COUNCIL FOR WATERSHED HEALTH
177 E COLORADO STREET NO 200, PASADENA, CA 91105 www.watershedhealth.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: FOUNDED MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO BY GRASSROOTS ORGANIZER DOROTHY GREEN, COUNCIL FOR WATERSHED HEALTH (CWH) IS A 501(C)3 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH THE MISSION TO ADVANCE THE HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR REGION'S WATERSHEDS - BOTH IN NATURAL AREAS AND URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS. WE DO THIS THROUGH SCIENCE-BASED RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND INCLUSIVE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. WATERSHED HEALTH IS ACHIEVED WHEN WE USE SCIENCE, ART, AND EDUCATION TO SUPPORT BIODIVERSITY, SOCIAL EQUITY, AND WELLNESS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.CWH BRINGS TO THE TABLE DECADES OF ACCUMULATED KNOWLEDGE IN THE SUCCESSFUL DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONS OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE. WE USE APPLIED RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND ENGAGEMENT TO IMPROVE BEST PRACTICES AND INFORM POLICIES, LEADING TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE LOS ANGELES COUNTY. OUR PROGRAMS ADDRESS DIVERSE THEMES SUCH AS URBAN STORMWATER AND WATER SUPPLY, HABITAT CONSERVATION, RESTORATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, EQUITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH.

TO FACILITATE AND ADVANCE THE HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR REGION'S WATERSHEDS.

COUNCIL FOR WATERSHED HEALTH (CWH) CONDUCTS, ANALYZES, AND SHARES RESEARCH TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY, SUPPLY, AND TO PRESERVE AND RESTORE BIODIVERSITY. WE DO THIS TO ENSURE SOUND WATERSHED PLANNING IN OUR REGION WHILE TRACKING PROGRESS TOWARD ACHIEVING HEALTHIER URBAN ENVIRONMENTS AND FOSTERING A REGIONAL LANDSCAPE ETHIC THAT REDUCES WATER USE AND IMPROVES WILDLIFE HABITAT. WE DEVELOP RESOURCES AND CONDUCT EDUCATION ON SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN, MAPPING, AND MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES. WE ACCOMPLISH THIS BY DEVELOPING AND COMPILING EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES THAT EXPLAIN AND PROMOTE PRACTICES FOR THE MORE EFFICIENT USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND BY CONVENING STAKEHOLDERS AND PROVIDING LEADERSHIP, GUIDANCE, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ORGANIZATIONS, INDIVIDUALS, AND DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. CWH CONVENES A BROAD STAKEHOLDER BASE THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO INTEGRATE VARIOUS SECTORS, CONDUCT PARTICIPATORY DECISION MAKING, AND EFFECTIVELY CARRY OUT OUR MISSION. OUR BROAD LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS AND OUR UNBIASED APPROACH TO COMPLEX ISSUES PROVIDES US A TRUSTED PLATFORM FROM WHICH TO ENGAGE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND BUILD AND RETROFIT OUR COMMUNITIES SO THAT THEY ARE ECONOMICALLY AND EQUITABLY SUSTAINABLE. OUR STUDIES, PROJECTS, AND PROGRAMSLOS ANGELES BASIN WATER AUGMENTATION STUDY THE WATER AUGMENTATION STUDY (WAS) IS A LONG-TERM RESEARCH PROJECT LED BY CWH TO EXPLORE THE POTENTIAL FOR INCREASING LOCAL WATER SUPPLIES AND REDUCING URBAN RUNOFF POLLUTION BY INCREASING INFILTRATION OF STORMWATER RUNOFF. WAS ALSO EVALUATED THE BENEFITS OF ENHANCING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, INCREASING GREEN SPACE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, PROVIDING JOBS, AND INCREASING OUR WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY.LOS ANGELES RIVER AND SAN GABRIEL RIVER WATERSHED MONITORING PROGRAM CWH MANAGES PLANNING, WATER QUALITY MONITORING, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, AND COORDINATION OF THE LA RIVER TECHNICAL WORKGROUP. THROUGH THIS EFFORT WE ARE FOSTERING COMMUNICATION AMONG AGENCIES THROUGH THE FACILITATION OF STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, TECHNICAL