State of the Tujunga Report - October 2006 - DRAFT The State of the Tujunga An Assessment of the Tujunga/Pacoima Watershed State of the Tujunga Report - October 2006 The State of the Tujunga An Assessment of the Tujunga/Pacoima Watershed Prepared by The River Project With funding from the CALFED Bay-Delta Watershed Program October 2006 State of the Tujunga Report - October 2006 Table of Contents Introduction Acknowledgements Page 1 Overview Page 3 Methodologies Page 7 Assessment Page 11 Climate and Climate Change Page 13 Geology and Geomorphology Page 21 Hydrology Page 37 Water Supply and Use Page 59 Water Quality Page 73 Habitat Page 91 Land Use and Open Space Page 125 History and Culture Page 145 Community Economic Conditions Page 165 Management and Policy Page 173 References Page 201 Appendix 1: Goals and Objectives Appendix 2: Goals and Objectives Matrix Appendix 3: Data Inventory Catalog Appendix 4: Demographic Report Appendix 5: Additional Jurisdiction Maps State of the Tujunga Report - October 2006 Acknowledgements The State of the Tujunga Report was funded under a grant to The River Project from the CALFED Bay- Delta Watershed Program. This assessment was developed through extensive collaboration of a number of individuals, agencies, and organizations. Those who were instrumental in the development of this publication are acknowledged here. Team Tujunga Watershed Assessment Workgroup Workgroup Lead: Melanie Winter Principle Authors: David Cannon, Jason Casanova, Arthur Golding, Beau MacDonald, Melanie Winter GIS and Cartography: Jason Casanova Project Assistants: Snowdy Dodson, Sherilyn Kimura, Koa Lavery, Alison Linder, Miguel Luna, Leslie Mahley Document Layout: Jim Donovan Editors: Zack Freedman, Melanie Winter Technical Advisors Dennis Bowker CALFED Watershed Program Team Stephan Lorenzato CALFED Watershed Team, California Department of Water Resources John Lowrie CALFED Watershed Program Manager Joe Evelyn United States Army Corps of Engineers Ronald Lockman United States Army Corps of Engineers Ted Massigat United States Army Corps of Engineers Cathy Shuman United States Army Corps of Engineers Vik Andresen United States Forest Service, retired Scott Harris California Department of Fish and Game Mark Stuart California Department of Water Resources Maryann Jones Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board C.P. Lai Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board Vik Bapna Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Bill DePoto Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Gary Hildebrand Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Youn Sim Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Stacie Takeguchi Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Adam Walden Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Richard Weyermuller Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Mark Mackowski Upper Los Angeles Area River Watermaster Mario Acevedo Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Hadi Jonny Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Lynne Goldsmith Metropolitan Transit Authority Tom Leveque City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks Paul Teensma City of Los Angeles Environmental Affairs Department Ileene Anderson Center for Biological Diversity Matt Benjamin Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Suzanne Dallman Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council Rebecca Drayse TreePeople 1 - Acknowledgements State of the Tujunga Report - October 2006 Arthur Golding Arthur Golding and Associates Dorothy Green California Water Information Network Kristeen Penrod Center for Biological Diversisty Fran Spivy Weber Mono Lake Committee Steering Committee Members – Tujunga Watershed Project Mario Acevedo Los Angeles Department of Water and Power * Roberta Actor-Thomas Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council Michael Antos California State University, Northridge * Zora Baharians City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, Watershed Protection Division * Debra Bauman Tujunga Watershed Council Steven Bear Angeles National Forest * Mary Benson Foothill Trails Neighborhood Council Shirley Birosik Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board * Teresa Brady Sierra Club Tsilah Burman Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust Darrell Buxton Unites States Army Corps of Engineers * Suzanne Dallman Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council * Jim Donovan National Park Service - Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Progam Sabrina Drill University of California Cooperative Extension Scotty Gilmore Community Member * Jim Hardesty San Fernando Valley Audubon * Leila Hamdan Heal the Bay Eugene Hernandez Sylmar Neighborhood Council Mitzi Hoag Community Member Stephanie Landregan Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy * George Leddy California State Assemblymember Cindy Montañez * Ronald Lockmann United States Army Corps of Engineers * Meredith Leonard Los Angeles Valley College Shakoufe Marashi City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, Watershed Protection Division * Tom Mole Mission Hills Neighborhood Council Khaim Morton Los Angeles City Councilmember, District 6, Alex Padilla * David O’Donnell TreePeople * Christopher Olsen Los Angeles City Councilmember, District 2, Wendy Greuel * Rudy Ortega, Jr. Fernandeno/Tataviam Tribe Jerry Piro East Valley Coalition * Edwin Ramirez Pacoima Neighborhood Council Sharyn Romano Hollywood/Los Angeles Beautification Team * Stacie Takeguchi Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Watershed Management Division * Michael Tou Congressmember Brad Sherman * Pamela Villaseñor Fernandeno/Tataviam Tribe Polly Ward Federation of Hillside and Canyon Residents * Leslie Welch Angeles National Forest * Bruce Woodside Community Member Susan Woolam California Department of Water Resources Bob Wu Caltrans, District 07 * * Signed a participation agreement 2 - Acknowledgements State of the Tujunga Report - October 2006 Overview Reason for the Assessment The State of the Tujunga Report has been developed to give us as accurate an assessment of the current functional condition of the watershed as the available data and information can define. It is intended to answer some basic questions: What are the essential attributes of this watershed? What’s unique and useful about it? What is the natural capacity of the eco-system? What functions are possible? Is it functioning at its best? What have we done to compromise or change its functioning? What things tell us whether or not we’re living on the land responsibly - in other words, are we doing a good job of balancing economic, social and environmental concerns? What can or should we do differently to maximize nature’s services for the future? Can we do better? This report aggregates and integrates a broad range of information. It describes the physical, socioeconomic and political conditions in the watershed. It looks at the natural condition, the stressors imposed upon it and the management issues associated with it. It examines the cultural and historic framework that led to this point and discusses the socio-economic impacts of all aspects of the current condition. It discusses the linkages among land use, natural processes, and limiting factors; identifies key data gaps and monitoring needs; looks at priorities for restoration; and makes general management recommendations. An assessment is an important step towards developing a Watershed Management Plan. A watershed assessment generally consists of an evaluation of existing watershed condition and processes that establish the current baseline condition. The assessment then informs development of the Plan, which is intended to be a guide to help us manage our resources sustainably. The Tujunga Watershed Management Plan will be stakeholder-defined and will include specific projects, programs and actions that can be taken to improve watershed condition and the relationship between people and the watershed. This assessment provides the background necessary to inform stakeholder discussions over which approaches can best accomplish the Goals and Objectives that have been defined through consensus. Those Goals and Objectives are found in Appendix 1, and can generally be summarized as: To revitalize the Tujunga Watershed, balancing water supply, water quality, community open space needs, environmental protection and restoration, and public safety. Who Should Read this Report The primary audience for the report is the Tujunga Watershed Project Steering Committee, the Technical Advisory Committee, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the CALFED Bay-Delta Watershed Program. The broader audience includes all stakeholders: residents; businesses; regulators; elected officials and their staff; public agencies and staff; Neighborhood Councils; community and environmental organizations; academia; students; and anyone interested in working towards a sustainable future for the region. 3 - Overview State of the Tujunga Report - October 2006 How this Report was Developed Assessments of watershed condition in smaller or less developed areas are often derived by identifying a healthy ‘reference reach’ from which to compare the rest of the watershed. Essential ecological attributes, indicators of stress, and monitoring data are analyzed to establish an evaluation of overall condition. While that approach might serve us if we were only assessing the upper watershed, it would not suffice in the highly modified, urbanized lower watershed because it neglects to account for the complexities introduced by human presence and intervention. Still, generally determining health requires some reference for defining good