One of the project ideas that came out of developing the Tujunga/Pacoima Watershed Plan was to replace the 3/4 mile-long concrete median along Woodman Avenue in Panorama City with a naturalized swale that could capture all the rain runoff from the surrounding 135 acres and infiltrate it to groundwater rather than funnel it into the nearby Tujunga Wash and out to the Ocean via the LA River.
We partnered with the Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power and the City's Bureau of Sanitation & Street Services on a grant from Prop 50 to do just that - replacing hardscape with something more natural and permeable, while improving ecosystem function. We'll also partner with neighborhood 4th and 5th grade classes, using a tailored curriculum which meets state science standards and involve the kids in design elements of the project.
Community Meetings scheduled throughout the project will inform and involve the neighborhood, taking input on design and use needs.
The project will increase our local water supply, improve water quality, reduce storm flows and create native habitat. All the while making a more pleasant, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood.
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