GUIDANCE, PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING CHANGES TO THE MONITORING DESIGN, ENGAGING PRESENTATIONS AND ANNUAL REPORTS. IN ADDITION, EACH YEAR OUR TEAM SAMPLES AND CONDUCTS ANALYSIS FOR WATER CHEMISTRY, SEDIMENT CHEMISTRY, BIOASSESSMENT (BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES (BMIS) AND ATTACHED ALGAE), TOXICITY AND PHYSICAL HABITAT CONDITION ASSESSMENT, TESTING OF FISH TISSUE BIOACCUMULATION AND MONITORING OF BACTERIAL PATHOGENS. THE PROGRAM HAS PROVIDED MANAGERS WITH THE FIRST FULLY INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT OF AMBIENT STREAM HEALTH IN THESE TWO WATERSHEDS AND HOW WATER QUALITY CONDITIONS ARE CHANGING OVER TIME. ELMER AVENUE NEIGHBORHOOD RETROFIT PROJECT & ELMER PASEO STORMWATER IMPROVEMENT PROJECTBASED ON THE POSITIVE RESULTS OF THE LOS ANGELES BASIN WATER AUGMENTATION STUDY, A ONE-BLOCK SECTION OF ELMER AVENUE IN SUN VALLEY WAS RETROFITTED WITH MULTIPLE ALTERNATIVE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPS) TO ANNUALLY CAPTURE 16 ACRE-FEET OF STORMWATER RUNOFF, IMPROVE HOUSEHOLD WATER CONSERVATION, REDUCE POLLUTION TO OUR RIVERS, RESTORE HABITAT, IMPROVE URBAN FOREST CANOPY AND BEAUTIFY THE COMMUNITY. AS PART OF PHASE II OF THE ELMER AVENUE NEIGHBORHOOD RETROFIT PROJECT, THE "ELMER AVENUE PASEO" IS DESIGNED TO CAPTURE, MANAGE, AND INFILTRATE 6 ACRE-FEET OF RUNOFF FROM THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD, RESULTING IN REDUCED FLOODING. ADDITIONALLY, THE PASEO ADDS GREEN SPACE TO THE COMMUNITY, PROVIDES A SAFE AND COMFORTABLE PEDESTRIAN CONNECTION TO LOCAL GOODS AND SERVICES, REDUCES AMBIENT TEMPERATURES, CREATES WILDLIFE HABITAT, AND PROVIDES THE COMMUNITY WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME STEWARDS OF THEIR LOCAL WATERSHED.LA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT'S DROUGHT RESPONSE OUTREACH PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS (DROPS) IMPLEMENTATIONCWH IS SUPPORTING THE LA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF THEIR DROUGHT RESPONSE OUTREACH PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS (DROPS) FUNDED PROJECTS ON FIVE SCHOOL CAMPUSES. CWH COMPLETED MONITORING OF GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE (GSI) FEATURES AT EACH CAMPUS AND OVERSAW THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH COMPONENTS OF THE GRANT IN COLLABORATION WITH TWO OTHER NONPROFITS: TREE PEOPLE AND LA AUDUBON.PROPOSITION 1 STORMWATER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMSTATE WATER BOARD AWARDED CWH GRANT FUNDING TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (TA) TO SMALL, UNDERSERVED (DAC) MUNICIPALITIES INTERESTED IN PURSUING PROPOSITION 1 FUNDING FOR MULTI-BENEFIT STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROJECTS. CWH IS ASSISTING SEVEN SMALL DAC MUNICIPALITIES THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA TO IDENTIFY AND DEVELOP ELIGIBLE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROJECTS THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES BY CONVENING MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAMS OF PROFESSIONALS, GUIDING THE DESIGN PROCESS, AND DEVELOPING COMPETITIVE GRANT APPLICATIONS. THE PROPOSED PROJECTS INCLUDE REDESIGNED STREETS THAT INTEGRATE GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE INTO EXISTING GREY INFRASTRUCTURE, COMPLETE AND GREEN STREETS, ENHANCED INFILTRATION ON A SCHOOL CAMPUS, AND CHANNEL RUNOFF DIVERTED INTO A RE-ESTABLISHED WETLAND HABITAT. WATERSHED CONNECTIONSCWH LAUNCHED WATERSHED CONNECTIONS, AN ONGOING SUMMER SCIENCE EDUCATION INITIATIVE, TO ENGAGE LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN WATERSHED EDUCATION THROUGH COMMUNITY SCIENCE. CWH FACILITATES INTERACTIVE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES AT OUTREACH EVENTS, LEADS EDUCATIONAL KAYAK TOURS WITH LA RIVER EXPEDITIONS, AND PUBLISHES WEEKLY "SUMMER SCIENCE FRIDAY" BLOG POSTS TO EDUCATE COMMUNITIES ON A VARIETY OF WATERSHED TOPICS. BLOG POST TOPICS FOCUS ON RECREATING SAFELY IN THE LOS ANGELES RIVER WATERSHED, BECOMING A BETTER WATERSHED