Existing law provides for the protection, enhancement, and restoration of rivers in this state. Existing law establishes the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and prescribes the membership, functions, and duties of the conservancy with regard to the acquisition, preservation, and improvement of real property within the Santa Monica Mountains zone, as defined. Existing law establishes within the conservancy the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group and requires, by March 1, 2019, the working group to develop, through watershed-based planning methods and community engagement, a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River, the tributaries of the Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and any additional tributary waterway that the working group determines to be necessary. Existing law requires the revitalization plan to address the unique and diverse needs of the Upper Los Angeles River, Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and the communities through which they pass, and to include watershed education programs.

This bill would specify the Arroyo Seco as a waterway for the working group to include in the revitalization plan and watershed education programs. The bill would authorize the working group to include representatives from the Cities of La Canada Flintridge, Pasadena, and South Pasadena. The bill would authorize a representative appointed to the working group to designate an alternate in his or her place. The bill would instead require the revitalization plan to be developed on or before June 30, 2020, and the conservancy to provide a copy of the plan to certain legislative committees by that date.

Existing law requires the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to collaborate with the Department of Parks and Recreation, the California Conservation Corps, and the State Lands Commission to develop a river ranger program, as prescribed. Existing law requires the conservancies, no later than June 30, 2018, to develop a plan for the design and implementation of the program and to provide a copy of the plan to certain legislative committees by that date.

This bill would instead require the plan to be developed and a copy to be provided to the legislative committees by March 30, 2019.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law provides for the protection, enhancement, and restoration of rivers in this state. Existing law establishes the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and prescribes the membership, functions, and duties of the conservancy with regard to the acquisition, preservation, and improvement of real property within the Santa Monica Mountains zone, as defined. Existing law establishes within the conservancy the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group and requires, by March 1, 2019, the working group to develop, through watershed-based planning methods and community engagement, a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River, the tributaries of the Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and any additional tributary waterway that the working group determines to be necessary. Existing law requires the revitalization plan to address the unique and diverse needs of the Upper Los Angeles River, Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and the communities through which they pass, and to include watershed education programs.

This bill would specify the Arroyo Seco as a waterway for the working group to include in the revitalization plan and watershed education programs. The bill would authorize the working group to include representatives from the Cities of La Canada Flintridge, Pasadena, and South Pasadena. The bill would authorize a representative appointed to the working group to designate an alternate in his or her place. The bill would instead require the revitalization plan to be developed on or before June 30, 2020, and the conservancy to provide a copy of the plan to certain legislative committees by that date.

Existing law requires the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to collaborate with the Department of Parks and Recreation, the California Conservation Corps, and the State Lands Commission to develop a river ranger program, as prescribed. Existing law requires the conservancies, no later than June 30, 2018, to develop a plan for the design and implementation of the program and to provide a copy of the plan to certain legislative committees by that date.

This bill would instead require the plan to be developed and a copy to be provided to the legislative committees by March 30, 2019.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law provides for the protection, enhancement, and restoration of rivers in this state. Existing law establishes the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and prescribes the membership, functions, and duties of the conservancy with regard to the acquisition, preservation, and improvement of real property within the Santa Monica Mountains zone, as defined. Existing law establishes within the conservancy the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group and requires, by March 1, 2019, the working group to develop, through watershed-based planning methods and community engagement, a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River, the tributaries of the Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and any additional tributary waterway that the working group determines to be necessary. Existing law requires the revitalization plan to address the unique and diverse needs of the Upper Los Angeles River, Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and the communities through which they pass, and to include watershed education programs.

This bill would specify the Arroyo Seco Tributary as a waterway for the working group to include in the revitalization plan and watershed education programs. The bill would authorize the working group to include 3 members, one each representatives from the Cities of La Canada Flintridge, Pasadena, and South Pasadena, unless their inclusion results in a geographical imbalance of representation. Pasadena. The bill would authorize a representative appointed to the working group to designate an alternate in his or her place. The bill would instead require the revitalization plan to be developed on or before June 30, 2020, and the conservancy to provide a copy of the plan to certain legislative committees by that date.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law provides for the protection, enhancement, and restoration of rivers in this state. Existing law establishes the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and prescribes the membership, functions, and duties of the conservancy with regard to the acquisition, preservation, and improvement of real property within the Santa Monica Mountains zone, as defined. Existing law establishes within the conservancy the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group and requires, by March 1, 2019, the working group to develop, through watershed-based planning methods and community engagement, a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River, the tributaries of the Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and any additional tributary waterway that the working group determines to be necessary. Existing law requires the revitalization plan to address the unique and diverse needs of the Upper Los Angeles River, Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and the communities through which they pass, and to include watershed education programs.

