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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAPTER|ONE Runyon Canyon Park
Ballona Creek Watershed Management Plan
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Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force
EXEC
UTI
VE
SUM
MA
RY
CHAPTER|ONE
Runyon Canyon Park
Ballona Creek Watershed Management Plan
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Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force
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CHAPTER ONE
background
A. INTRODUCTION
This document is a Management Plan (“Plan”) for theBallona Creek Watershed (“Watershed’), intended toprovide an assessment of existing environmentalconditions, establish goals and objectives to achieve anecologically healthy watershed, identify methods toachieve specific water quality improvements, recognizeopportunities for habitat restoration, develop acommunity-based watershed monitoring plan, andidentify existing and future funding sources for planimplementation.
Ballona Creek
This Plan is an outgrowth of the efforts of the BallonaCreek Watershed Task Force, a stakeholder group formedin 2001 by the Los Angeles County Department ofPublic Works, the Santa Monica Bay RestorationCommission, the City of Los Angeles and Ballona CreekRenaissance to collectively set forth a strategy to developpollution control and habitat restoration actions thatcould achieve an ecologically healthy watershed.
The Ballona Creek Watershed is located in thenorthwestern portion of the Los Angeles Basin, as shownin Figure 1-1. The Watershed includes most of the Cityof Los Angeles west of downtown (and generally southof Mulholland Drive), the cities of Beverly Hills, CulverCity, West Hollywood, portions of the cities of SantaMonica and Inglewood and portions of the HollywoodHills and the Santa Monica Mountains (refer to Figure1 in the Executive Summary). A natural planningboundary, a watershed is the area drained by a singlestream and its tributaries. For Ballona Creek, this planaddresses an area of approximately 130 square miles,roughly bounded by the Santa Monica Mountains andthe Hollywood Hills to the north, the I-110 freeway tothe east, the Baldwin Hills to the south, and the PacificOcean to the west. It is an area in which more than 1.6million people reside, where the effects of urbanizationon water quality, habitat, and open space have beenextensive.
Ballona Creek Watershed Management Plan
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Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force
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Figure 1-1 Location MapSOURCE: EIP Associates, 2004
Ballona Creek Watershed Management Plan
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Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force
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In recent years, various groups, cities and agencies haveworked to transform Ballona Creek into a valuedcommunity asset, improve and expand open space,optimize water resources, preserve and restore habitat(in the Ballona Wetlands, Baldwin Hills and SantaMonica Mountains), and create a network of trails andbike paths. Some of these efforts have been informallycoordinated, in recognition of the potential to extendbenefits beyond the borders of individual cities, createopportunities to leverage benefits, and maximize fundingresources. This plan builds upon these efforts and seeksto generate interest in these issues across the entirewatershed and encourage broader participation inwatershed planning. This plan is intended to supportand inform ongoing planning efforts, as well as providea framework for future projects that are consistent withthe goal to restore ecological health to the watershed,and attract outside funding to individual projects becausethey are consistent with a comprehensive plan for theWatershed.
The central element of this plan is a compendium ofmethods, mechanisms and projects intended to improvewater quality and restore/create habitat that can beginto improve ecological health of both aquatic and terrestrialecosystems. This plan does not attempt to address everyenvironmental, economic, or social issue that maywarrant attention in the Watershed. Additional planningat both the regional and local levels will be necessary toimprove conditions and restore balance between naturaland human systems. The vision of the future articulatedin this document may require decades to be realized.But if cities, neighborhoods, community-basedorganizations, nonprofits, and agencies work and plantogether, the Ballona Creek watershed can grow greener,water quality can be improved, habitat can be restoredand expanded, and ecological health can be restored toan urban watershed.
This document is organized as follows: (1) Background,the context for the plan, (2) Existing Conditions, adescription of the physical and environmental conditionsof the watershed; (3) Goals and Objectives, responses toreal and perceived environmental, recreational andeconomic problems in the watershed; (4) Methods andMechanisms, an identification of best managementpractices, projects and other methods to improve waterquality and habitat; (5) Community-Based Monitoring,opportunities to augment existing monitoring programsto assess progress towards achieving ecological health;(6) Stakeholder Commitment and Funding, funding andimplementation approaches for selected demonstrationprojects; (7) Next Steps, a process for reporting progress,updates to the plan and options for additional studyand analysis; and (8) References.
