Audubon Society
Beach Water Quality Working Group
California Department of Water Resources
California Office of Environmental Health and Hazard
Assessment
California Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection (CalFIRE)
City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
City of Los Angeles Integrated Resources Plan
City of Los Angeles River Master Plan
Coastal Commission
Contaminated Sediments Task Force
Earth Resource Foundation
Friends of the Los Angeles River
Green LA Coalition
Green Visions Plan
Heal the Bay
Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed
Council
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works,
Watershed Management Division
Los Angeles County Integrated Watershed
Management Plan
Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust
Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board
Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board –
MTBE Task Force
Los Angeles Weed Management Area
Metropolitan Water District
Ocean Protection Council
Pacoima Beautiful
Rio Hondo Watershed Management Plan
San Gabriel & Lower Los Angeles Rivers and
Mountains Conservancy
Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission
Southern California Association of Governments
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
Southern California Ocean Observing System
Southern California Water Replenishment District
Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project
State Water Resources Board
Surfrider
The River Project
United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Forest Service
United States Geological Survey
Urban Semillas
Urban Wildlands Group
Verde Coalition