A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
September 4, 2008
3. Watersheds –
Journey Down the
Palisades Post – 9/3/08
Sue Pascoe , Staff Writer
If you've never kayaked before, you wouldn't start by going down the
The river's fate was suddenly at stake this spring when it lost its federal designation as navigable, according to Fran Diamond, chairman of the L.A. Regional Water Quality Control Board. She told the Palisadian-Post that a rancher wanted to fill in a dry creek bed in the Santa Susana Mountains north of Chatsworth in order to develop property (Those mountains are part of the watershed for the L.A. River). After the rancher argued that the river itself was a dry streambed, the Army Corps reviewed the stream and determined that less than four miles was navigable and removed its classification on June 4.
While the classification might seem unimportant for a cemented urban riverbed, a 2006 U.S. Supreme Court ruling stated that the Clean Water Act's protections against pollution apply to a stream or wetland only if it had a 'significant nexus' with 'traditional navigable waters.'
Congressional representatives, state legislators, environmental groups and citizens such as Tipton were outraged at the Army Corps decision. 'It is a critical issue,' said Tipton, who is also the director of student health services at Cal State L.A. and owner of the Palisades Integrative Medical Clinic in the Pharmaca building.
'The Army Corps was looking at the L.A. River as an ephemeral river, one that comes and goes, as more of a storm channel,' said Tipton, who noted that taking away the designation would eliminate control of the pollutants added to the water. 'How could they turn our river into a sewer?' He asked. 'It's a living thing.'
Tipton initially became interested in the waterway last year after taking a tour of the river with his family (wife Evelyn Wendel and children, Miles, 11, and Maude, 8) led by environmental writer Jenny Price, the author of 'Thirteen Ways of Seeing Nature in Los Angeles.' A week later, Tipton, Wendel, and a friend, George Wolf, shot a short film about a frustrated commuter who hops out of his car and kayaks to work. The humorous video, 'George's L.A. River Commute,' can be found on YouTube.
Fast forward to this July when Tipton and his 12-member group began kayaking the entire 52-mile length of the L.A. River from Canoga Park to Long Beach during the dry season.
Although people are not allowed to kayak, wade or play in the river, the group received permission because they had a film permit.
With kayaks donated from Sports Chalet, they began their two-and a-half day journey on July 25 in the
As he kayaked, Tipton was amazed by the landscape surrounding the waterway. 'It was like a mini-jungle with birds and trees, in sections along Encino and
Further down the stream, Tipton saw a naked homeless man shaving in the river. 'Do you have a permit to be in the river?' the homeless man asked Tipton.
'Do you have a permit to be naked?' Tipton replied. When the man admitted he didn't, Tipton said, 'Then let's call it a draw.'
The kayakers drove home each night and returned to the river in the morning.
On the second day, police helicopters circled the group and officers told the kayakers to get out of the water. But pedestrians on the bridge overhead shouted for them to stay in. Police showed up on the edge of the river, but once they learned that the paddlers had a permit, they let them continue the journey.
'I've discovered that if you say you have a film permit, the police will let you do almost anything,' Tipton joked.
He admitted that the final day was grueling. 'It was physically challenging. The river was fast flowing and I had to do a lot of paddling.' To add to his problems, his kayak had sprung a leak. 'I did tip over once and got a mouth and nose full of water. . .yuck,' he said.
The group's journey was covered by the media and, on August 19, the Los Angeles Times reported that 'the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] told the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that it is stepping into an obscure debate over whether the river and its tributary streams are 'traditional navigable waters.'
''It's important for us to protect urban rivers and waterways around the country,' said Benjamin H. Grumbles, an EPA assistant administrator for water (who was quoted in the article). 'We are stepping up to ensure that the Clean Water Act tools are applied consistently and fairly and we all work together to protect the
Tipton believes that his group's river trip helped push the EPA in the right direction. 'Essentially, this whole thing boils down to who has the right to protect, clean and use the river,' he said. 'We decided that we, the people, have the right.'
Last Thursday, Tipton, who is bilingual and has a master's degree from UCLA in public health, was on Channel 34, explaining in Spanish the importance of keeping the
'I'm happy that the EPA is going to look at the navigability,' Fran Diamond said. 'We can reclaim the
'There is a concerted effort to remove as much concrete as we can, while maintaining safety by preventing flooding,' she continued. 'One of the ways we can make this city livable is with the
A 284-page Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan was completed in 2007 and suggests ways that this can be accomplished. The plan would include establishing community parks, riparian habitats and promenades with overlooks.
'I was struck by the possibility that the river could actually become a regular river again,' Tipton said. 'I was also thinking how great it would be for Angelenos to reclaim the 52 miles of river as a greenbelt. We have more than enough concrete in LA; it's time for us to green things up a bit.'
Friends of the
http://www.palisadespost.com/content/index.cfm?Story_ID=4250
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