BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



          SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER
                             Senator Fran Pavley, Chair
                                2015 - 2016  Regular 

          Bill No:            SB 1374         Hearing Date:  April 12,  
          2016   
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          |Author:    |Lara                   |           |                 |
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          |Version:   |April 5, 2016                                        |
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          |Urgency:   |No                     |Fiscal:    |Yes              |
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          |Consultant:|Katharine Moore                                      |
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          Subject:  San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains  
                      Conservancy:  stormwater capture projects

          BACKGROUND AND EXISTING LAW
          1)Existing law provides for the protection, enhancement, and  
            restoration of rivers in this state. 

          2)The San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains  
            Conservancy (RMC) was created by the Legislature in 1999 (SB  
            216, Solis, c. 89 and AB 1355, Havice, c. 90, Statutes of  
            1999)(Public Resources Code §§32600 et seq.). The RMC's  
            mission is, among other things, to preserve open space and  
            habitat in order to provide for low-impact recreation and  
            educational uses, wildlife habitat restoration and protection,  
            and watershed improvements within its jurisdiction. It is one  
            of ten conservancies located in the Natural Resources Agency.  
            The RMC's territory includes the San Gabriel River and lower  
            Los Angeles River watersheds.  The lower Los Angeles River is  
            that portion of the river downstream of the border between the  
            Cities of Los Angeles and Vernon.

          3)Existing law imposes certain limitations on the RMC with  
            respect to actions that affect water or water management in  
            the watersheds under its jurisdiction.

          4)In the early 1990s, community activism over turning a railyard  
            adjacent to the Los Angeles River into open space coincided  
            with Los Angeles County beginning a process that - after  
            considerable input from stakeholders and community outreach -  







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            resulted in the County's Los Angeles River Master Plan (Master  
            Plan) in 1996. The Master Plan described how economic growth  
            could be spurred along the Los Angeles River in the County  
            through zoning changes and the development of open space,  
            recreational, cultural, artistic, educational and other  
            opportunities. Ultimately over several decades, the Master  
            Plan proposed that the Los Angeles River be returned to a  
            less-polluted, functioning riparian environment in as many  
            reaches as possible, while still controlling flooding and  
            providing recreational opportunities.

          5)The City of Los Angeles' Los Angeles River Revitalization  
            Master Plan (Revitalization Master Plan) was released in 2007.  
            Continuing the long-term goals of the County Master Plan for  
            the reach of the Los Angeles River within the City's  
            boundaries, the Revitalization Master Plan also promoted the  
            revitalization of the Los Angeles River as a multi-benefit  
            solution to addressing and enhancing water quality and flood  
            control while enabling safe access to the river and restoring  
            a functional river ecosystem.

          6)Both plans contain a list of projects to be completed.  
            Numerous Los Angeles River restoration projects have been  
            undertaken since the release of the Master Plan and  
            Revitalization Master Plan.  These projects include the  
            creation of habitat and pocket parks, among others.  Many of  
            these projects provide multi-benefit solutions such as  
            providing for groundwater recharge from floodwaters.

          PROPOSED LAW
          This bill would require the RMC to identify projects, consistent  
          with the Master Plan and existing requirements, that would  
          maximize the capture of stormwater along the Lower Los Angeles  
          River.

          ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT
          According to the author, "[w]hile the Lower Los Angeles River  
          serves an important purpose as a flood protection and control  
          channel, it also presents a unique opportunity for open space,  
          urban greening, and as a water resource for the region.  With  
          numerous recent developments, including the creation of a Lower  
          Los Angeles River Working Group to develop a revitalization  
          plan, the City's Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan,  
          and multiple conversations about a new vision for the river,  








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          there is a growing local interest in rejuvenation of the river."
           
          "The recently approved Proposition 1 included $200 million for  
          multi-benefit stormwater management projects, including projects  
          to promote green infrastructure.  These projects can reduce the  
          discharge of pollutants into storm drains and waterways, while  
          also recharging groundwater aquifers, and providing outdoor  
          recreational space."
           
          "The intent of this bill is to promote opportunities for  
          stormwater projects on the Lower Los Angeles River by directing  
          the [RMC] to identify projects that would maximize the capture  
          of stormwater along the river."

          ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION
          None received

          COMMENTS
           Work-in-progress  .  Should the bill pass this Committee, the  
          author may wish to consider:
                 the best way to integrate the direction to the RMC with  
               existing and/or planned activities underway to develop  
               multi-benefit projects in the watershed,
                 a role for public input in the identification of  
               projects, 
                 appropriate timeliness of the identification, 
                 the potential for stormwater capture projects throughout  
               all watersheds under the RMC's jurisdiction, and 
                 outreach and education following identification, among  
               others.

          The Committee may re-hear the bill should there be later  
          substantive changes to the content of the bill.




           Recent related legislation
           AB 530 (Rendon, c. 684, Statutes of 2015) established the Lower  
          Los Angeles River Working Group to develop revitalization plans,  
          as specified.

          SB 355 (Lara, c. 677, Statutes of 2015) modified the composition  
          of the conservancy's board.








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          SB 485 (Hernandez, c. 678, Statutes of 2015) authorized the Los  
          Angeles County Sanitation District to divert, manage, treat and  
          discharge stormwater and dry weather runoff and make beneficial  
          use of the water, as specified.

          SB 985 (Pavley, c. 555, Statutes of 2014) authorized the  
          development of a stormwater resource plan to identify and  
          prioritize stormwater and dry weather runoff capture projects  
          for implementation, as specified, among other provisions.

          SUPPORT
          None Received 

          OPPOSITION
          None Received

          
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