Culver Park
Ballona Creek Watershed Management Plan
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Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force
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B. HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Over millions of years, Ballona Creek emerged from theSanta Monica Mountains and meandered towards thePacific Ocean. As the mountains rose and were eroded,sea level rose and fell, and the land was fractured byfaults, a broad plain developed, generally ringed by theSanta Monica Mountains complex (including theHollywood Hills and Elysian Hills), the Los AngelesRiver (to the east), and the Baldwin Hills to the south.Over time, the course of the Los Angeles River changed,at times draining to Santa Monica Bay and perhapsmerging with Ballona Creek, or draining to San PedroBay, as it has since 1825.
Because of the depth of alluvium (eroded material thatis deposited in lowlands) on the coastal plain, much ofthe water in the creek and its tributaries disappearedinto sand and gravel and replenished groundwater,resulting in various marshes, swamps and springs. Atlocations where surface water was present or groundwaterwas near the surface, willows and other native trees, roses,grapes, and other flowering shrubs were plentiful.Wetlands, marshes, and springs dotted the landscape.At other locations, surface water was scarce and thevegetation was sparse and dominated by grasses andprickly pear cactus. The wide variety of habitats andavailable water supplies supported several settlements ofindigenous peoples including the Tongva (or Gabrielino).
Transformation of the watershed began with the arrivalof settlers in the 18th Century. The King of Spain awardedlarge tracts of land on the coastal plain as ranchos,including Rancho La Ballona. The origin of the name“Ballona” is unknown, although the Rancho’s originalowners, Agustín Machado, his brother Ygnacio Machado,and a father and son named Felipe and Tomas Talamantes,called their rancho “La Ballona”-Paso de las Carretas.
Ballona may have been a misspelling of the word“Ballena” (whale in Spanish) which suggests theinspiration came from views of migratory whales in SantaMonica Bay. Another opinion suggests that theTalamantes’ ancestors came from Bayona, Spain, and thepart owners named the ranch to honor their heritage.
To support cattle on the working ranchos, land wascleared and nonnative grasses introduced. Densevegetation surrounding the creeks was cleared to makeway for farmland and, later, villages. The availability ofsurface and groundwater and the favorable climatecreated ideal conditions for a variety of crops. As thepopulation of the Los Angeles area grew, demand forfarmland became more intense, and the flatlands weretransformed from cattle ranches to highly productivefarmlands.
Wilshire Country Club
Ballona Creek Watershed Management Plan
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Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force
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During the transformation from wildlands to farmlands,proximity to Ballona Creek and its tributaries providedeasy access to water. But this convenience was coupledwith danger when winter rains caused the creek to spillover its banks or change course.
The arrival of the transcontinental railroads in 1876provided access to distant markets, and agriculturalproduction in the Los Angeles region expanded greatly.The railroads also brought more people eager to share inthe dream made possible by abundant sunshine,farmland, water, and business opportunities. Farmlandwas subdivided and homes built. The influx of peoplecontinued. Surface and groundwater sources were in highdemand, and groundwater tables began to drop in someareas. The once-plentiful wetlands and marshes beganto shrink and disappeared in some locations. Areas thatwere once dense with vegetation became dry grasslands.Occasional droughts became a major concern as residents,farmers, and businesses competed for the limited watersupply.
In 1913 the Los Angeles-Owens River Aqueduct wasbuilt, importing water from great distances to serve theexpanding population of the City of Los Angeles. Moreand more farmland was subdivided and converted tocommercial and residential uses. Once-distant farmcommunities began to grow towards each other. Theonce-vast open spaces began to disappear. Urban sprawlcovered the lowlands and spread into the HollywoodHills and the canyons in the Santa Monica Mountains.