This bill would specify the Flint Wash and the Arroyo Seco Tributary as waterways a waterway for the working group to include in the revitalization plan and watershed education programs. The bill would authorize the working group to include 3 members, one each from the Cities of La Canada Flintridge, Pasadena, and South Pasadena, unless their inclusion results in a geographical imbalance of representation.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law provides for the protection, enhancement, and restoration of rivers in this state. Existing law establishes the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and prescribes the membership, functions, and duties of the conservancy with regard to the acquisition, preservation, and improvement of real property within the Santa Monica Mountains zone, as defined. Existing law establishes within the conservancy the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group and requires, by March 1, 2019, the working group to develop, through watershed-based planning methods and community engagement, a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River, the tributaries of the Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and any additional tributary waterway that the working group determines to be necessary. Existing law requires the revitalization plan to address the unique and diverse needs of the Upper Los Angeles River, Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and the communities through which they pass, and to include watershed education programs.

This bill would specify the Flint Wash and the Arroyo Seco Tributary as a waterway waterways for the working group to include in the revitalization plan and watershed education programs. The bill would authorize the working group to include 3 members, one each from the Cities of La Canada Flintridge, Pasadena, and South Pasadena, unless their inclusion results in a geographical imbalance of representation.

Existing law provides for the protection, enhancement, and restoration of rivers in this state. Existing law establishes the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and prescribes the membership, functions, and duties of the conservancy with regard to the acquisition, preservation, and improvement of real property within the Santa Monica Mountains zone, as defined. Existing law establishes within the conservancy the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group and requires, by March 1, 2019, the working group to develop, through watershed-based planning methods and community engagement, a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River, the tributaries of the Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and any additional tributary waterway that the working group determines to be necessary. Existing law requires the revitalization plan to address the unique and diverse needs of the Upper Los Angeles River, Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and the communities through which they pass, and to include watershed education programs.

This bill would specify the Arroyo Seco Tributary as a waterway for the working group to include in the revitalization plan and watershed education programs.

 UNFINISHED BUSINESS  

Bill No: SB 1126

Author:

:

Vote:

SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE: 9-0, 4/16/18

AYES: Hertzberg, Stone, Allen, Hueso, Jackson, McGuire, Monning, Stern, Vidak

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 5/25/18

AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Bradford, Hill, Nielsen, Wiener

SENATE FLOOR: 39-0, 5/31/18

AYES: Allen, Anderson, Atkins, Bates, Beall, Berryhill, Bradford, Cannella, De León, Dodd, Fuller, Gaines, Galgiani, Glazer, Hernandez, Hertzberg, Hill, Hueso, Jackson, Lara, Leyva, McGuire, Mitchell, Monning, Moorlach, Morrell, Newman, Nguyen, Nielsen, Pan, Portantino, Roth, Skinner, Stern, Stone, Vidak, Wieckowski, Wiener, Wilk

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 79-0, 8/27/18 - See last page for vote

SUBJECT: Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group: river ranger program

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST:

This bill, an urgency measure, adds the Arroyo Seco Tributary to the list of waterways that must be included in a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River.

Assembly Amendments

change the date for the working group to complete the revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River, make conforming changes to the due date for related river rangers program, and make other technical changes.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Establishes within the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group.
   1. The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, in consultation with the conservancy, and, to the extent that they wish to consult, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the City of Los Angeles, are required to consider requests from local agency representatives to participate in the working group and may appoint no more than 23 representatives to the working group.
   2. The working group may include, but is not limited to, representatives from the conservancy, the County of Los Angeles, the Cities of Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles, and San Fernando, elected officials of the cities riparian to the Pacoima Wash and Tujunga Wash, and nonprofit organizations serving the Upper Los Angeles River, San Fernando Valley, Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash.
2. Provides that by March 1, 2019, the working group is to develop a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River, the tributaries of the Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and any additional tributary waterway that the working group determines to be necessary.
3. Requires the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to collaborate with the Department of Parks and Recreation, the California Conservation Corps, and the State Lands Commission to develop a river ranger program.
   1. The conservancies are required to develop a plan for the design and implementation of the program by June 30, 2018.
   2. The conservancies are also required to provide a copy of the plan to the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife and the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water.

