People online- “LA is a desert because there is no water here.”
*ALL THE WATER THAT IS HERE*
But I don’t blame the people online… with so many of our watersheds channelized in the early 20th century and famous classic movies like Chinatown making LA’s need to import water well known, its way too easy to think there isn’t any water here.
Terms like “flood control channel” were used by agencies to even deny our watersheds official river status in the 70’s and getting our waterways protected as the actual rivers they are took the work of many activists.
In reality we do have water and this local water provides 1/3rd of what is used by residents and businesses of LA most years! The truth is that there are many places to go to learn about these local watersheds and spend time with our water.
I started a series on Thanksgiving to share about the resources that have influenced, taught, and inspired me in starting this project three years ago. I lived in LA for almost ten years before learning more about our local ecology, places to go see it, and the organizations working to protect it.
Water is one of the biggest influences and I thought I’d take a few posts to share about the many ways to see it, recreate near it, and to develop deep respect for it right here at home.
Major rivers in LA County include the LA River, the San Gabriel River, the Rio Honda, and the Santa Clara River. Major tributaries and other creeks include The Arroyo Seco, Compton Creek, Ballona Creek, and more. Wetlands preserves can be found at Bolsa Chica Wetlands, Ballona Wetlands, and Los Cerritos Wetlands. Many parks offer water features like Balboa Park, Lincoln Park, Deb’s Park, and so much more. There are reservoirs like Santa Fe Dam, Castaic Resevoir, and Puddingstone Reservoir.
The history of water and water management is very complex but I’ll try to share what I can research as I make other posts about these amazing places to hang out with water locally. For now this post is a celebration of the many ways there are to spend time with water here in LA County. I’ll tag the groups working to save the places I mentioned below… follow them to learn more about our local water!
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