August 2014

Introducing Stewards of Public Land

18 Acres of Exclusive Use in the Lower Arroyo? No Way!

On September 15, the Pasadena City Council will consider an agreement to permanently prohibit walking, jogging, dog-walking, birding and other forms of enjoyment of nature on the west side of the Lower Arroyo in Pasadena. The area will be exclusively reserved for archers.

The same people who generated the strong community response to the proposed Lower Arroyo tree removal have formed a new organization, Stewards of Public Land, dedicated to protecting and preserving parks and open spaces in the Arroyo Seco for the public.

ASF urges you to visit the Steward's website for more details. And sign their very worthy petition while you're at it: Petition

Devil's Gate Sediment Removal Update

Devil's Gate Sediment TruckingAt a recent meeting of Arroyo Seco agencies, the Los Angeles County Flood Control District announced that they are still reviewing comments on the Draft EIR for the Devil's Gate sediment removal project. They gave no indication of how they would respond to the alternative program proposed by the City of Pasadena. The County will release the final EIR this fall, and we will continue to keep you informed as more information becomes available.

Local Youth Help Out in the Arroyo

Hire LA Interns ASF has had the pleasure this summer of working with three Arroyo Seco community members as part of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's HIRE LA's Youth Program. Emily Sandoval, Art Reyes, and Stephanie Leon have spent their break in the Arroyo learning about the challenges facing urban rivers. In the process they have also helped with mapping and removal of invasive plant species and outreach for Arroyo restoration. We appreciate their hard work and are proud to be training the next generation of Arroyo stewards!

What's your water footprint?

With 58% of California in "exceptional drought" and mandatory water use restrictions in place, the importance of water conservation can't be overstated. However, it may surprise many people how much water they actually consume. Check out Change the Course's Water Footprint Calculator and discover some new ways that you can help ensure our water future.

Visit our conservation page also to learn more about how you can help, and don't forget that there are many rebates available for conservation investments around your home or business. Visit socalwatersmart.com or contact your local water provider for more information.

Help needed for trout survey in upper watershed

Arroyo Seco Calendar

Your guide to special events related to the Arroyo Seco, the Los Angeles River,
the San Gabriel Mountains, and key environmental issues in our region.

Sat & Sun, August 23 & 24
First Annual Latin Jazz & Music Festival
11am – 6pm
4580 N. Figueroa St, Los Angeles 90065
Join Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo and community groups for a weekend of jazz in one of the Arroyo's great parks.
Sun, August 24
Cooking with Corn hosted by Tim Martinez
3 – 5pm
631 Cypress Avenue, Pasadena 91103
Cooking with Corn, hosted by Tim Martinez - Outreach Coordinator of the Arroyo Seco Foundation and Board member of the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy. This 2 hour cooking demonstration will help you learn to prepare quick, healthy and delicious meals using corn, the native grain of the Americas. Cost: $35 per person. Register at UrbanHomestead.org/events. Register by 8/10 & save $5.
Sun, September 7
Happy Hour at Cottonwood Canyon, hosted by Craftsman Brewing Co
3 – 5pm
Cottonwood Canyon, 1951 Linda Vista Ave, Pasadena
Cooking with Corn, hosted by Tim Martinez - Outreach Coordinator of the Arroyo Seco Foundation and Board member of the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy. This 2 hour cooking demonstration will help you learn to prepare quick, healthy and delicious meals using corn, the native grain of the Americas. Cost: $35 per person. Register at UrbanHomestead.org/events. Register by 8/10 & save $5.
Sun, September 14
Rain Barrel and Drought-Tolerant Landscape Event at Descanso Gardens
10 – 2pm
1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge 91011
Get a special deal on rain barrels and learn how you can conserve water in your garden! Follow the link for more details.
Sat, September 20
Coastal Cleanup Day comes to the Arroyo
9am – noon
Arroyo Seco Confluence & Brookside Park
This is an exciting time. We are entering a new phase in what determines the future of the Southwest Museum and Casa de Adobe. Haven't visited in a while or never visited? Now's the time. And bring your friends and neighbors. Experience one of Los Angeles's greatest treasures. Let's fill the Southwest Museum to the rafters on August 16th. Let 'em know we care...I Heart the Southwest Museum!

News of the Arroyo

An archive of news stories about and related to life in the Arroyo Seco.

Click on the title link to read the entire story.

Title
Summary
Dam removals: Rivers on the runJuly 30, 2014 — The revival of Trout Creek is part of a growing trend in the United States. About half of the nation's roughly 85,000 known dams no longer serve their intended purposes, and an increasing number are being removed.
Historic La Casita del Arroyo reopens to publicAugust 1, 2014 — La Casita, that delightful meeting spot on the banks of the Arroyo, has been refurbished and is now open again.
Brookside Golf Club continues efforts to cut water useAugust 2, 2014 — The Star-News analyzes how Brookside Golf Course is responding to California's severe drought.
California's severe drought unchanged despite record thunderstormsAugust 7, 2014 — A series of thunderstorms that have hit California in recent weeks may have delivered devastating torrents of rain in some areas, but on the whole they were "inconsequential" in terms of easing the state's worsening drought, according to a report issued Thursday.
Can technology help us survive California's drought?August 11, 2014 — Forbes examines what the role of new technology will be in helping California survive and thrive during droughts.
California to vote on scaled-down $7.5-billion water bond in NovemberAugust 13, 2014 — A ballot measure that will ask voters in November to approve $7.5 billion in borrowing for water projects sailed through the Legislature on Wednesday.
In good news about L.A. River, what about Arroyo Seco?: Guest commentaryAugust 20, 2014 — There's good news and even better news for Arroyo lovers about the US Army Corps of Engineer's Arroyo Seco restoration study. In this Star-News guest commentary, ASF's Tim Brick evokes President Theodore Roosevelt's views on the unique qualities of the Arroyo Seco and the potential of the Corps' study.

Arroyo Seco Foundation
Los Angeles River Center, 570 W. Avenue 26 #450, Los Angeles, CA 90065
PO Box 91622, Pasadena, CA 91109
(323) 405-7326 | info@arroyoseco.org

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