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Urban Waters Partnership

Urban Waters and the Los Angeles River Watershed (California)

The Los Angeles River flows from its headwaters in the Angeles National forest to the Pacific Ocean in Long Beach. Fifty-one miles long, the river covers 870 square miles of watershed and winds through 14 cities.

The river has many historic purposes. In one section, a concrete runoff ditch helps control flooding. The natural river is a source of recreation for the 4.4 million people living in the surrounding area.

The Urban Waters Federal Partnership (UWFP) has developed a plan with multiple federal, state and local partners to restore and revitalize the LA River watershed. The partnership includes eight federal agencies, state and county agencies, four cities within the watershed and over 15 non-profit and non-governmental organizations.

In addition to supporting the UWFP mission and vision, the Los Angeles partners have also identified goals specific to the LA River Watershed. These include:

  1. Restore ecosystem functions
  2. Balance revitalization with flood avoidance to ensure public safety
  3. Reduce reliance on imported water supply
  4. Foster sustainable stewardship

Initially, the City of Los Angeles’s LA River Revitalization Master Plan focused partnership efforts within the City of Los Angeles. For future activities, the partnership anticipates focusing more on the Gateway Cities in the lower portion of the Los Angeles River watershed.

These efforts could benefit from the development of a Lower Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan. This plan could be built off the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works’ 1996 Los Angeles River Master Plan.

List of Partners

Federal Government

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • U.S. Department of the Interior
  • Housing and Urban Development
  • Department of the Interior National Parks Service
  • National Weather Service
  • U.S. Department of Transportation
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
  • U.S. Forest Service
  • U.S. Geological Survey

Partnership in Action Report

Local Partnership Workplan