This bill:

1. Adds the Arroyo Seco Tributary to the list of waterways that must be included in the revitalization plan.
2. Adds to the list of potential representatives on the working group developing the plan representatives from the Cities of La Cañada Flintridge and South Pasadena.
3. Changes the due date for the revitalization plan to June 30, 2020.
4. Changes the due date for the river ranger program to March 30, 2019.

Comments

The Arroyo Seco is a major tributary to the Los Angeles River. It is nearly 25 miles long, drains an area of over 46 square miles, and contributes over 17,000 acre feet of water to the total outflow of the Los Angeles River to the Pacific Ocean. This represents about 4.8 percent of the total flow of the Los Angeles River. This compares to the contributions of the Verdugo wash of 3.1 percent and the 5.1 percent provided by the combined flows of the Tujunga and Pacoima Washes.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:

According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee:

1. Unknown, potentially significant increased cost pressures related to the implementation of the revitalization plan, to the extent state funding is dedicated to projects within the Arroyo Seco area (General Fund, bond, and special funds).
2. Absorbable state administrative costs.

SUPPORT: (Verified 8/27/18)

Altadena Heritage

Arroyo Advisory Group

Arroyo Seco Foundation

City of Pasadena

San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership

Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District

OPPOSITION: (Verified 8/27/18)

None received

ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: According to the author, the Arroyo Seco is of significant importance to the Los Angeles area as it attracts many locals, tourists, and families year-round. It is imperative to include the Arroyo Seco in the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group revitalization plan, and to do so urgently so as to ensure the area is revitalized immediately given that we are likely facing a drought in the state.

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 79-0, 8/27/18

AYES: Acosta, Travis Allen, Arambula, Baker, Berman, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonta, Brough, Burke, Caballero, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Chau, Chávez, Chen, Chiu, Choi, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Cunningham, Dahle, Daly, Eggman, Flora, Fong, Frazier, Friedman, Gabriel, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Gloria, Gonzalez Fletcher, Gray, Grayson, Harper, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Kamlager-Dove, Kiley, Lackey, Levine, Limón, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Patterson, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Reyes, Rivas, Rodriguez, Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Voepel, Waldron, Weber, Wood, Rendon

NO VOTE RECORDED: Aguiar-Curry

Prepared by:

8/28/18 12:36:30

**** END ****

SENATE THIRD READING

STR Bill Id:SB 1126

Author:(Portantino)

As Amended Ver:June 13, 2018

2/3 vote. Urgency

SENATE VOTE: 39-0

SUMMARY: Adds the Arroyo Seco waterway to the list of waterways included in the Upper Los Angeles River revitalization plan. Specifically, this bill:

1. Adds the Arroyo Seco Tributary to the list of waterways that must be included in the revitalization plan.
2. Authorizes, but does not require, the working group to include representatives, from the Cities of La Cañada-Flintridge, Pasadena, and South Pasadena, unless their inclusion results in a geographical imbalance of representation.
3. Requires the revitalization plan to be developed on, or before, June 30, 2020.
4. Requires a specified report on a river rangers program to be provided to the Legislature by March 30, 2019, rather than June 30, 2018.
5. Includes an urgency clause for immediate effect.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Establishes the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) and the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC), with certain functions and duties, as defined, in the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA).
2. Establishes the Lower Los Angeles River Working Group to develop revitalization plans for the lower Los Angeles River. The Lower Los Angeles River Working Group continues to meet regularly to achieve its goals.
3. Establishes within the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group.
4. The working group is required to develop, through watershed-based planning and community engagement, a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River. This includes the major tributaries of Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash. Other tributaries may be considered by the working group.
5. The working group may include, but is not limited to, representatives from the conservancy, the County of Los Angeles, the Cities of Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles, and San Fernando, elected officials of the cities adjacent to the Pacoima Wash and Tujunga Wash, and nonprofit organizations serving the Upper Los Angeles River, San Fernando Valley, Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash.
6. Requires specified agencies to develop a plan for design and implementation of a river rangers program by June 30, 2018.

FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee:

1. Unknown, potentially significant increased cost pressures related to the implementation of the revitalization plan, to the extent state funding is dedicated to projects within the Arroyo Seco area (General Fund, bond, and special funds).
2. Absorbable state administrative costs.

COMMENTS: This bill would include the Arroyo Seco waterway as part of the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group revitalization plan. This bill also authorizes the working group to include members within the Arroyo Seco waterway, from the cities of La Cañada Flintridge, Pasadena, and South Pasadena, and delays a required report on river rangers to allow for more development time.

Background and Purpose: AB 466 (Bocanegra), Chapter 341, Statutes of 2017, established the Upper LA River and Tributaries Working Group within the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The purpose of the working group is to develop a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles (LA) River and main tributaries. Included within the original legislation are the main tributaries of Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash. These tributaries reach from the City of Los Angeles north and east into the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountain ranges.

LA River. The River begins in Canoga Park at the confluence of Bell Creek and the Arroyo Calabasas. It flows mostly east through the San Fernando Valley, where numerous tributaries join, to Burbank and Griffith Park. The River flows through 13 cities and is contained within the County of Los Angeles. It is now almost entirely lined in concrete, although there are three "soft-bottomed" sections in the Sepulveda Basin (San Fernando Valley), Griffith Park, and in Long Beach. Particularly along the lower portion of the River, industrial activity and railyards are immediately adjacent to the River and can effectively isolate it from the surrounding communities.

Although planners had envisioned greenbelts interconnecting parklands along the River as early as the 1930s, the more recent interest in the revitalization and promotion of the re-integration of the River and its tributaries into the adjacent neighborhoods began in the mid-to-late 1980s. There was growing recognition that compared to other large American cities, Los Angeles has relatively fewer parks, particularly in under-represented communities. In the early 1990s, community activism resulted in the County's Los Angeles River Master Plan (County Master Plan) in 1996.

The County Master Plan described how economic growth could be spurred along the River in the county through zoning changes and the development of open space, recreational, cultural, artistic, educational, and other opportunities. This River revitalization aimed to "achieve a better River environment for future generations in the Los Angeles basin." The Los Angeles City Council established its own ad hoc committee on the River in 2002, and the City's Master Plan was released in 2007. Continuing the long-term goals of the County Master Plan, the City Master Plan also promoted the revitalization of the River as a solution with many benefits including water quality and flood control while enabling safe access to the River and restoring a functional river ecosystem.

AB 466 created a workgroup to focus revitalization efforts from the headwaters of the Los Angeles River at the confluence of Bell and Calabasas Creeks to Griffith Park. This bill adds the major tributary of the Arroyo Seco to the tributaries listed within the working group's revitalization plan, and authorizes representation from the major cities along the tributary corridor.

Prior and Related Legislation:

AB 466 (Bocanegra), Chapter 341, Statutes of 2017, established the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working group within the Santa Monica Conservancy.

AB 530 (Rendon), Chapter 684, Statutes of 2015, requires the Secretary of the CNRA to appoint the Lower Los Angeles Working Group to develop a revitalization plan for the Lower Los Angeles River watershed.

Analysis Prepared by: Catherine Freeman / W., P., & W. / (916) 319-2096 FN: 0004143

Date of Hearing: August 8, 2018

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, Chair

SBPCA Bill Id:SB 1126

Author:(Portantino) – As Amended Ver:June 13, 2018

Urgency: Yes State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No

SUMMARY:

This urgency bill adds the Arroyo Seco to the list of waterways required to be included in the Upper Los Angeles River revitalization plan (revitalization plan) to be developed by the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group (working group). Specifically, this bill:

1. Adds representatives from the Cities of La Cañada-Flintridge, Pasadena, and South Pasadena, to the non-exhaustive list of members the working group may include. Allows members of the working group to designate alternates to serve in their places.
2. Extends the deadline on the revitalization plan from March 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020. Requires the plan to be submitted to the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee and the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee.
3. Extends the deadline on a specified report to the Legislature on a river rangers program from June 30, 2018 to March 30, 2019.
4. Extends the sunset date on the working group and revitalization plan from January 1, 2019 to January 1, 2020.

