Los Angeles Waterkeeper

Elimination of ongoing pollution of the Los Angeles region’s coastal, inland and ground waters​. Achieving ecosystem health and resiliency for all the region’s waterways so they can support the communities and wildlife that depend on them​. Ensuring local, low-carbon & affordable water supplies and water-friendly land use & energy policies that guarantee the health of the region’s waters and communities. Ensuring our organization runs efficiently, in accordance with best practices, and with diversified funding and community support to promote our long-term health and growth to better serve the region’s needs.
Additionally, LA Waterkeeper has a responsibility to advocate for the environmental protection of the communities who are systematically repressed and whose voices are ignored. We cannot achieve clean water for all without addressing environmental racism and the current- and historic- ways frontline communities have been and are disproportionally affected by pollution, our aging infrastructure, and the economic burden of inefficient and wasteful investments and policies.

As protectors of a public resource, it is our responsibility to actively pursue and create systemic change in our water movement, and the greater environmental
movement as well.

Municipal Stormwater Objective: Enforceable MS4 permit. Tactics:​ Prevail 2012 litigation; Prevail E/WMP Order ; 2021 permit renewal (coalition building) ; Enforcement action against permittee.
Industrial stormwater: Objective: 10+ sites/year come into IGP compliance ($100k+ in SEPs annually)​. Tactics:​ Utilize CWW to monitor target facilities ; Develop NextGen of ISW program. Other stormwater: Enforceable permit for commercial sites adopted​; Support CCKA in pushing for adoption of enforceable state permits (construction, schools, Caltrans).
Marine Objective: Reduced violations of MPAs and ASBS so critical coastal areas are more resilient . Tactics:​ 70 MPA Watch trips (vols when able); data made public ;10-year MPA report issued; highlights enforcement needs​; NextGen marine advocacy campaign (ports, marinas, ASBS) developed
Watershed Objective: Plans adopted to facilitate ecologically healthier and more resilient LA River​. Tactics:​ Revamped internal plan adopted (traditional & Next- Gen approaches, e.g. RoN)​; Partnerships strengthened; Full-time River advocate hired.
Plastics Objective: Launch campaign to engage communities & corps in reducing impact of plastics on inland and coastal waters​. Tactics:​ 750 volunteers engaged; 5 tons of waste cleanup up; plastics enforcement campaign developed.
Local, low-carbon water Objectives/Tactics: ​$280M/year in SCWP allocated primarily to nature-based, multi-benefit projects (inside game, coalition work, project mgmt)​;
300MGD+ in water recycling projects approved, funded and initiated (prevail in WUU appeals; regulatory/political advocacy)​; West Basin desal project stopped (prevail in litigation; regulatory hearings; comms & coalition building).
Government accountability campaign Objectives: Ensure pro-environment majority on RB; strong relationships with majority of LA City Council/ County Board. Tactics:​ ID, recruit diverse RB candidates; PR and coalition campaign to pressure Newsom​; Use DTLA move to be more regular presence at City/County
Water friend land / energy: Objective: SWRCB approval of OTC plan that results in full closure of 2 coastal power plants, replacement primarily with in-basin renewables, and $10M for wetlands mitigation. Tactics:​ Reach agreement with LADWP, enviro, EJ & energy advocates​; Coalition work and advocacy at SWRCB