Wetland Selfie, Bowtie Project, Los Angeles, CA (#113)

 


Los Angeles. 

Everyone knows it. 

A world-famous city of glitz, sunshine, and fame. 

 

What better place to try out an innovative conservation endeavor.  If successful, that endeavor garners extra attention when tied to such a world-famous city.  

 

And so, I’d like to introduce you to The Nature Conservancy’s Bowtie Wetland Demonstration Project.

 

Imagine the movie Grease - the scene where cars race down a concrete channel speeding along the angled banks in a neck-and-neck battle.  That channel is the LA River which today runs from the Simi Hills through the heart of the city and spills into the Pacific at Long Beach.  To call it an urban river is an understatement. 

 

Runoff from that concrete jungle spills regularly into the LA River.  But at one of the spillways, TNC’s project - expected to be completed in 2027 - will divert stormwater into a constructed wetland and filtration system.  Cleansed runoff is then released back to the LA River at a much-improved quality.  It’s a pioneering nature-based solution for cities. 

 

For this project, TNC also purposely embraces public access. It’s designed to bring open space, improved environment, and green amenities to build support and broaden the reach of the project beyond its ecological benefits.

 


I view the cordoned off Bowtie project from across the channelized river where the Greenway Trail has a cool and busy vibe with joggers, cyclists, and dog walkers on a Saturday morning.  Torn up ground and machinery behind fences are all I can see of the project.  Seems like it’s just getting started, but in fact, this project has been brewing for some time.  The long-term vision for a park on this land began in 2003, and the latest conceptual design was formalized in 2021.

 

Come 2027, the already existing audience of the Greenway Trail will be in place to view and learn about this important project.  Selfies from the wetland, and from along the banks of the cleaner LA River will soon be landing on social media.  Clearly that will be one of the biggest benefits TNC had in mind when engaging in this innovative conservation endeavor in the city of glitz, sunshine, and fame. 

 LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BOWTIE PROJECT HERE.

Location: Bowtie Project, Los Angeles, CA 90039, USA

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