The Ripples Behind and the Waves Ahead - A Message from the Stormwater Program Manager

It’s hard to believe that I’ll commemorate a decade with the Stormwater Program in 2010. It’s even harder to consider that Los Angeles’ Stormwater Program celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Time sure does fly!

The City’s Program has grown significantly in the past 20 years. In 1990, the original staff of the then-named Stormwater Group was comprised of just two people working to meet early stormwater regulations that were the result of the 1987 amendment to the 1972 Clean Water Act. Since those early days, the division has matured to more than 80 dedicated staff members implementing a comprehensive watershed protection program that includes education, engineering, enforcement, research and development, monitoring, and conducting scientific studies. And, in the process, the program has become one of the national leaders in stormwater management garnering the respect of agencies throughout the country with award winning projects and programs.

Of course, like all programs, we’ve also had our share of challenges, and we are currently facing some daunting issues that will test us for years to come. As our program enters its third decade, we face obstacles that range from multiple and increasingly stricter federal regulations to recent budget deficits that force us to do more and more with fewer resources.

These obstacles, however, are also opportunities for the program to grow and mature. Stricter water quality goals also mean greater impact on the work we do, which in turn speeds up the process to achieving these objectives. This of course, does not come without hard work, but I believe our staff and community partners are up to the challenge.

As we enter this new decade, I’m encouraged by a paradigm shift that I’m seeing and the opportunities afforded by this change. More and more in this era of drought, people are realizing that rainwater is a resource that can be used or infiltrated back into decreasing groundwater supplies, instead of a liability that needs to be diverted and removed as quickly as possible. The overwhelming residential support we’ve enjoyed with our pilot Rainwater Harvesting Program and the recent collaborative work we’ve done with the community to craft a workable yet flexible Low Impact Development (LID) ordinance demonstrates the desire on the part of City residents to do their part in conserving this most precious resource.

In this issue of the LA Stormwater newsletter (sign up here), we’ll take a glance back at the last 20 years and provide a look ahead at the future of the City’s program. You’ll enjoy interviews with a few of the Stormwater Survivors, those dedicated staff members who have been with the City’s Program through most of its history. We’ll also feature an article by guest-writer Mark Gold, President of Heal the Bay, who will provide an environmnetalist's viewpoint. Lastly, we’ll issue a challenge to you – the community – to make a few simple rainwater resolutions as we enter a new decade.

Even after 20 years, the solution to clean water remains the same. It calls for a team effort, with the City and community working together to bring about the change we all want – cleaner creeks, rivers, lakes and beaches for our families and children.

To all, a healthy and prosperous 2010!

Best Regards,





Shahram Kharaghani, Stormwater Program Manager

Click here to view all of the articles in Issue 9 of the LA Stormwater newsletter.

LA Prepares for Tricks & Treats this Season

October marks the beginning of the rainy season here in Los Angeles. It is also the time of year when we celebrate a culturally popular holiday – Halloween. As we enter the wet winter months ahead, Los Angeles faces some potentially frightening challenges. Will the El Niño conditions predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists create monstrous storms knocking at LA’s door? How will the devastation left behind by the destructive Station Fire impact the quality of urban runoff in our watersheds? How can bacteria – a hideously hidden pollutant in urban runoff – potentially impact the health of beach goers and marine life?

In this issue of LA Stormwater, we highlight these challenges with a Halloween twist. The articles will feature very real obstacles facing Los Angeles in the months to come, but as you’ll see, every challenge presents an opportunity for Los Angeles to continue in its role as an environmental leader.

In July, NOAA scientists announced the arrival of El Niño, the periodic warming of central and eastern tropical Pacific waters. It is a climate phenomenon with significant influence on global weather and ocean conditions. El Niño’s chilling characteristics have typically included menacing winter storms in the Southland, causing severe flooding, mudslides and compromised water quality from the witch’s brew of polluted urban runoff flowing through creeks, rivers and lakes to our local bays. Even so, regular rainfall is a welcome occurrence in our dry climate. We need water for our crops, our rivers and our soil. It is a vital component of our ecological health. However, too large of a dose all at once can cause serious ramifications to our local waterways, if we're not prepared. Go to this article.

As the school year began in September, Los Angeles experienced the wicked Station Fire. Charring more than 250 square miles in LA County and the Angeles National Forest, this fiendish fire created a smoldering, barren moonscape that could have a devastating impact on water quality in the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers’ watersheds. The rains may loosen sediment and rocks, send mudslides through foothill communities, and clog LA’s storm drain system. Go to this article.

During this season of ghosts and goblins, we are often scared by the monsters that we can see. But in urban runoff, it is an unseen pollutant that can cause the most harm. Bacteria are a hidden pollutant in urban runoff that can cause illnesses in beach goers and marine life alike. In this issue, we’ll explore the causes of bacterial pollution and the problems it can create in our waterways. Go to this article.

Despite the monstrous challenges facing us on this Hallows Eve, opportunities abound to meet and exceed these obstacles. Yes, an El Niño year presents LA with the threat of increased rainfall, but by adopting a few simple good housekeeping practices, homeowners can minimize El Niño’s impact. The damage created by the Station Fire has the potential to create mudslides and sediment flows, but Los Angeles crews are trained and prepared to meet this challenge. And, while bacteria remain a major pollutant of concern, Los Angeles continues to lead the way in developing programs and projects to combat this contaminant.

Enjoy this Halloween issue of LA Stormwater! I remain hopeful that the upcoming rainy season will be filled with more treats than tricks.

Sincerely,

Shahram Kharaghani

Stormwater Program Manager