April Showers Bring . . . A New Frame of Mind - A Message from the Stormwater Program Manager

How often have we heard the adage that April showers bring May flowers? This year in Los Angeles, April showers are bringing a new frame of mind as well. More and more Angelenos are viewing rainwater as a resource to be captured and used, instead of a liability to be diverted into our storm drain system. All across the southland, we are beginning to see residents recognize not only the importance of conserving water during this time of drought, but also take creative steps to harvest rainwater for their irrigation needs.

Earlier this year, the City of Los Angeles took its own important step in moving towards a time when rainwater is harvested on properties throughout the city. On January 15, the Board of Public Works voted unanimously in favor of a Low Impact Development (LID) Ordinance that would require all new development projects to put in place best management practices to capture and infiltrate or use the first ¾” of rainwater from all storm events. The next step for the proposed LID Ordinance is review by the Mayor’s Office, City Council Committees, and full City Council. In the interim, the Bureau of Sanitation is moving forward with plans to begin developing a Low Impact Development Handbook that will outline the ordinance's requirements and guide applicants through the approval process, and we want you on the team.

The LA Stormwater Program will be coordinating the efforts of public officials, stakeholders, private industry and the general citizenry in the development of these guidelines. We encourage you to attend the May 20 launch meeting. Learn more about how you can get involved in being part of putting together the LID Handbook by visiting our LA Team Effort Blog.

In this issue of LA Stormwater, we focus on this rainwater-as-a-resource paradigm shift that we are starting to experience in LA. We will provide an update on our popular Rainwater Harvesting Pilot Program that ended in March, and give information on the next steps for citywide implementation. With spring officially here, we will provide homeowners with information on how to create more pervious areas around their homes during home improvement project season. We will also hear from Sherri Akers, a member of the Mar Vista Community Council, who will give her unique view on this changing rainwater harvesting mindset. She provides details about the upcoming Mar Vista Green Gardens Showcase on Sunday, April 25 that features a walking tour of more than 75 California-native friendly gardens, many of which include rain barrels installed as part of our Rainwater Harvesting Pilot Program.

In this era of diminishing water supplies and increasingly tough drought conditions, I am encouraged by this new and changing forecast. I can see southern California moving towards a time when people are working together, each in their own individual way, to harvest LA’s rain.

Best Regards,





Shahram Kharaghani, Stormwater Program Manager

Click here to view all of the articles in Issue 10 of the LA Stormwater newsletter.

Get Your Volunteer on for Clean Water!

Upcoming Events for March 2010:

For more info on these events, including time and location, please visit the embedded links or check out our calender.

>Come join the clean-up of Cienga Elementary School on Saturday, March 6. The event is sponsored by Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup, the nation's largest community improvement program. The event is part of the group’s annual clean-up from March 1 through May 31, involving an estimated 3 million volunteers and attendees.

>The Surfrider Foundation and Cabrillo Marine Aquarium are also putting their weight behind two events on Saturday, March 6. Surfrider volunteers will be tackling beach garbage in Venice and folks that volunteer for Cabrillo can weed and learn about native plants at their awesome native garden. There is also a cool TreePeople restoration event on Sunday, March 7 in Agora Hills.

>Later, during the second week of March, TreePeople will be hosting a Park Work Day in Beverly Hills on March 11 (if you can’t make it on the 11, chip in on the 18 or 25) and on Saturday the 13 they’ll be putting their muscle behind a mountain restoration gig in the glorious Topanga and Coldwater Canyons. And if you are up for double duty that weekend, join TreePeople for a project in Calabasas.

>Don’t think you can run a marathon? That’s okay, that doesn’t mean you can’t help out during the LA Marathon’s big day, which will happen on March 21. To be a volunteer attend a meeting on March 19 or 20 to bring your eco-skills to the mix.

>TreePeople will be at it again on March 20 in South L.A. to help an Eagle Scout add some green to the community. Heal the Bay will also be at it on the coast, doing a clean-up with volunteers at Dockweiler Beach.

>The Mayor (and the City) is calling on you to chip in on March 20 as well for a Day of Service. The LA Schools Day of Service is a day for Angelenos throughout the City to unite and share a day filled with service projects throughout local schools that will address school and community issues, as well as highlight the school's and community's assets. So learn a bit more about how you can get your hands dirty to make our city a little bit cleaner.

>March 21 (as noted) is marathon day in the sunny city we call Los Angeles. So if you attended one of those meetings, this will be your chance to put yourself to the test. Runners (and the environment) will thank you.

>Also on Sunday March 21, Heal the Bay will be embarking on work in Malibu Creek State Park as well as Santa Monica Mountains. So if marathons aren’t your thing, head to the hills!

>Brentwood residents will have a chance to plant trees with TreePeople on Saturday, March 27. The event will be part of an effort to plant 1 million trees in L.A. That means they need a lot of good folks on board to help out (hint, hint)!

Looking for a Last Minute (green) Holiday Gift?

Have you ever walked or driven past a tree and thought to yourself, “What a wonderful addition to this neighborhood?”

In many ways trees define who we are as people. We climb them, watch their leaves change and sometimes even pick their fruit.

Trees are also about more than aesthetics; they help clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change. Trees also help replenish the soil and reduce the amount of sediment that runs into our local rivers when it rains.

There is no denying it, without trees the world wouldn’t be the same.

One of the Stormwater Program’s partners, TreePeople, is providing the opportunity for individuals to contribute to the local community by dedicating the planting of a new tree.

That’s right: with just a small donation you can help TreePeople plant a tree in Los Angeles in the name of whatever or whomever you would like.

There is simply no denying it, the more trees that are planted the better off the environment is in our city.

So visit their site to learn more about TreePeople and the opportunity to contribute something tangible to a local neighborhood in need of a tree.

(*Photo courtesy of TreePeople.)