FISCAL EFFECT:

1. Unknown, potentially significant increased cost pressures related to the implementation of the revitalization plan, to the extent state funding is dedicated to projects within the Arroyo Seco area (GF, bond, and special funds).
2. Absorbable state administrative costs.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. According to the author:

The Arroyo Seco Tributary is of significant importance to the Los Angeles area as they attract many locals, tourists, and families year-round. It is imperative to include the Arroyo Seco Tributary in the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group revitalization plan, and to do so urgently so as to ensure the area is revitalized immediately given that we are likely facing a drought in the state.

1. Background. Current law establishes the working group within the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC). By March 1, 2019, the working group is required to develop a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River, the tributaries of the Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and any additional tributary waterway that the working group determines to be necessary. The revitalization plan is required to address the unique and diverse needs of the Upper Los Angeles River, Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and the communities through which they pass, and to include watershed education programs.

Existing law also requires the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC) and the SMMC to collaborate with the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), the California Conservation Corps (CCC), the State Lands Commission (SLC), and local agencies that have jurisdiction over segments of the Los Angeles River to develop a river ranger program for the purpose of preserving and protecting the river, and those who access the river.

Specifically, this bill requires the conservancies, in cooperation with the working group, to prepare a plan for the design and implementation of the river ranger program including financing and implementation by June 30, 2018.

In 2014, California voters approved the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 (Proposition 1) which includes $60 million for the river split equally between the SMMC and the RMC. These funds are for the purpose of multi-benefit water quality, water supply, and watershed protection and restoration projects. In addition, river projects are eligible for certain other Proposition 1-funded purposes, such as the $100 million for urban rivers and streams and $20 million for multi-benefit watershed and urban rivers enhancement projects, of which 10% may be used for project planning.

Analysis Prepared by: Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: June 26, 2018

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS, AND WILDLIFE

Eduardo Garcia, Chair

SBPCA Bill Id:SB 1126

Author:(Portantino) – As Amended Ver:June 13, 2018

SENATE VOTE: 39-0

SUBJECT: Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group: river ranger program

SUMMARY: Adds the Arroyo Seco waterway to the list of waterways included in the Upper Los Angeles River revitalization plan. Specifically, this bill:

1. Adds the Arroyo Seco Tributary to the list of waterways that must be included in the revitalization plan.
2. Authorizes, but does not require, the working group to include representatives, from the Cities of La Cañada-Flintridge, Pasadena, and South Pasadena, unless their inclusion results in a geographical imbalance of representation.
3. Requires the revitalization plan to be developed on, or before, June 30, 2020.
4. Requires a specified report on a river rangers program to be provided to the Legislature by March 30, 2019, rather than June 30, 2018.
5. Includes an urgency clause for immediate effect.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Establishes the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) and the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC), with certain functions and duties, as defined, in the California Natural Resources Agency.
2. Establishes the Lower Los Angeles River Working Group to develop revitalization plans for the lower Los Angeles River. The Lower Los Angeles River Working Group continues to meet regularly to achieve its goals.
3. Establishes within the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group.
4. The working group is required to develop, through watershed-based planning and community engagement, a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River. This includes the major tributaries of Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash. Other tributaries may be considered by the working group.
5. The working group may include, but is not limited to, representatives from the conservancy, the County of Los Angeles, the Cities of Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles, and San Fernando, elected officials of the cities adjacent to the Pacoima Wash and Tujunga Wash, and nonprofit organizations serving the Upper Los Angeles River, San Fernando Valley, Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash.
6. Requires specified agencies to develop a plan for design and implementation of a river rangers program by June 30, 2018.

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown

COMMENTS: This bill would include the Arroyo Seco waterway as part of the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group revitalization plan. This bill also authorizes the working group to include members within the Arroyo Seco waterway, from the cities of La Cañada Flintridge, Pasadena, and South Pasadena, and delays a required report on river rangers to allow for more development time.

Author’s Statement:

The Arroyo Seco Tributary is of significant importance to the Los Angeles area as they attract many locals, tourists, and families year-round. It is imperative to include the Arroyo Seco Tributary in the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group revitalization plan, and to do so urgently so as to ensure the area is revitalized immediately given that we are likely facing a drought in the state.

