Revitalization Plan for Lower LA River Misses Opportunity for Watershed-Level Changes
LA Waterkeeper Highlights Draft Proposal's Room for Improvement
In December, the Lower LA River Working Group released its Draft Revitalization Plan for the section of the river from Vernon to Long Beach. Despite the best efforts of the Working Group, LAW finds that the document falls considerably short of its original intention to develop a "revitalization plan for the Lower Los Angeles River watershed," as it instead proposes essentially a beautified channel.
The Plan is the result of Assembly Bill 530, authored by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount), which was adopted in October 2015 to activate the Working Group and develop a revitalization strategy.
"We applaud Speaker Rendon and the Working Group's efforts to shine a spotlight on a chronically-overlooked section of the river, engage community in a dialogue about their priorities, and increase equitable access to the river," said LAW's Executive Director, Bruce Reznik. "However, the plan released last week represents a missed opportunity to tackle Lower LA River revitalization holistically."
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