During transformation of the watershed from farmlandto urban metropolis, proximity to Ballona Creek and itstributaries was less critical, but the danger from floodsremained. Instead of crops and livestock, homes,businesses, and lives were lost. A variety of measures wereemployed to keep the creeks and tributaries in theirchannels, but natural forces prevailed. After twosignificant floods in the 1930s, the federal governmentworked with the Los Angeles County Flood ControlDistrict to implement a flood control plan to(1) channelize, straighten, and deepen Ballona Creek;(2) install debris basins in the foothills to protect againstdebris flows during storm events; and (3) converttributary streams to flood control channels, most inunderground tunnels that erased traces of the extensivenetwork of tributaries.
To provide recreational boating opportunities, theCounty of Los Angeles developed Marina del Rey in thelate 1950s and early 1960s, transforming a large area offormer coastal dunes and wetlands into a major smallcraft marina. The entrance channel to Marina del Reywas constructed immediately north of the Ballona CreekChannel, with a breakwater constructed at the mouthof the creek.
Kenter Creek
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Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force
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In the past decade, the concept to restore ecologicalhealth to the watershed has emerged, beginning withvisions of protecting and “restoring” the last remainingwetlands and open space, and Ballona Creek, andimplementing various watershed management strategies.Community organizations, student groups, federal, stateand regional agencies, and cities in the watershed havedeveloped concepts and plans to expand natural spacesalong the Creek, enhance and extend the bike path alongthe Creek, and restore the Ballona Wetlands complexand the adjacent lagoons. This Plan, an outgrowth ofthose efforts, seeks to codify and extend those concepts,and provides a framework for future planning byexpanding the concept of restoration from Ballona Creekand the Ballona Wetlands to the entire Ballona CreekWatershed.
Ladera Park
C. PLANNING CONTEXT
During initial settlement of the watershed, interestfocused on meeting the demand for water: first withsurface supplies, then groundwater. As developmentincreased, the focus shifted to protecting farms, homes,and businesses from flooding. As water supply and floodprotection needs were met and development continued,focus shifted to improving the quality of waters dischargedto Santa Monica Bay through the system of highlymodified creek and tributary channels, most of whichare lined with concrete. To achieve ecological health inthe future, there is recognition that planning mustexpand to include a focus on aquatic and riparian habitat,water quality, and open space.
Ballona Creek Watershed Management Plan
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Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force
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A watershed is the area drained by a single river and itstributaries. Despite this clear spatial identity, watershedsare not the only natural planning boundary. Groundwaterbasins cross under watersheds and coastal ecosystemsfold over ridgelines. Political and jurisdictionalboundaries in the watershed add complexity. A soundecological approach to planning must consider therelationships between human and natural systems,overlapping physical and biological systems, and social,economic, and political systems. And since importedwater is an important element of Southern California’swater supply, management of the Ballona CreekWatershed can also affect remote watersheds. Watershedplanning makes clear the interconnections between theupstream reaches in the foothills and our downstreamcities, the beaches and the health of Santa Monica Bay.
Planning at watershed and subwatershed scales necessarilyinvolves consideration of the entire water cycle, bothabove and below the ground. This includes theintertwined concerns of flood protection, water resources,water quality, protection and enhancement of habitat,open space for passive and active recreation, and strategiesto encourage sustainable future development.
To appreciate the context for this Plan, a chronologicaloverview of some relevant plans and planning conceptsrelated to open space, water quality, and habitat in theWatershed follows, as this Plan may build upon,complement, or further advance those plans andconcepts.
PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS AND BEACHESFOR THE LOS ANGELES REGION
The most significant and far-reaching of the early openspace plans in the Los Angeles basin was proposed in1930, by the team of Olmsted Brothers and HarlandBartholomew and Associates, who together haddeveloped master plans for the Los Angeles Countyhighway system and a state park system. The Olmsted-Bartholomew plan, entitled Parks, Playgrounds andBeaches for the Los Angeles Region, recommended anetwork of parkways to connect the mountains, rivers,parks, and beaches. Parkways along the rivers and creekswere intended to reduce the need for structural floodprotection features. To remedy the deficit of park space(that existed in 1930), the plan proposed a total of71,000 acres of parkland south of the San GabrielMountains. Unfortunately, due to timing (at the startof the Great Depression), cost ($231 million at thattime), and other issues, the Olmsted-Bartholomew planwas quickly shelved and largely forgotten for many years.The centerpiece of that plan, a network of open spacesconnected by parkways along the creeks and rivers,remains the path not taken.LADWP Easement
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Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force
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SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINSCOMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Areawas formed in 1977. The National Park Service (NPS)worked with the State of California to create a SantaMonica Mountains Comprehensive Plan, which wasadopted in 1979. This led to the formation of the SantaMonica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) to acquire,preserve, protect, restore, and enhance treasured piecesof the Santa Monica Mountains to form an interlinkingsystem of urban, rural, and river parks; open space; trails;and wildlife habitats that are easily accessible to thegeneral public.
