Title: | Arroyo Seco Funding Approved |
Subtitle: | |
Date: | 2007-07-26 |
Summary: | July 26, 2007 - Funding for the US Army Corps of Engineers ecosystem study of the Arroyo Seco has been approved by both house of Congress. A conference commmittee will soon set the final amount of federal support this year for the $2.8 million study. |
Author: | Charles Cooper |
Publication: | Arcadia Weekly |
Content: | The House Appropriations Committee has approved $200,000 for a project to allow the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a Watershed Management Plan Feasibility Study in the Arroyo Seco. The Watershed Management Plan is a project supported and coordinated by the County of Los Angeles to develop a comprehensive, environmentally friendly approach to manage the Arroyo Seco Watershed. The project is supported by the Arroyo Seco Foundation, North East Trees, the California Coastal Conservancy, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, and the cities in the watershed. Congressman Adam Schiff led a group of California congressional members in fighting for the funding. He said, �Restoration and conservation of our scarce open spaces is vitally important to ensuring a good quality of living. This funding will help ensure that the Arroyo Seco returns to its natural state - an environmental gem. Once it�s restored, it will provide enjoyable open space and recreation areas for generations to come.� The FY 2007 Energy and Water Appropriations Act, approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee last week contains $400,000, for the Study. Last October the US Army Corps of Engineers announced the kickoff the Arroyo Seco Watershed Feasibility Study in a meeting at La Casita del Arroyo in Pasadena, but the study has lagged since then because FY 2006 federal budget contained only $100,000. When the Bush Administration released their proposed budget for FY2007 in February, the Arroyo Seco project was zeroed out. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a member of the Appropriations Committee, fought hard for the Arroyo Seco study and was able to up the Senate recommendation to $400,000. Now the FY 2007 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill will go to a joint Senate/House conference committee to resolve differences. With support in both houses for the Arroyo study, there is a good possibility that the conference committee will go with the higher figure to give the $2.8 million three-year study the momentum to move forward. The funding will go to the US Army Corps of Engineers to provide the federal share of the study for technical studies of hydrology, water resources and environmental issues in the Arroyo Seco watershed. Local partners, led by Los Angeles County and including the Cities of Pasadena, Los Angeles, La Canada Flintridge, and South Pasadena, the Raymond Basin Management Board, Foothill MWD, the Arroyo Seco Foundation, will provide the local match. |
Url: |
Arroyo Seco Foundation, PO Box 91622, Pasadena, CA 91109-1622 (323) 405-7326 info@arroyoseco.org