Background and Purpose: AB 466 (Bocanegra), Chapter 341, Statutes of 2017, established the Upper LA River and Tributaries Working Group within the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The purpose of the working group is to develop a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles (LA) River and main tributaries. Included within the original legislation are the main tributaries of Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash. These tributaries reach from the City of Los Angeles north and east into the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountain ranges.

LA River. The River begins in Canoga Park at the confluence of Bell Creek and the Arroyo Calabasas. It flows mostly east through the San Fernando Valley, where numerous tributaries join, to Burbank and Griffith Park. The River flows through 13 cities and is contained within the County of Los Angeles. It is now almost entirely lined in concrete, although there are three “soft-bottomed” sections in the Sepulveda Basin (San Fernando Valley), Griffith Park, and in Long Beach. Particularly along the lower portion of the River, industrial activity and railyards are immediately adjacent to the River and can effectively isolate it from the surrounding communities.

Although planners had envisioned greenbelts interconnecting parklands along the River as early as the 1930s, the more recent interest in the revitalization and promotion of the re-integration of the River and its tributaries into the adjacent neighborhoods began in the mid-to-late 1980s. There was growing recognition that compared to other large American cities, Los Angeles has relatively fewer parks, particularly in under-represented communities. In the early 1990s, community activism resulted in the County’s Los Angeles River Master Plan (County Master Plan) in 1996.

The County Master Plan described how economic growth could be spurred along the River in the county through zoning changes and the development of open space, recreational, cultural, artistic, educational, and other opportunities. This River revitalization aimed to “achieve a better River environment for future generations in the Los Angeles basin.” The Los Angeles City Council established its own ad hoc committee on the River in 2002, and the City’s Master Plan was released in 2007. Continuing the long-term goals of the County Master Plan, the City Master Plan also promoted the revitalization of the River as a solution with many benefits including water quality and flood control while enabling safe access to the River and restoring a functional river ecosystem.

AB 466 created a workgroup to focus revitalization efforts from the headwaters of the Los Angeles River at the confluence of Bell and Calabasas Creeks to Griffith Park. This bill adds the major tributary of the Arroyo Seco to the tributaries listed within the working group’s revitalization plan, and authorizes representation from the major cities along the tributary corridor.

Prior and Related Legislation:

AB 466 (Bocanegra), Chapter 341, Statutes of 2017, established the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working group within the Santa Monica Conservancy.

AB 530 (Rendon), Chapter 684, Statutes of 2015, requires the Secretary of the CNRA to appoint the Lower Los Angeles Working Group to develop a revitalization plan for the Lower Los Angeles River watershed.

Arguments in Support: Supporters argue that this bill will ensure that cities along the Arroyo Seco Tributary are understood and addressed from a regional perspective. They argue that the legislation requirement of a master planning process is in line with the values of strong and active civic engagement. Others argue that this fills an unintended gap within the original legislation.

Arguments in Opposition: None on file.

Urgency Measure: This bill contains an urgency measure. The author reasons that, “due to low precipitation amounts this year and the expectation that California may be back in a drought, it is necessary to ensure the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group has ample time to include the Arroyo Seco Tributary in its revitalization plan in order to protect the watershed’s resources and its vitality to their communities.”

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

Altadena Heritage

Arroyo Advisory Group

Arroyo Seco Foundation

City of Pasadena

San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership

Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District

Individual (1)

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: Catherine Freeman / W., P., & W. / (916) 319-2096

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: SB 1126

Author:

:

Vote:

SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE: 9-0, 4/16/18

AYES: Hertzberg, Stone, Allen, Hueso, Jackson, McGuire, Monning, Stern, Vidak

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 5/25/18

AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Bradford, Hill, Nielsen, Wiener

SUBJECT:

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST:

This bill, an urgency measure, adds the Arroyo Seco Tributary to the list of waterways that must be included in a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Establishes within the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group.
   1. The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, in consultation with the conservancy, and, to the extent that they wish to consult, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the City of Los Angeles, are required to consider requests from local agency representatives to participate in the working group and may appoint no more than 23 representatives to the working group.
   2. The working group may include, but is not limited to, representatives from the conservancy, the County of Los Angeles, the Cities of Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles, and San Fernando, elected officials of the cities riparian to the Pacoima Wash and Tujunga Wash, and nonprofit organizations serving the Upper Los Angeles River, San Fernando Valley, Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash.
2. Provides that by March 1, 2019, the working group is to develop a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River, the tributaries of the Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and any additional tributary waterway that the working group determines to be necessary.

