TreePeople’s Work with Water

TreePeople has been a well-respected champion of water resilience and a leader in water education for decades. We support communities in rethinking the way we manage water by modeling best watershed management practices and engaging people through education and participation in community retrofit projects. This demonstrates how our schools, homes, streets, and alleys can be transformed to improve water quality, increase water supply, and provide community benefits. We show how simple changes can protect our water, reduce pollution, and create greener spaces.

Safe Clean Water Program

In 2018, LA County voters passed Measure W, creating the Safe, Clean Water Program (SCWP). The program funds projects that:

  • Increase water supply
  • Improve water quality
  • Create community enhancement benefits, like new or retrofitted parks or green spaces

The program divides LA County into nine watersheds, each with an assigned Watershed Coordinator. TreePeople proudly serves as the Watershed Coordinator for the Santa Clara River Watershed.

Safe Clean Water Program Watershed Map

What is a Watershed Coordinator?

Each of the 9 watersheds in Los Angeles County has its own Watershed Coordinator (some even have multiple!). Think of Watershed Coordinators as the bridge between local communities and water projects to make our water cleaner, more abundant, and our neighborhoods greener. This person is responsible for:

  • Engaging with local communities to gather input about their water-related issues and priorities, especially in relation to stormwater projects that improve water quality, increase local water supply, and support community enhancements.
  • Educating the public about the Safe, Clean Water Program, its goals, projects, and how residents can participate and provide feedback.
  • Supporting applicants and project teams by connecting them to technical resources, helping develop project ideas, and guiding them through the process from concept to implementation.
  • Facilitating collaboration between cities, agencies, community organizations, and other interested parties to ensure projects reflect diverse community interests and maximize program benefits.

Explore below to learn more about TreePeople’s work with our very own Director of Watershed Health:

  • As the Santa Clara River Watershed Coordinator, TreePeople supports community members in learning about the Safe, Clean Water Program. At the same time, we encourage folks to design, develop, and implement water-related projects that improve water quality, increase our local water supply, and provide community benefits, such as green spaces and parks.
  • The Santa Clara River Watershed is situated on the ancestral lands and waters of the Tataviam, Tongva, Serrano, and Chumash peoples, the original stewards of this area who are still present in the watershed. A unique aspect of the area is that the Santa Clara River is the largest river system in southern California remaining in a natural state.

  • TreePeople has partnered with Los Angeles County Public Works to advance the 14 Safe, Clean Water Program Goals, doing so by creating a Water Ambassador Program to amplify messaging and enhance the connection between community members and participation in the Safe, Clean Water Program. The following objectives of the Water Ambassador Program will support alignment with the following goals of the Safe, Clean Water Program:
    • Water Ambassadors will increase community awareness of the SCWP and support community members envisioning their stormwater solutions.
    • Water Ambassadors will support the development of innovative, multi-benefit project concepts responsive to community needs and priorities.
    • Water Ambassadors will engage community members in active stewardship of nature-based neighborhood stormwater and drought preparedness solutions.
    • Water Ambassadors will increase community understanding of stormwater management and drought preparedness in the context of LA County's water systems, particularly in areas most vulnerable to climate change impacts.
    • The Water Ambassador program will enhance pathways to green jobs for Ambassadors in SCWP watershed areas by increasing information and awareness about training and certification opportunities, both for Ambassadors and residents.

  • Each watershed has a Watershed Area Steering Committee (WASC) that helps decide how SCWP funds are used. These community leaders develop Stormwater Investment Plans, which are 5-year plans that allocate funding for projects and programs in the watershed area, while also providing recommendations for other activities to be funded through the watershed area.
  • TreePeople holds a community seat on the Lower LA River Watershed (LLAR) Area Steering Committee (WASC) to make sure community voices are considered.

Community Engagement

TreePeople’s Watershed Coordinator gathers input on community needs on water issues and ideas from residents in the Santa Clara River Watershed, where the Safe, Clean Water Program can be helpful.

Want to see what is coming up in your community? Check out the calendar:

Project Guide

TreePeople’s Watershed Coordinator identifies parties with project ideas, then connects them with resources and support to apply with the Safe, Clean Water Program.

Want to find out more? Check out the Call for Projects, or contact our Watershed Coordinator directly:

Public Education

TreePeople’s Watershed Coordinator educates the public about Safe, Clean Water Program projects and informs them on how to voice their input.

Interested in having a presentation on the Safe, Clean Water Program?

Click the link below to request a chat with our Watershed Coordinator:

History on Water

WaterTalks

TreePeople facilitated the Disadvantaged Community and Tribal Involvement (DACTI) Program, also called WaterTalks, for the California Department of Water Resources. In partnership with County Public Works, Council for Watershed Health, Stantec, Better World Group, Sacred Places, and a dozen community-based organizations the program was focused on generating and increasing community involvement in planning a sustainable water future for California through education workshops, conducting LA’s largest water equity needs assessment, and involving community in water infrastructure project planning and implementation across 107 underserved communities in LA County.

Check out more information on WaterTalks below: