March 2015
Update! No Big Dig - the Lawsuit to Save Hahamongna
Attorneys Mitchell M. Tsai and Christina M. Caro filed the lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Flood Control District on December 11, 2014. After that, the hard work began, painstakingly going through the extensive administrative record and monitoring the regulatory permitting issues and process.
Our case has been assigned to Judge Luis Lavin, a senior jurist in Department 82 of LA Superior Court. In February a mandatory settlement conference was held to explore whether an agreement on the sediment removal program could be reached without going through a trial. No settlement was reached.
To sign up for email updates on the lawsuit and other Hahamongna issues, click here.
Natives for Restoration: Propagation in Our Nursery
Our first volunteer-led propagation workshop was a great success! More than 20 volunteers learned how to prepare materials and sow seed from key native species.
Please join us at any or all of the weekly nursery days this month. Details are in the calendar section below. We have plenty more planting to do, more nursery beds to get in ship shape condition, and lots more to teach you about growing native plants. The plants we grow here will become part of the restoration work and other native plantings for the proposed Arroyo Seco Canyon Project, so you can track these from seed to maturity over the coming years!
There are tasks for everyone; all skill levels are welcome and wanted. Contact Rebecca Shields Moose at rebecca@arroyoseco.org to join the weekly work days. Thank you again to everyone who came out for our first workshop! You all brought such enthusiasm and energy. Special thanks to Roger Klemm for leading the workshop, and to Cyndi Hatcher for bringing out a crew of students from Hillside.
Stewards of Public Land Challenges Proposal for Lower Arroyo Archery Range
Stewards for Public Land has filed a lawsuit against the City of Pasadena challenging the recent approval of a proposal for the Lower Arroyo Archery Range. The project, which was approved by a 5-3 vote of the Pasadena City Council on February 2, 2015, would restrict members of the general public who are not archers from entering a seven-acre stretch along the western side of the Arroyo just north of the La Loma Bridge and authorizes the construction of extensive barriers, structures and signage in an area that the Pasadena Municipal Code designates a natural preservation area.
Click here to read more.
Drought Update: Statewide Snowpack Less Than 20%
The shortage of rainfall in February was a harsh reminder that the drought is still here.
Exceptional drought conditions continue in our region, and most of California's water resources remain in a precarious state. The Sierras, which supply the large share of our water, are at less than 20% of their normal snowpack according to Metropolitan Water District's latest storage report—the need to conserve is as great as ever.
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. Many have gone up in value!
Visit our conservation page to learn more about how you can do your part.
How have you been conserving? Send your story and pictures to info@arroyoseco.org and you could be featured in the next Arroyo Currents!
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, March 21 |
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Hahamongna Nursery Work Day 9:00 – 11:30am Hahamongna Watershed Park, 101 Foothill Boulevard, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011 Please join us at any or all of the weekly nursery days this month. We have plenty more planting to do, more nursery beds to get in ship shape condition, and lots more to teach you about growing native plants. There are tasks for everyone; all skill levels are welcome and wanted. Please RSVP and plan to bring a water bottle, sun protection, and your favorite gloves. Contact Rebecca Shields Moose at rebecca@arroyoseco.org to join the weekly work days. |
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World Water Day Event, Sierra Madre 9am – 5pm Sierra Madre City Hall and Memorial Park, 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd, Sierra Madre, CA 91024 The Sierra Madre Rotary Club in conjunction with the City of Sierra Madre announce World Water Day 2015, www.waterday2015.org, an exposition of world-class water experts, seminars, demonstration gardens, educational workshops and fun for the residents and families living in the San Gabriel Valley. Our purpose is : 1) offer educational workshops for Sierra Madre residents and students, 2) discuss practical solutions to the water crisis facing Southern California, and 3) present steps to help our immediate communities conserve and protect this valuable natural resource. |
| Sat & Sun, March 21 & 22 |
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Theodore Payne Foundation Native Garden Tour 10am – 5am Various locations in Los Angeles County The Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden tour is a self-guided journey showcasing more than 35 Los Angeles-area gardens that feature California native plants and ideas for beautiful, sustainable, water-conserving landscapes. |
| Wed, March 25 |
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San Gabriel Mountains National Monument - What Next? 6:30 – 9:00pm Eaton Canyon Nature Center, 1750 North Altadena Drive, Pasadena, CA 91107 President Barack Obama took historic action in October 2014 when he created the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. Now that we have a National Monument, what are the next steps? How will it be managed and funded? What changes will it bring? What about the areas excluded from the Monument on the East and West? Will they be forgotten or included in larger visions? |
| Thu, March 26 |
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Flora of the Verdugos, with Naomi Fraga 7 – 9pm Various locations in Los Angeles County Learn about some of our local flora at the California Native Plant Society San Gabriel Mountains Chapter's monthly meeting. |
| Fri, March 27 |
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Hahamongna Nursery Work Day 9:00 – 11:30am Hahamongna Watershed Park, 101 Foothill Boulevard, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011 Please join us at any or all of the weekly nursery days this month. We have plenty more planting to do, more nursery beds to get in ship shape condition, and lots more to teach you about growing native plants. There are tasks for everyone; all skill levels are welcome and wanted. Please RSVP and plan to bring a water bottle, sun protection, and your favorite gloves. Contact Rebecca Shields Moose at rebecca@arroyoseco.org to join the weekly work days. |
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.
| How California is failing at dealing with the drought | March 16, 2015 — Here's how to manage California's historic drought more effectively. A recently-released report by the Public Policy Institute of California outlines key steps to be taken to survive. |
| California has about one year of water left. Will you ration now? | March 12, 2015 — California's severe drought demands decisive and immediate action says NASA/JPL scientist Jay Famiglietti in this important commentary. |
| Channelization of the Arroyo Seco | March 1, 2015 — The Edenic features of the Arroyo Seco that played an important role in drawing people to the area began to vanish with the structural developments of channelization. The environmental impact of the channelization project proved to be detrimental [and] decades would pass before the health of the Arroyo Seco's ecosystem would be cogently addressed. |
| Northeast L.A. gathers for a Homeless Town Hall | February 26, 2015 — A Town Hall forum sponsored by the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council focused on the homeless encampments that has popped up along the Arroyo. |
| Community calls for greener approach to cleaning out Devil's Gate Dam in Pasadena | February 20, 2015 — Fragile ecosystems encircling Pasadena, Altadena, La Canada Flintridge and central Los Angeles are threatened by a county sediment-removal project that is outdated, unbalanced and a violation of environmental laws. |
| New Climate Change Standard Can Help Restore Rivers | February 5, 2015 — The Obama Administration takes a balanced approach to flood and river management by issuing an executive order that encourages the use of floodplains and wetlands to buffer the impacts of storms. |
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