Visitor services, land use, and development of therecreation area are governed through GeneralManagement Plans that are updated every five years.NPS and SMMC are authorized to acquire property inthe northernmost portion of the watershed, fromMulholland Drive south to Sunset Boulevard. Whilemost of this land remains privately owned, thepartnership has facilitated open space conservation atSepulveda Pass, Stone Canyon Reservoir, Parma, Trebek,and Runyon Canyon open space preserves, Sheila AgnesNature Preserve, and Laurel Canyon Park. State andfederal agencies share management duties andresponsibilities of specific land preserves, but do notsupersede local land use authority or regulation.
LOS ANGELES BASIN WATER QUALITYCONTROL PLAN
In 1994, the Los Angeles Regional Water QualityControl Board updated its Water Quality Control Plan,Los Angeles Region: Basin Plan for the Coastal Watershedsof Los Angeles and Ventura Counties (“Basin Plan”). TheBasin Plan is designed to preserve and enhance waterquality and protect the beneficial uses of all regionalwaters and is subject to a triennial review process, whichhas resulted in updates to various sections of the BasinPlan.
SANTA MONICA SUSTAINABLE CITYPROGRAM
With adoption of its Sustainable City Program in 1994,the City of Santa Monica committed to meeting itsexisting needs without compromising the ability offuture generations to meet their own needs. The programincludes guiding principles that promote the protection,preservation and restoration of the natural environment,recognize that a healthy environment is integral to long-term economic interests, stress the need to educatecitizens, community-based groups and businesses,recognize linkages between local, regional and globalissues, and mandate environmentally and sociallyresponsible procurement policies. Although only a smallportion of the City of Santa Monica is located withinthe Watershed, the program has the potential to becomea model for other public as well as private organizations.
SANTA MONICA BAY RESTORATION PLAN
Also in 1994, the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project,the precursor organization to the Santa Monica BayRestoration Commission, completed the Santa MonicaBay Restoration Plan (“Restoration Plan”), whichaddresses all of the coastal watersheds that drain intoSanta Monica Bay. The Restoration Plan identifies almost250 actions, including 74 priority actions, that addresscritical problems such as stormwater and urban runoffpollution, habitat loss and degradation, and public healthrisks associated with seafood consumption and swimmingnear storm drain outlets. The Restoration Plan outlinesspecific programs to address the environmental problemsfacing the Bay and identifies implementers, timelines,and funding needs.
Ballona Creek Watershed Management Plan
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Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force
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BALLONA CREEK AND TRAIL FOCUSEDSPECIAL STUDY
In July 1996, as part of the update to the Land Use,Open Space, and Circulation Elements of the GeneralPlan for the City of Culver City, an implementationmeasure was established to prepare a Ballona Creek andTrail Focused Special Study (BCTFSS) to determine thepotential for enhancing the creek as a recreation resourcewhile recognizing its function as a flood protectionchannel. In October 2001, the California State CoastalConservancy awarded a grant to the City of Culver City.Based on input from three community-planningworkshops, a Refined Concept Plan was developed. TheCity of Culver City subsequently accepted the studyand associated public comment and is consideringimplementation of the proposed improvements.
LOS ANGELES REGION CONTAMINATEDSEDIMENTS TASK FORCE
In 1997, Governor Wilson signed into law SB 673 toestablish a multi-agency Los Angeles RegionContaminated Sediments Task Force to develop a long-term management plan for dredging and disposal ofcontaminated sediments and consider aquatic andupland disposal alternatives, treatment, beneficial re-use,and other management techniques. A report to theLegislature on the final plan was originally due January1, 2003, but that date has been extended to January2005. Although generally focused on the Los Angelesand Long Beach Harbors, the plan will also deal withcontaminated sediments in Ballona Creek and Marinadel Rey and include a component focused on thereduction of contaminants at their source, which willlikely be relevant to the Ballona Creek Watershed.