This bill:

1. Adds the Arroyo Seco Tributary to the list of waterways that must be included in the revitalization plan.
2. Authorizes, but does not require, the working group to include three members, one each from the Cities of La Cañada-Flintridge, Pasadena, and South Pasadena, unless their inclusion results in a geographical imbalance of representation.

Comments

The Arroyo Seco is a major tributary to the Los Angeles River. It is nearly 25 miles long, drains an area of over 46 square miles, and contributes over 17,000 acre feet of water to the total outflow of the Los Angeles River to the Pacific Ocean. This represents about 4.8 percent of the total flow of the Los Angeles River. This compares to the contributions of the Verdugo wash of 3.1 percent and the 5.1 percent provided by the combined flows of the Tujunga and Pacoima Washes.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:

• Likely minor administrative costs to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to include an additional tributary in the revitalization plan. (General Fund, Environmental License Plate Fund)
• Unknown, potentially significant cost pressures related to the implementation of the revitalization plan, to the extent state funding is dedicated to projects within the Arroyo Seco Tributary. (General Fund, bond funds, various special funds).

SUPPORT: (Verified 5/25/18)

Arroyo Advisory Group

City of Pasadena

OPPOSITION: (Verified 5/25/18)

None received

ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: According to the author, the Arroyo Seco is of significant importance to the Los Angeles area as it attracts many locals, tourists, and families year-round. It is imperative to include the Arroyo Seco in the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group revitalization plan, and to do so urgently so as to ensure the area is revitalized immediately given that we are likely facing a drought in the state.

Prepared by:

5/26/18 15:26:20

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SENATE COMMITTEE ON

Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular Session

SB 1126 (Portantino) - Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group

This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.

Bill Summary:

SB 1126, an urgency measure, adds the Arroyo Seco Tributary to the list of waterways that must be included in a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River.

Fiscal Impact:

• Likely minor administrative costs to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to include an additional tributary in the revitalization plan. (General Fund, Environmental License Plate Fund)
  
• Unknown, potentially significant cost pressures related to the implementation of the revitalization plan, to the extent state funding is dedicated to projects within the Arroyo Seco Tributary. (General Fund, bond funds, various special funds).

Background:

Current law establishes within the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group. The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, in consultation with the conservancy, and, to the extent that they wish to consult, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the City of Los Angeles, shall consider requests from local agency representatives to participate in the working group and may appoint no more than 23 representatives to the working group. The working group may include, but is not limited to, representatives from the conservancy, the County of Los Angeles, the Cities of Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles, and San Fernando, elected officials of the cities riparian to the Pacoima Wash and Tujunga Wash, and nonprofit organizations serving the Upper Los Angeles River, San Fernando Valley, Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash.

By March 1, 2019, the working group is to develop a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River, the tributaries of the Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and any additional tributary waterway that the working group determines to be necessary. The revitalization plan is required to address the unique and diverse needs of the Upper Los Angeles River, Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and the communities through which they pass, and to include watershed education programs.

Existing law authorizes funding from any public or private source, including funding made available by Proposition 1 to be used for the development and implementation of the revitalization plan. In 2014, California voters approved the Water Quality, Supply, and infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 (Proposition 1) which includes $60 million for the river split equally between the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy. These funds are for the purpose of multi-benefit water quality, water supply, watershed protection and restoration projects for the watersheds. In addition, river projects are eligible for certain other Proposition 1-funded purposes, such as the $100 million for urban rivers and streams and $20 million for multi-benefit watershed and urban rivers enhancement projects, of which 10% may be used for project planning.

Proposed Law:

SB 1126, an urgency measure, would add the Arroyo Seco Tributary to the waterways that must be explicitly included in the Upper Los Angeles River revitalization plan. The bill would also authorize the working group to include three members, one each from the Cities of La Cañada-Flintridge, Pasadena, and South Pasadena, unless their inclusion results in a geographical imbalance of representation.

