March 2026
Arroyo Lovers Anxiously Await the EIR --
Nature? Or Pits, Pipes and Plumbing?
Pasadena officials have been promising the long-awaited Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Arroyo Seco Water Reuse Program for many months now. The project first surfaced in 2019 as a stream restoration program, but it soon morphed into a water supply program to provide treated water to the South Pasadena Golf Course and parks. The neighbors in nearby San Pascual, a Los Angeles community, were left out of the planning, so they went to court to force Pasadena and South Pasadena to do a full environmental impact report.
Now Arroyo afficionados are waiting anxiously to see if the EIR will just defensively replicate the previous over-engineered plans to water a golf course or rather adopt a more nature-based approach.
We will let you know what Pasadena Public Works decides when the EIR is released. Meanwhile, here is a petition to Mayor Gordo and the Pasadena City Council that details the policies that we Stewards believe should determine the future of the Arroyo Seco.
We urge you to consider carefully the future of our region's most valuable environmental treasure and sign the petition, if you agree.
Sign the Petition
Mark Capelli, the federal Southern California Steelhead Recovery coordinator, made a remarable presentation on "Steelhead Recovery and the Arroyo Seco" recently to Matt Kondloff's class at UC Berkeley. Click on the image to view the video.
Lower Arroyo -- Whatever Will Happen?
Pasadena Public Works Department has received a $500,000 grant from the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. Is that good news? It's not clear, given the long neglect of the Lower Arroyo by the Public Works Department and their affinity for plumbing and industrial hardware in the Arroyo. Public Works has also not been responsive to community concerns or to the Lower Arroyo Master Plant despite their promises. Take a look at their history in this video.
