THE SURGE  July 2016

Save The Blue
Relaunching Our Watershed Programs!
With our new team in place, LAW is expanding the scope of our programmatic work with a mis sion of  empowering Angelenos to monitor and steward our shared environment so that everyone has access to healthy, living, and safe waterways.

Here's a look at some of our exciting new programs and projects, managed by our Watershed Program Coordinator, Melissa von Mayrhauser:

River Assessment Fieldwork Team (RAFT)
In collaboration with Friends of the LA River (FoLAR), we are launching a water quality and ecological health volunteer monitoring pilot program on two sections of the Los Angeles River, with a focus on storm drain pollution inputs.  Please join us for one of our upcoming training and orientation sessions! Sign up for  Saturday, September 10th  or  Saturday, September 24th.

Community Water Watch (CWW)
We are revamping our Storm Water Assessment Team (SWAT) work, transitioning to an effort to train CWW Ambassadors and to work closely with community groups across the region to monitor industrial discharges in their neighborhoods. To find out more about becoming a CWW Ambassador in your neighborhood, click here. 

Urban Waters Civic Action Project
Expanding on a pilot program at Jefferson High School, LAW is now working on a high school water science and civic action education project in three watersheds, in collaboration with UCLA and the Constitutional Rights Foundation. Through this project, funded by an EPA Urban Waters Grant, we will provide the tools to co-power a new generation of LA watershed advocates throughout the region.

For more information, visit our website!
Let us know you're coming!ROI
New Report: Cost-Effectiveness of Water Investments

Most of California's rivers and streams don't have nearly enough water. One way government and conservation groups are working to re-water rivers is through a set of market-based tools that are collectively known as "environmental water transactions." But funding agencies have yet to develop standards to compare the cost-effectiveness of these transactions.

California Coastkeeper Alliance (CCKA) and Klamath Riverkeeper developed a new metric to measure just that. Their new report urges public funding agencies to adopt standards to evaluate cost-effectiveness and provide taxpayers with the biggest bang for our buck.

Ultimately, CCKA hopes to show that enforcing laws is a better way to restore stream flows than market-based transactions. But as long as funding agencies support flow restoration through voluntary, market-based transactions, they should apply a cost-effectiveness metric. 

Read more...
Honor the Ocean: Celebrating LA's Indigenous Maritime Peoples & Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
Saturday, Sept. 24th

The LA MPA Collaborative invites you to Trancas Beach at Zuma in Malibu for an all-day celebration! Join us for:
  • Chumash history, culture and storytelling
  • Marine and watershed science and education
  • Volunteer opportunities and citizen science
  • Free surf lessons by Malibu Makos
LAW vs. The Water Boards:
Latest Battle in a Long War

In the second installment of LAW Staff Attorney Arthur Pugsley's blog series, we examine some of the history behind the lawsuit, and why Waterkeeper's challenge is the latest battle in a long struggle to clean up our most polluted local waterways.

Read more... 
LADWP Takes Watershed Approach to Turf Removal

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) turf removal rebates will now require a watershed-level approach, thanks to a 3-2 vote from LADWP's Board of Commissioners on August 16.

Under the new criteria, plastic turf will no longer be a part of the rebate program, and turf removal projects will need to maximize stormwater capture and promote healthy habitats, such as through storing and infiltrating more rainfall, planting native vegetation and cultivating living soil. We thank LADWP and all of our Green LA partners for their leadership on this effort!

Plus, on the same day, LADWP unanimously approved a new initiative to ensure equity of water and power services for all Angelenos. The Equity Metrics Data Initiative (EDMI) will track, measure and report data related to resource allocation and quality of service for all communities throughout LA. 

"As we move to 50 percent renewable energy by 2030, it is imperative that all our communities, both affluent and low income, have the infrastructure necessary to get on board with energy efficiency, solar and electric vehicles and the inherent economic opportunities created by the new, green economy," comments William Funderburk, Vice President of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners.

Stop by the LA Waterkeeper Booth
at  Abbot Kinney Fest!
Sunday, Sept. 25th

Meet our team & learn how you can get involved in protecting LA's precious water resources.

Be sure to enjoy all the annual festival has to offer: live music, food trucks, beer gardens, local artisans, and free admission!

Rebs
Rebecca Light, Office Manager

Rebecca joins LAW with nearly a decade of experience in non-profit administration, beginning at the administrative offices of Boston University's College of Fine Arts. She has worked for the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Foundation in operations and donor services, and is a company member of Theatre of NOTE where she previously served as Co-president of the Artistic & Management Committee. Most recently, Rebecca worked as Program Administrator and eventually Operations Manager for The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company. She holds a BFA in Acting from Boston University and can occasionally be seen performing in theatre throughout LA.