The bill’s urgency clause specifies that there has been low precipitation this year and it is expected that California may be back in a drought, so it is necessary to ensure the working group has ample time to include the Arroyo Seco Tributary in its revitalization plan in order to protect the watershed’s resources and its vitality to their communities.

Staff Comments:

This bill would add the Arroyo Seco Tributary to the working group’s revitalization plan. The working group will be making recommendations related to areas of the revitalization of the LA River within its jurisdiction, and once the plan is developed, there would be costs associated with implementation. Explicit inclusion of this tributary would increase the number of projects that would require funding, thereby creating cost pressures. The magnitude of those cost pressures will depend upon the details of the plan as it pertains to the Arroyo Seco Tributary, but implementation costs are likely to be significant. These costs could come from various state funds, including Proposition 1 dollars, which are ultimately paid by the General Fund.

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SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER

Senator Robert Hertzberg, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular

Bill No: SB Hearing Date: April 16, 2018

Subject: Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group

BACKGROUND AND EXISTING LAW

Current law establishes within the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group. The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, in consultation with the conservancy, and, to the extent that they wish to consult, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the City of Los Angeles, shall consider requests from local agency representatives to participate in the working group and may appoint no more than 23 representatives to the working group. The working group may include, but is not limited to, representatives from the conservancy, the County of Los Angeles, the Cities of Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles, and San Fernando, elected officials of the cities riparian to the Pacoima Wash and Tujunga Wash, and nonprofit organizations serving the Upper Los Angeles River, San Fernando Valley, Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash.

By March 1, 2019, the working group is to develop a revitalization plan for the Upper Los Angeles River, the tributaries of the Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and any additional tributary waterway that the working group determines to be necessary. The revitalization plan is required to address the unique and diverse needs of the Upper Los Angeles River, Pacoima Wash, Tujunga Wash, and Verdugo Wash, and the communities through which they pass, and to include watershed education programs.

PROPOSED LAW

This bill would:

1. Add the Flint Wash and Arroyo Seco Tributary to the list of waterways that must be included in the revitalization plan.
2. Authorize, but not require the working group to include three members, one each from the Cities of La Cañada-Flintridge, Pasadena, and South Pasadena, unless their inclusion results in a geographical imbalance of representation.
3. Be an urgency measure, the urgency being the necessity to ensure the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group has ample time to include the Arroyo Seco Tributary and the Flint Wash in its revitalization plan in order to protect the watershed’s resources and its vitality to their communities.

ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT

According to the author, “Both the Arroyo Seco and the Flint Wash are of significant importance to the Los Angeles area as they attract many locals, tourists, and families year-round. It is imperative to include the Arroyo Seco and Flint Wash in the Upper LA River and Tributaries Working Group revitalization plan, and to do so urgently so as to ensure the area is revitalized immediately given that we are likely facing a drought in the state.”

ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION: None received

COMMENTS

The Arroyo Seco is a major tributary to the Los Angeles River. It is nearly 25 miles long, drains an area of over 46 square miles, and contributes over 17,000 acre feet of water to the total outflow of the Los Angeles River to the Pacific Ocean. This represents about 4.8 percent of the total flow of the Los Angeles River. This compares to the contributions of the Verdugo wash of 3.1 percent and the 5.1 percent provided by the combined flows of the Tujunga and Pacoima Washs.

Los Angeles River and its major tributaries

(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LARmap.jpg, last accessed 04/06/18)

The Flint Wash is not. Flint Wash is a tributary of the Arroyo Seco. It drains most of the City of La Cañada Flintridge, approximately 6.7 square miles, or about 14% of the Arroyo Seco watershed.

Major Tributaries Only? The named waterways in the section creating the working group are all major tributaries to the Los Angeles River. For consistency, it might make sense to continue that with this bill. It will also remove the temptation to add additional sub-tributaries to the bill. Further, the working group can already consider any other water way that working group determines necessary, such as the Flint Wash.

SUGGESTED AMENDMENT:

On page 2, lines 25 & 29, and on page 3, line 6, delete “Flint Wash,”

On page 4, beginning on line 2, delete “and the Flint Wash”

SUPPORT

Arroyo Advisory Group

City of Pasadena

OPPOSITION

None Received

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