Making sure that Los Angeles is prepared to weather storms is a team effort. Residents can do their part by preparing their homes and neighborhoods for the storms ahead. And, from cleaning out clogged catch basins and debris basins to making crews available to respond to emergency situations, LASAN staff members work daily to keep Angelenos safe when the rain starts to fall.

 

But LASAN isn’t just preparing for immediate storms. LASAN is also working to create a more sustainable and water resilient LA by designing and building major infrastructure projects that capture stormwater runoff and improve water quality in local rivers, creeks, lakes and bays for years to come. And, on October 4 the LA County Board of Supervisors (LACBOS) approved Safe Clean Water Program funding for two Los Angeles-based projects, the Angeles Mesa Green Infrastructure Corridor Project and the Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation Operations and Maintenance Project. These two projects were part of the total $144 million in Safe Clean Water funding approved by the LAC BOS earlier this week which included 24 new infrastructure projects, 17 scientific studies, and various watershed area resources designed to increase the region’s water resiliency.

 

The Angeles Mesa Green Infrastructure Corridor Project is an $8.1 million multi-benefit project that will be located in the Park Mesa Heights neighborhood of South Los Angeles. Its water quality, water supply and community benefits will include the capture and infiltration of more than 21.8 million gallons of rainwater annually during a normal rainy season and the removal of 100% of trash, 71% of zinc and 85% of bacteria from the associated annual stormwater runoff. In addition, the planting of 120 new trees that, upon maturity, will provide 60,000 square feet of new tree canopy. LASAN anticipates that the project’s construction will begin in late 2024 and be completed by the end of 2026. 

 

The Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation Operations and Maintenance Project will annually provide $480,000 over the next five years for the operations and maintenance of Echo Park Lake and the water quality elements that were constructed in the lake and park and funded by Los Angeles’ Proposition O. Completed in November of 2013, the Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation Project was built with the overall objective to improve water quality in Echo Park Lake and the Upper Los Angeles River watershed. The recently approved maintenance budget from the Safe Clean Water Program’s regional fund will be utilized to maintain Echo Park Lake, providing for the upkeep, including the removal of trash, debris and algae.  The Safe Clean Water Program funding will also fund the maintenance and operations of installed trash capture devices and systems that were installed to improve the lake’s water quality.

 

Approved by LA County voters in 2018, the Safe Clean Water Program is LA County’s $275 million dollar program that provides annual funding on a municipal and regional level for infrastructure projects, scientific studies and a technical resources program to improve water quality and capture stormwater throughout LA’s nine watersheds. Learn more about the program by visiting LASAN’s Safe Clean Water Program web page.

 

Photo courtesy of Jose Lozano, LA Sanitation and Environment.