US Army Corps of Engineers

Capture and treat stormwater and dry weather flows before they reach the river channel for groundwater recharge, direct use, water recycling, or release for downstream beneficial uses.

The primary sources of water flowing into the LA River are wet weather (stormwater) runoff originating from precipitation on the watershed and dry weather inputs from the watershed, including incidental urban runoff and groundwater upwelling. The dominant source of dry-weather flow…

Promote public safety along the river.

Community members named safety as the top reason they do not use the LA River. Improving the perception of safety means addressing physical and perceptual factors. Physical factors include having appropriately scaled railings and a path that is clear of…

Promote life safety along the river.

A reimagined river is intended to draw more people to use the river corridor. With increased usage comes a responsibility to provide for the safety of those users through increased awareness, hazard mitigation, and emergency response.

Create 51 miles of connected open space along the river.

The LA River has great potential to serve as the backbone of an open space network across LA County. This 51-mile backbone would be unique within the county, providing park space to underserved adjacent communities, offering a variety of experiences from…

Improve flood facility operations and maintenance.

Dams, levees, channels, and other flood management projects, like all infrastructure, require proper operations and maintenance. Increased investment in operations and maintenance of LA River infrastructure can increase its effectiveness and lengthen its useful life, providing a greater return on…

Increase public awareness of flood hazards and river safety.

Although flooding is the most common type of natural disaster in the country, the threats of flooding are often discounted by residents of Los Angeles County. The lack of recent floods coupled with severe droughts have rendered most people living…

Update and improve emergency preparedness.

Although flood infrastructure is in place to protect life and property, flooding can still pose a threat to communities within the floodplain during an extreme storm event. These communities, which are protected from routine floods, must still be prepared. The…

Increase capacity of the river in high risk areas to provide flood risk reduction to at least the 1% (100-year) annual chance flood event or to a level recommended by a risk assessment.

Levels of flood risk management vary along the 51-mile channel. The 1% (100-year) event is used as a target in this plan because it is the standard for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and studies show that using this…

Maintain existing flood carrying capacity of all reaches of the LA River channel.

Because existing development gets close to the channel, it is critical to maintain the existing flood carrying capacity of all reaches of the river to manage flood risk for people and property during storm events.