CITY OF LOS ANGELES INTEGRATED PLANFOR THE WASTEWATER PROGRAM
In 1999, the City of Los Angeles began work on anIntegrated Plan for the Wastewater Program (IPWP) toaddress the interrelationships between water supply,wastewater, and stormwater. Based on a dual trackapproach of information gathering and stakeholderoutreach, a list of policy recommendations wasdeveloped, which include development of new wastewatertreatment facilities at “upstream” locations, expand useof recycled water, increase water conservation, increasethe diversion of dry-weather urban runoff for treatment,and increase the amount of stormwater that can becaptured and beneficially used. The IPWP is the firstelement of an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for theCity of Los Angeles, which will address wastewater, watersupply, and stormwater runoff, and may includeidentification of program elements and control measuresto improve stormwater quality. Preparation of anEnvironmental Impact Report on the IRP is scheduledto begin in the summer of 2004 and be completed bythe summer of 2006.
BALDWIN HILLS PARK MASTER PLAN
In 2000, the Governor signed Senate Bill 1625 toestablish the Baldwin Hills Conservancy, to preserve andenhance the Baldwin Hills area and to develop andcoordinate an integrated program of resource stewardshipso that the Baldwin Hills area is managed for its optimumrecreational and natural resource values, based upon theneeds and desires of the surrounding community. InMay 2002, the Conservancy completed the Baldwin HillsPark Master Plan to serve as a guide for future naturalspace and parkland acquisition and improvements, facilitydevelopment and habitat restoration within the BaldwinHills, and for connections to trails, parks, and otherpublic facilities.
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Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force
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BALLONA CREEK WATERSHED TASK FORCE
In 2001, the Los Angeles County Department of PublicWorks, the City of Los Angeles, Santa MonicaRestoration Commission, and Ballona Renaissanceinitiated a stakeholders process in the Ballona CreekWatershed which resulted in the formation of the BallonaCreek Watershed Task Force (BCWTF), in order tocollectively set forth a strategy to develop pollutioncontrol/habitat restoration actions to achieve anecologically healthy watershed. The following objectiveswere proposed for the Task Force: (1) conduct acomprehensive assessment of the watershed’s ecologicalconditions; (2) identify habitat restoration potential;(3) identify target areas for source control of pollutantsof concern; (4) select and prioritize cost-effective bestmanagement practices for achieving a set of water qualityimprovement/habitat restoration goals; (5) develop along-term, community-based watershed monitoringplan; (6) identify existing and future funding sourcesfor plan implementation; and (7) expand the WatershedManagement Plan into other watershed issues, such aspreserving and creating open space for recreation, habitatrestoration, and water conservation.
SEEKING STREAMS
In 2001, the City of Los Angeles sponsored a plan bythe Cal Poly Pomona 606 Design Studio titled: SeekingStreams: A landscape framework for urban and ecologicalrevitalization in the upper Ballona Creek watershed. Thestudy explores the potential to restore or “daylight”selected segments of former tributary channels in theupper Ballona Creek Watershed. The plan discusses thenatural and cultural history of the watershed, identifiescurrent environmental and social issues in the upperwatershed, articulates an urban stream paradigm,illustrates design concepts for restoration of Sacatela Creekand Lafayette Park, and suggests phased implementationstrategies for selected stream reaches.