STEWARD IN YOUR COMMUNITY, AND LEARNING ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN WATER AND ENERGY CONSERVATION. CWH STAFF CONDUCTED "POP-UP" COMMUNITY SCIENCE ACTIVITIES AT LOCAL EVENTS TO INTRODUCE RESIDENTS TO WATER SCIENCE ABOUT THE LOCAL WATERSHEDS AND NATURE-BASED APPROACHES TO MANAGING STORMWATER. THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF EDISON INTERNATIONAL, CWH EXPANDED WATERSHED CONNECTIONS TO DEVELOP AND DISTRIBUTE A WATERSHED ACTIVITY WORKBOOK FOR 4-12 GRADE STUDENTS (AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH). COMMUNITY DIALOGUES CWH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER, LA SANITATION AND ENVIRONMENT AND ONEWATER LA, TEAMED WITH SIX COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO FACILITATE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS WITHIN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. CWH AND CBO PARTNERS IDENTIFIED NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS FOR TRAINING IN THE MULTIPLE BENEFITS OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. DIALOGUES FOCUSED ON LEARNING ABOUT EACH COMMUNITY'S PRIORITIES, SHARING PROJECT SUCCESS STRATEGIES, AND DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION MESSAGES. CBOS ALSO TOURED ELMER AVENUE AND ELMER PASEO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WATERSHED APPROACH TO MANAGING STORMWATER IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. ENHANCING INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT THROUGH EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMCWH IS THE LEAD ON A MULTI-YEAR INITIATIVE TO ENHANCE INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. CWH PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, FACILITATION, AND LEADERSHIP TO ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH FACILITATION, RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, AND TECHNICAL RESOURCES THAT ENGAGE AND EMPOWER COMMUNITIES. CWH STAFF ARE PROVIDING EXPERT GUIDANCE TO HELP COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOS) DEVELOP MULTI-BENEFIT PROJECTS IN COLLABORATION WITH AGENCIES AND CITIES THAT SEE THE VALUE OF, BUT STRUGGLE TO ACHIEVE, INTEGRATION OF REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS. MERCED AVENUE GREENWAYCITY STREETS NOW ARE RECOGNIZED AS IMPORTANT PUBLIC SPACES THAT MUST MEET THE NEEDS OF PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS, AND MOTORISTS, AS WELL AS ACHIEVE SPECIFIC STORMWATER STANDARDS WHILE MITIGATING THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. OUT OF THE WORK CONDUCTED THROUGH OUR BUILDING CAPACITY OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS PROGRAM, CWH LED A TEAM OF NONPROFITS (INCLUDING ACTIVE SGV AND CLIMATE RESOLVE) IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND SUBMISSION OF MULTIPLE GRANT PROPOSALS ON BEHALF THE CITY OF SOUTH EL MONTE TO DESIGN AND BUILD A 1-MILE GREENWAY ALONG MERCED AVENUE. THE CORRIDOR'S EXISTING SINGLE-PURPOSE DESIGN, COUPLED WITH MINIMAL GREENING AND LACK OF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO ADDRESS STORMWATER FROM THE RUNOFF OF NEARBY INDUSTRIAL LAND USES ELEVATES THE NEED FOR A MULTI-BENEFIT SOLUTION. DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES PROP 1 INTEGRATED REGIONAL WATER PROGRAM (IRWM) EDUCATION AND OUTREACHIN PARTNERSHIP WITH TREEPEOPLE, CWH IS ASSISTING LOS ANGELES COUNTY IMPLEMENT A THREE-YEAR WATER-CENTRIC COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT-EDUCATION PROGRAM AND COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN 107 UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES (APPROXIMATELY 3.9 MILLION PEOPLE) ACROSS THE GREATER LOS ANGELES COUNTY (GLAC) REGION. THE PROGRAM OBJECTIVES FOCUS ON WORKING COLLABORATIVELY TO INVOLVE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AGENCIES, SMALLER MUNICIPALITIES AND STAKEHOLDERS IN IRWM PLANNING EFFORTS TO ENSURE BALANCED ACCESS AND REPRESENTATION WHEN IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS ARE SCOPED.

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