LA Stormwater

08/11/2026

🍃🚧 MacArthur Park is getting reconnected - literally. L.A. City has announced plans to close portions of Wilshire Boulevard through the park, reuniting the space that's been split in two since 1934.

The timing couldn't be better. 💧 Just steps away, the MacArthur Lake Stormwater Capture Project - a Safe Clean Water Program initiative - will be breaking ground in late 2026. Once completed in 2028, the project will divert and treat urban runoff before it reaches Ballona Creek and Santa Monica Bay, all while helping refill the park's historic lake without relying on drinking water. Put it all together and MacArthur Park is shaping up to be a blueprint for what a greener, more connected, more water-smart LA can look like.

Read more about the Reconnecting MacArthur Park plan at the link below.
https://la.streetsblog.org/2026/07/09/l-a-city-reconnecting-macarthur-park-plan-calls-for-closing-parts-of-wilshire-boulevard

08/11/2026

Like so many around the world, we are mourning the passing of Big Bear’s beloved Jackie. Fly high and soar free! 💔🦅

Patient Update: Bald Eagle 26-519

It is with profound sadness that we share that Patient 26-519 passed away in the early hours of this morning, following more than three weeks of intensive medical care.

Over the past several days, her condition continued to deteriorate despite intensive treatment and the combined efforts of our veterinary team and consulting specialists. She remained critically ill, receiving oxygen therapy, supportive treatment, and around-the-clock monitoring in our intensive care unit.

Throughout her time at Ojai Raptor Center, every decision was guided by the available medical evidence, her welfare, and our responsibility to do what was in her best interest.

Her remains have been transferred into the care of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

We know this news will be deeply felt by the many thousands of people around the world who have followed her journey, hoped alongside us, prayed for her, and supported the people caring for her.

Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her.

We ask for patience and kindness as our staff process this loss. We are working closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and will provide a more comprehensive statement including additional information on her treatments and test results.

To protect our staff and community during this difficult time, comments on this post have been turned off.

To everyone who cared about Patient 26-519, thank you. Thank you for your messages, your prayers, your encouragement, and for standing beside our team throughout these past weeks. We are deeply grateful for the way Patient 26-519 brought people together through a shared love of wildlife.

08/07/2026

🌳 TreePeople is planting a legacy for LA's future. Their 'Rooting for LA' initiative is a commitment to plant and steward 28,000 trees across Southern California by 2028, ahead of the Olympic Games. Trees in urban areas mean cooler neighborhoods, restored habitats, and stronger stormwater capture across our region.

Want to get involved? Volunteer or start a planting project in your own neighborhood at the link below.
https://treepeople.org/rootingforla/

08/06/2026

💧 Happy National Water Quality Month, LA!

Every day, programs like Safe Clean Water are working behind the scenes to capture, treat, and protect the water that flows through our city but they we can't keep our waterways truly clean without your help. Remember to pick up after you pets, throw trash in bins, and always clean-up any spills rather than washing them into our storm drains.

07/30/2026

The LA River is getting a 'grow'-up!🌿

The Bowtie Wetland Development Project - funded by the Safe Clean Water Program - is transforming 18 acres of a former Southern Pacific railyard in northeast LA into a thriving wetland, public green space, and stormwater filtration system. Once complete, the site will improve water quality as stormwater moves through a hybrid of natural and engineered systems before reaching the river. The project is managed by California State Parks and The Nature Conservancy, with Phase 1 construction wrapping up this year.

Learn more about what's coming to the LA River at the link below!
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30530

07/28/2026

A potentially historic El Niño is on the horizon for Southern California - and that means we could be in for a very wet winter. 🌧️

Forecasters are giving a 63% chance of one of the strongest El Niño events on record this November through January. What does that mean for LA? It's hard to say - every El Niño is different - but now is a great time to make sure your rain barrels are ready, the storm drains at the corner are clear, and your neighborhood is prepared for whatever the Pacific sends our way.

Read the full forecast at the link below.
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/el-nino-southern-california-winter/3903058/

07/25/2026

We're rounding out our Summer Staycations series with a deep dive into some of LA's most treasured destinations: our beaches!

From within the city limits, to the South Bay, or up toward Malibu, SoCal is teeming with staycation-worthy beaches. And there's plenty of fascinating, water-saving work going on along the ocean, including the low-flow diversions that ring Santa Monica Bay to help with urban runoff.

Learn more at the link below: https://lastormwaterblog.org/blog/2026/06/summer-staycations-beaches-galore/

07/23/2026

Happy Parents' Day to all the Angelenos raising the next generation of environmental stewards! 🌿

The lessons we pass down - picking up litter on a walk, turning off the sink faucet while we brush our teeth, teaching kids where the water in our storm drains actually ends up - shape the city LA will be for decades to come. Today we want to recognize all the parents doing that work one teachable moment at a time.

07/21/2026

Backyard composting getting you down? Turns out there's a surprisingly effective - and low-maintenance - solution that's great for your garden and keeps organic waste out of the landfill. And that solution is... maggots? Gross, we know, but hear us out on this one. Follow the link below to learn more.
https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/maggot-composting-black-soldier-fly-larvae

07/18/2026

To help you have live your best life on a budget, we've put together a series of summer staycations. Today we're highlighting LA's lakes and reservoirs.

Whether man-made or natural, these bodies of water are wonderful spots to bird watch, have a picnic with family or friends, or simply stroll about. At many of these lakes, the Safe Clean Water Program is an unsung hero, providing funding for operations, management, and renovations so that LA can have many more iconically laconic lake days to come.

Learn more at the link below:
https://lastormwaterblog.org/blog/2026/06/summer-staycations-las-lakes/