THE BIOTA OF THE BALDWIN HILLS
In 2001, the Natural History Museum of Los AngelesCounty Foundation and Community ConservationInternational completed The Biota of the Baldwin Hills,an Ecological Assessment of biological resources in theBaldwin Hills, including vegetation, arthropods, reptilesand amphibians, birds and mammals. The documentalso identifies ecological issues and providesrecommendations for restoration.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY NPDES PERMIT
In 2001, the Los Angeles Regional Water QualityControl Board renewed the National Pollutant DischargeElimination System permit for stormwater discharge inLos Angeles County, designed to protect the beneficialuses of water bodies in Los Angeles County by reducingpollutants in stormwater. This permit was originallyissued in 1990 by the Regional Water Quality ControlBoard and previously renewed in 1996. The permit covers3,100 square miles in the Los Angeles basin and spansseveral watersheds, including Ballona Creek, with theCounty of Los Angeles and 85 incorporated cities in theCounty as co-permittees. The permit includes a numberof conditions that require the cities within the Watershedto reduce pollutants in urban runoff through programsthat address (1) public education; (2) industrial/commercial facilities inspections; (3) public agencyactivities, including illegal connections to storm drains;(4) construction activities; and (5) new development andredevelopment. The permit is scheduled for renewal in2006.
SPRAWL HITS THE WALL
The Southern California Studies Center of the Universityof Southern California published Sprawl Hits the Wall(2001), proposing a regionwide approach for asustainable approach to development. The reportrecommends that the region grow “Smarter,” “Together,”“Greener,” and “More Civic Minded.”
Ballona Creek Watershed Management Plan
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Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force
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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WETLANDSREGIONAL RESTORATION STRATEGY
In 2001, the Board of Governors of the SouthernCalifornia Wetlands Recovery Project, a partnership ofpublic agencies working cooperatively to acquire, restore,and enhance coastal wetlands and watersheds betweenPoint Conception and the International border withMexico, adopted a Regional Restoration Strategy whichidentified specific wetland restoration objectives for eachcounty in the Southern California region and site-specificobjectives for the Ballona Wetlands Complex, including(1) integrate planning and management for entire Ballonawetlands complex, including Ballona Lagoon, Del ReyLagoon, Grand Lagoon, Marina del Rey Harbor, andOxford Lagoon; (2) acquire coastal wetland andassociated upland habitat; and (3) develop andimplement a restoration and long-term management planfor Ballona wetlands complex.
SANTA MONICA AND BALLONAWATERSHED GREEN MAP
In 2001, the City of Santa Monica and DuvivierArchitects created the Santa Monica and BallonaWatershed Green Map, which identifies publicly ownednatural areas, parks, Native American sites, bird watchinglocations, historic wetlands, existing habitat, andopportunity sites for habitat restoration in the BallonaCreek Watershed. A more detailed map of the City ofSanta Monica (on the reverse) identifies recyclinglocations, bicycle paths, clusters of street trees,stormwater percolation sites and “green” buildings thatwere developed using sustainable principles.
MISSING LINKAGES: RESTORINGCONNECTIVITY TO THE CALIFORNIALANDSCAPE
A consortium of groups and agencies, including theSouth Coast Wildlands Project, the Nature Conservancyof California, the California Wilderness Coalition, theBiological Resources Division of the U.S. GeologicalSurvey, and the Center for Reproduction of EndangeredSpecies of the Zoological Society of San Diego, jointlydeveloped Missing Linkages: Restoring Connectivity to theCalifornia Landscape (August 2001). This reportidentified more than 300 existing and former wildlifecorridors throughout California that are vital habitatlinkages for species diversity, including a linkage betweenGriffith Park (in the eastern headwaters of the BallonaCreek watershed) and the Verdugo Hills (with asubsequent link to the San Gabriel Mountains).
303(D) LIST OF IMPAIRED WATER BODIES
The Clean Water Act requires a biennial assessment ofwater quality which results in a list of impaired waterbodies (the “303(d)” list). The list of impaired waterbodies in California (which includes Ballona Creek, theBallona Wetlands, and Marina del Rey) was last updatedin 2002 (and adopted in February 2003) and providesthe basis for identifying the Total Maximum Daily Loads(TMDLs) for the pollutants of concern identified onthe list of impaired water bodies. Although a TMDL fortrash in Ballona Creek has already been established andapproved by the State and EPA (along with dry- andwet-weather bacteria TMDLs for Santa Monica Bay anddry- and wet-weather bacteria TMDLs for Marina delRey Harbor Mother’s Beach and Back Basins), themajority of TMDLs for the Watershed have not yet beenestablished. In July 2004, the Los Angeles RegionalWater Quality Control Board issued a metals TMDLfor Ballona Creek and the Ballona Creek Estuary.
