NFA Community Ambassador Miriam Lagos led a recent training in Sun Valley, safely and in-person with 23 other community residents. The class covered topics around local parks, water, mountains and concluded with a tour of the nature-based solutions that can be found at the park. Nature-based solutions involve working with nature to address societal challenges, providing benefits for both human well-being and biodiversity. The Sun Valley Park Drain and Infiltration System Project is a wonderful example of a NBS we’d like to see around LA County!
Info from a project fact sheet provided by the Los Angeles County Flood Control District: “The Sun Valley Watershed – Sun Valley Park Drain and Infiltration System Project converted an existing municipal park into a flood mitigation, water quality treatment, and water conservation multi-use site… Runoff is routed through a water quality treatment system at the park to remove suspended solids and heavy metals. The treated runoff is then directed into two underground infiltration basins, where the water is naturally filtered and recharged into the groundwater aquifer. The water conservation benefit is estimated to be 30 acre-feet per year. The infiltration basins are buried beneath the soccer and baseball fields to maintain the park’s functionality. Vegetated swales with California native plants were also strategically placed throughout the park to treat runoff from the surrounding areas. In addition, the project also included enhancements to the park’s recreational amenities, such as new soccer and baseball fields, bleachers, sports lighting, and interpretive signage.”
For more information on this project and other nature-based solutions around you, check out ourwaterla.org/in-your-neighborhood.
