ARMY, COUNTIES JOIN TO STUDY WATERSHED FUTURE OF SANTA CLARA RIVER AT ISSUE.Byline: Eugene Tong Staff Writer PIRU PIRU Public Information Reference Unit PIRU People in Red Uniform (band) - Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. and Ventura counties signed a pact Wednesday to conduct an $8.2 million joint study of the Santa Clara River Santa Clara River may refer to:
The four-year Santa Clara River Watershed Protection The term watershed refers to an area of land that drains precipitation that falls on it to a common point. These points could be streams, lakes, etc. Precipitatoin falling on any part of a watershed can travel quickly on the surface of the land, known as surface runoff, or travel through Plan Feasibility Study The analysis of a problem to determine if it can be solved effectively. The operational (will it work?), economical (costs and benefits) and technical (can it be built?) aspects are part of the study. Results of the study determine whether the solution should be implemented. - a majority funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - will analyze flood control, erosion, water quality and natural habitats in the 1,600-square-mile area where the river and its tributaries run. ``(The study is) to ensure the present quality of life that we enjoy is preserved for future generations,'' said 5th District Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich Michael Dennis Antonovich (born 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District, which covers northern Los Angeles County, the Antelope, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, and parts of the San Fernando and San at the signing ceremony at historic Rancho Camulos along state Highway 126. ``It will help to provide a base so we can cooperate with everyone and allow responsible development where appropriate.'' It took about two years for the various agencies to agree on the scope and costs of the study, said Kathy Long, Ventura County District 3 supervisor. ``We're going to take all this good work and use it,'' she said. ``A study like this provides a holistic approach holistic approach A term used in alternative health for a philosophical approach to health care, in which the entire Pt is evaluated and treated. See Alternative medicine, Holistic medicine. so we can bring balance in the future decision making.'' The Corps of Engineers is spending $4.15 million, while the Los Angeles County Flood Control District is contributing $1.69 million and the Ventura County Watershed Protection District will add $2.35 million. Richard Sweet of the Friends of the Santa Clara River backs the study, but regrets it didn't start sooner in order to address the loss of wildlife habitat along the river route. ``I wish it would have happened five years ago,'' said Sweet, a board member of the Newbury Park-based environmental group. The Santa Clara River begins in the San Gabriel Mountains San Gabriel Mountains, S Calif., E and NE of Los Angeles, running c.50 mi (80 km) westward from Cajon Pass. San Antonio Peak (10,080 ft/3,072 m) is the highest of the range. Citrus fruits are raised on the southern foothills. , running 84 miles through the largest watershed in Southern California before draining into the Pacific Ocean. Los Angeles County takes up 772 square miles of the watershed. Los Angeles County officials stressed the study would help find ways to control flooding in areas such as Acton during intermittent torrential rains. But the watershed, which includes fertile farmland, growing suburbs such as Santa Clarita and the proposed 21,000-home Newhall Ranch subdivision, also has been a flash point between two counties pursuing divergent interests. While Los Angeles County encouraged development to handle anticipated growth, Ventura County has pressed to retain its agriculture roots. In 2000, Ventura County joined several environmental groups to sue Los Angeles County for its 1999 approval of Newhall Ranch. The plaintiffs said the project's environmental impact report was inadequate, and forced the developer, The Newhall Land and Farming Company The Newhall Land and Farming Company is a land management company based in Valencia, California, United States. The company is responsible for the master community planning of Valencia, as well as the management of farm land elsewhere in the state. , into augmenting the study. Ventura County soon pulled out of the lawsuit. Los Angeles County approved Newhall Ranch again last year, and the builder is slated to break ground in 2006. ``No one wants future litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. ,'' Long said. ``Let's set a baseline we can all agree on. ... It's not about shooting a single project down. But there will be areas where there won't be development.'' Paul Novak, Antonovich's planning deputy, said the county would scrutinize the watershed impact of each phase of Newhall Ranch as it comes in. While it was not known how the new study would impact the development, he noted existing plans to designate property along the Santa Clara River as open space. Eugene Tong, (661) 257-5253 eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lt. Col. John Guenther, Ventura County Supervisor Kathy Long and Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, from left, approve a Santa Clara River watershed study Wednesday. (2) L.A. County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich speaks Wednesday at a ceremony at Rancho Camulos Museum marking the signing of the Santa Clara River Watershed Feasibility Study. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer |
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