Ballona Creek Watershed Management Plan
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Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force
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WATTLES GARDENS CULTURALLANDSCAPE REPORT
In 2002, Hollywood Heritage, Inc. completed the WattlesGardens Cultural Landscape Report, to document thehistory, existing conditions, significance, and integrityof the Wattles Gardens, a historic turn-of-the-centuryestate located at the base of the Santa Monica Mountainsin Hollywood owned by the City of Los Angeles andmanaged as park space. The report identifies appropriatetreatments for the continued maintenance andrehabilitation of the property and may serve as a modelfor rehabilitation of public open spaces that reinforce,rather than erase, the historic connections to the culturallandscape of Los Angeles.
WALKING TO THE PARK
In 2002, Environmental Defense, the Verde Coalition,the Urban Land Trust Task Force and City of Los Angelescollaborated on an analysis of park and open spacedeficiencies in the central city, including neighborhoodsin the upper portion of the watershed. This plan wasadopted by the city and led directly to the formation ofthe L.A. Neighborhood Land Trust, a non-profitorganization established to acquire and manageproperties or easements that will help provide parks andopen space close to home, primarily within communitiesnear the urban core of Los Angeles.
LOWER BALLONA CREEKRECONNAISSANCE STUDY
In 2002, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers initiatedthe Lower Ballona Creek Ecosystem Restoration LosAngeles County 905(b) Reconnaissance Study. The studyidentifies issues and opportunities for restoration ofdrainage channels and natural areas in the lower BallonaCreek watershed and serves as the prelude to a feasibilitystudy of three alternatives identified in theReconnaissance Study. As of this draft, the Corps ofEngineers has identified several local cosponsors for thefeasibility study and is working to refine the scope.
LOWER BALLONA CREEK INTERAGENCYTASK FORCE
In 2003, the City of Los Angeles established a jointinteragency task force to study options for jointmanagement of natural resources in the lower BallonaCreek Watershed, which may include the BallonaWetlands, Ballona Lagoon, Del Rey Lagoon andassociated water bodies. As of this draft, discussionscontinue to seek an appropriate structure or mechanismto facilitate management of these resources.
BALLONA CREEK BMP PRIORITIZATIONPROJECT
In 2003, the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commissioninitiated a Ballona Creek BMP Project Work Group, toimplement a plan for installation of a suite of BMPs inselected subwatersheds and monitor the effectiveness ofthose BMPs in treating and/or reducing pollutants ofconcern. In the near future, the County of Los AngelesDepartment of Public Works, Heal the Bay, and City ofLos Angeles will carry out a Proposition 13–fundedproject to develop a standard methodology that can beused by municipalities to select and prioritize BMPs inthe Ballona Creek that may be applicable in otherwatersheds.
BALLONA CREEK WETLANDSACQUISITION
In 2003, State of California acquired 483 acres of theformer Ballona Wetlands, through the acquisition of 192acres by the Wildlife Conservation Board and thedonation of 291 acres (including a portion of the BallonaCreek Channel). In addition, approximately 64 acres(Area C) currently held in trust, will be transferred toState. The Coastal Conservancy will take the lead to planrestoration of the area.
Ballona Creek Watershed Management Plan
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Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force
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BALLONA CREEK WATERSHEDCOORDINATOR
In 2004, the Mountains Recreation and ConservationAuthority, working with the Ballona Creek WatershedTask Force stakeholders, received a Proposition 50 grantfrom the State of California Department of Conservationand hired a watershed coordinator for the BallonaWatershed (for a three-year term). The objectives for thisposition are to (1) facilitate implementation of theBallona Creek Watershed Management Plan by seekingfunding for priority projects identified in theManagement Plan, (2) provide administrative supportto the BCWTF and facilitate the transition of the TaskForce into a long-term self-sustainable organization foroversight and coordination of watershed restorationactivities, (3) support education and outreach to broadenthe base of stakeholders and build up community supportand participation in watershed restoration activities,(4) develop and facilitate implementation of projects/measures that optimize water resources to reducedependence on imported water, and (5) coordinateimplementation of a community-based watershedmonitoring program and enhance the citizen/volunteermonitoring efforts in the watershed.
