April 2015
Scoping the Arroyo Restoration
Here's a great opportunity for you to help shape the restoration of the Arroyo Seco for many decades to come. On Wednesday, April 29 at 6:30 pm, the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Los Angeles County Flood Control District will host a scoping meeting at the South Pasadena Public Library to determine the environmental issues and the alternatives that should be considered in the Arroyo Seco Ecosystem Restoration Integrated Feasibility Program. It would be hard to overstate the potential of this study. We urge you to participate. Click on the flyer to enlarge.
Click here to read about the USACE's Arroyo Seco Restoration Study.
The Marvelous Birds of Hahamongna
The rare bird species in Hahamongna Watershed Park are among the most important treasures that the Arroyo Seco Foundation and the Pasadena Audubon Society are working to protect in our lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Flood Control District and the devastating sediment mining and trucking program they plan for the Hahamongna basin.
Hahamongna contains regionally-significant riparian (streamzone) habitat, a critically-important breeding zone for numerous bird species, including three that are identified as vulnerable on Federal and State lists: the Least Bell's Vireo, the Yellow Warbler, and the Yellow-breasted Chat.
Pasadena Audubon members Darren Dowell and Lance Benner have prepared a wonderful document that summarizes the presence of these species within Hahamongna during the breeding seasons in recent years. Whether you are a birder or not, this fascinating document will give you a new appreciation of the richness of Hahamongna.
Spring at Hahamongna Cooperative Nursery
Seeds are sprouting, planting beds are filling up, and we have only just begun. Join us working in the nursery this season planting seeds, growing trees and expanding our work areas. There is plenty to do and lots to learn about growing native plants. These plants will become part of the restoration work and plantings for the proposed Arroyo Seco Canyon Project, so you can track them from seed to maturity over the coming years!
All skill levels are welcome. Please RSVP and plan to bring a water bottle, sun protection, and your favorite gloves. Email a message to nursery@arroyoseco.org to join our weekly work days. See the calendar section below for details.
Rim of the Valley Study Recommends Including the Arroyo Seco
The National Park Service (NPS) has released the Rim of the Valley Draft Special Resource Study and Environmental Assessment for review and comment. The recommended plan would incorporate the urban stretch of the Arroyo Seco from the San Gabriel Mountains down to the Los Angeles River for inclusion in an extended national recreation area. You can review the study here: Rim of Valley Study
Congressman Adam Schiff, who has sponsored the study, will host a public meeting on Monday, April 27 to present the draft study report, answer questions and solicit your input. Schiff Meeting
Click here to learn more.
Statewide Snowpack Dips to 5% — Brown Announces Mandatory Reductions
April began with the first mandatory water restrictions in California's history. Now in the fourth year of a record drought, with statewide dropping as low as 5% of normal, Governor Brown has issued an executive order demanding a 25% reduction in urban water use.
Click here to read Gov. Brown's executive order.
For the latest on Southern California's water resources, click here.
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.
| Fri, April 17 |
|
Hahamongna Nursery Work Day 9am – 12:30pm Hahamongna Watershed Park, 101 Foothill Boulevard, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011 Join us working in the nursery this season, planting seeds, growing trees and expanding our work areas. We have plenty to do and lots to teach about growing native plants. |
| Sat, April 18 |
|
Great L.A. River Cleanup: The Confluence 9am – 12pm 475 N. San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90031 Located under the Pasadena Freeway is the Confluence of the Arroyo Seco and the Los Angeles River. In 1769, the Portola expedition's Father Juan Crespi described this area as "very well lined with large trees, sycamores, willows, cottonwoods, and very large live oaks." This concrete-lined site is just downstream from the natural-bottomed Glendale Narrows. You’ll see red-legged stilts in the shallow water and swallows flying overhead – you can find their mud nests under the bridge. |
| Tues., April 21 |
|
Rim of the Valley Online Public Meeting 9am – 12:30pm - 2:00pm Click here for meeting details The meeting will review the proposals of the recently released Rim of the Valley Study and give you an opportunity to comment on the plan. |
| Sat, April 25 |
|
Seasons of Hahamongna Spring Hike 9am – 12pm Rose Bowl Riders Clubhouse, 4700 Oak Grove Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011 Rose Bowl Riders and The Arroyo Seco Foundation present: Seasons of Hahamongna: A quarterly docent led hike in the Hahamongna Watershed Park. This event is open to RBR Members, Pasadena residents and the public. |
| Sun, April 26 |
|
Hahamongna Nursery Work Day 9am – 12:30pm Hahamongna Watershed Park, 101 Foothill Boulevard, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011 Join us working in the nursery this season, planting seeds, growing trees and expanding our work areas. We have plenty to do and lots to teach about growing native plants. |
| Wed, April 29 |
|
Public Scoping Meeting for the Arroyo Seco Ecosystem Restoration Integrated Feasibility Study 6:30 – 8:30pm South Pasadena Public Library Community Room, 1100 Oxley Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030 The Los Angeles County Flood Control District and United States Army Corps of Engineers invite you to attend a CEQA Public Scoping Meeting for the Arroyo Seco Ecosystem Restoration Integrated Feasibility Study/Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report |
| Monday, May 4 |
Rim of the Valley Public Meeting 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. La Crescenta Public Library - Community Room, 2809 Foothill Boulevard, La Crescenta, CA 91214 The meeting will review the proposals of the recently released Rim of the Valley Study and give you an opportunity to comment on the plan. |
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.
| New garden at Descanso shows La Cañadans how to reduce water for landscaping | April 8, 2015 — Decanso Gardens President David Brown says if La Cañadans opted for low-water landscaping and reduced their outdoor watering by half, they'd be well past the 35% reduction now being mandated by the state. "You don't have to do everything to do something," he said. "(But) if everybody did something, we'd be in a better place." |
| Gov. Brown announces mandatory statewide California water reductions | April 1, 2015 — With the brown mountainsides of California's parched Sierra Nevada as a backdrop, Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday called for the first-ever mandatory statewide water reductions for cities and towns. |
| The California Drought of 2015: A preview | March 30, 2015 — This fourth year of drought is severe, but not yet the driest ever. |
| Park Service should release the Rim of the Valley report now | March 19, 2015 — The National Park Service should promptly release the report, already delayed three times, on the proposal to create a Rim of the Valley National Recreation Area on wildlands stretching from the Santa Monica Mountains to the Angeles National Forest above Pasadena. |
| Daylighting and restoring urban streams, ponds and wetlands can provide huge ecological and social benefits. | March 17, 2015 — A global roundtable adressing the questions: Are such restorations "worth it"? What are the pitfalls? How can we demonstrate these benefits and elevate them in the public discourse so that urban wetlands become urban planning priorities? |
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
