THE SURGE July 2016

THE SURGE July 2016
Save The Blue
Relaunching LAW's Watershed Programs!
New Report: Cost-Effectiveness of Water
Transactions
LAW vs. Water Boards: Latest Battle in a Long War
LADWP Approves Watershed Approach
Welcome Our New Office Manager
Donate Now!
Relaunching Our Watershed Programs!
With our new team in place, LAW is expanding the scope of our programmatic work with a mission
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!
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
RSVP here!
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...
Purchase Tickets Here!
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.
Read more...
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!
Learn more...
Rebecca Light, Office Manager
Rebecca joins LAW with nearly a decade of experience in nonprofit 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.
Learn more...
LAWaterkeeper.org