Los Angeles River

GENERAL

Source

Site Los Angeles River

Map Long Beach, USGS 7.5' quadrangle

Location The Los Angeles River enters San Pedro Bay at Queensway Bay in the southeastern corner of the City of Long Beach. The profile focuses primarily on the portion of the river that is 'soft-bottomed' from the Willows Street Bridge to Queensway Bay.

Contacts Los Angeles Department of Public Works (LACDPW); 818-458-4309

Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR); 213-223-0585

Heal the Bay; 310-270-4151

American Oceans Campaign; 310-576-6162

Approximate Wetland Habitat Acreage 234
11

Approximate Historic Acreage Acreage not specified, but historic wetlands consisted of extensive marshes, streams, lakes and seeps covering much of present day downtown Los Angeles to San Pedro Bay and eastward to the San Gabriel River.
1b

Ownership Owner Acres Source

City of Long Beach (the river channel is operated and maintained by two agencies - US Army Corps of Engineers and LACDPW) Not specified. 2

LAND USE

Source

Land Use Designation The Los Angeles River is designated in the City of Long Beach's Local Coastal Plan land use section as river/channel and flood control channel.
13

Onsite Use The river has been channelized for flood control; it is periodically cleared of deposited sediment, debris, and vegetation by the LACDPW to maintain flood flow capacity.
1a

Historic Use The lower Los Angeles River was once part of one of the largest floodplains in the United States. Drainage of the wetlands and channelization of the river began with farming and cattle ranching in the 1780's. By 1954 the entire length of the river was channelized.
1b

Adjacent Use For the length of the river through the City of Long Beach, urban development abuts the channel right-of-way. Adjacent to the river mouth to the west are the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles - the largest port complexes on the west coast of the United States. To the east is the City of Long Beach's Shoreline Aquatic Park.
2

Adjacent Historic Use Native Americans began inhabiting the area some 9000 years ago. The pueblo of Los Angeles was established in 1781, and agriculture and cattle ranching were the main uses up to the Civil War. After the Civil War, the area saw intensified agricultural uses and successive waves of port, residential and industrial development.
1b, 2

HYDROLOGY

Source

Tidal Influence The soft bottom area of the river which is tidally influenced extends up to the Willow Street Bridge, a distance of 2.6 miles from the mouth at Queensway Bay.
1, 2

Watershed Area 834 square miles
13

Tributaries and Flow Tributary Flow Source

Los Angeles River Year-round flow is maintained by urban and agricultural run-off, and discharges of treated wastewater. During the drier months up to 80 million gallons per day enter Queensway Bay. For a 133 1a, 15

year flood the Corps has calculated a discharge of 175,000 cfs for the river where it enters Queensway Bay. The river has a soft bottom for the first 2.6 miles upstream from the mouth.

Dams Twenty-two dams or diversion structures influence runoff to the LA River. The US Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains four major flood control reservoirs within the LA River system: Hansen Dam constructed in 1940, Sepulveda Dam in 1941, Whittier Narrows Dam in 1957, and Santa Fe Dam
1, 8

Other Sources Point and non-point urban runoff and three wastewater treatment facilities provide the primary source of year-round river flow.
1

WATER QUALITY

Source

General The Los Angeles River (lowest reach) is identified on the LARWQCB's 303(d) List as impaired, not meeting standards for pH, AMM, Pb, coliform, trash, scum algae, TDS and turbidity. Beneficial Uses identified for the lowest reach of the river are; IND, REC1, REC2, COMM, EST, MAR, WILD, RARE, SHELL, NAV, MIGR, SPWN and WET. Beneficial uses for the Los Angeles River Estuary (Queensway Bay) are identified as IND, NAV, REC1, REC2, COMM, EST, MAR, WILD, RARE, MIGR, SPWN, SHELL and WET. The Los Angeles River Estuary is not included in the assessment of impaired water bodies.
4, 5

Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Sampling in November 1990, February 1991 and July 1994 at the mouth of the LA River. Bottom DO ranged from 2.7 mg/l (temp. 19.1 C) in the fall to 11.4 mg/l (temp. 21.8 C) in the summer. Surface water DO ranged from 4.1 mg/l (temp. 19.2 C) in the fall to 11.6 mg/l (temp. 22 C) in the summer. Time of day of sampling was not specified
3

Water Salinity Sampling in November 1990, February 1991 and July 1994 at the mouth of the LA River. Salinity at the bottom ranged from 33 ppt in the fall to 26.4 ppt in the winter and at the surface from 29.0 in the fall to 24.3 in the winter.
3

Sedimentation Data for sediment loading in this reach of the river are not available. LA Regional Water Quality Assessment Report indicates that PAH and chlordane have been detected in the sediment.
13

SOIL

Source

Soil River bed - composed primarily of sand, coarse sand, silt and a large amount of surficial silts.
3

Habitat Acres Vegetation

River bottom (typically covered by surface flows) Not specified Algae 1

River sand bars (brackish to saltwater marsh - tidally influenced) From Anaheim Street Bridge to the river mouth - acreage not specified 1993 - willows, rushes, cattails, mulefat and several exotic species were present. 1, 2

Fresh/brackish water marsh - non-tidally influenced. ~1.5 mile reach downstream of the Willow Street Bridge - acreage not specified (intermittent 15 foot wide strip on both sides of the river). 1994 - predominately rushes, cattail, willow, mulefat and non-native species. 11

ANIMAL USE

Source

Birds Biweekly Nov. 1990 through March 1991, and April through June 1994 in Queensway Bay adjacent to the river mouth. In the winter surveys, 50 of the 60 species observed were water associated and in the spring 44 of the 60 species were water associated. Three special status species were identified in the spring survey.
3

Fish 1994 - four sampling days in Nov. 1990, Jan. and Feb. 1991, and June 1994 from a station just outside the mouth of the river in Queensway Bay. A total of seven species were collected in a beam trawl. Cheekspot gobies were most abundant followed by northern anchovies and arrow gobies.
3

Benthic Invertebrates 1994 - three sampling days in Oct. 1990, Jan. 1991 and June 1994 at the mouth of the river. A total of 64 taxa were collected with polychaetes comprising 94% and crustaceans 2%; mollusks and nemerteans were the next dominant taxa. Ghost shrimp were the dominant invertebrates collected from beam trawls during the fish surveys.
3

Insect Not specified

Other Wildlife Not specified.

Special Status Species 1994 - California brown pelican, California least tern, and American peregrine falcon.
3

OUTLOOK

Source

Enhancement Status As of winter 1996 - the City of Long Beach is proposing the creation of a seven acre tidal wetland as mitigation for two projects along the shore of Queensway Bay. This created wetland is to be at the current site of the Golden Shore Boat Launch Ramp. The Coastal Conservancy, Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, and Los Angeles Department of Public Works are conducting a comprehensive assessment of the wetland resources of the Los Angeles River and its watershed. The assessment will provide the basis for planning habitat enhancement and restoration, and recreational projects along the river.
1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9

Watershed Management Several agencies and community groups have proposed alternatives for watershed and flood control measures to deal with a 100 year flood. The Los Angeles River Flood Control Strategy Task Force was established in 1996 to investigate and make recommendations on these various methods and options. The Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles has begun (spring of 1997) a Watershed Management Initiative for the Region which is primarily a volunteer monitoring program for the watershed.
1d, 8, 10, 13

Pressure Population growth within the watershed increases the problems associated with pollution from non-point urban runoff. The need to provide 100 year storm flood protection along the river may result in reduced natural habitat. Expansion of the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles may affect water quality and the biotic community at Queensway Bay and the mouth of the river.
1e, 2, 8

SOURCES

1 California State Coastal Conservancy, R. Gustaitis (ed.). 1993. California Coast and Ocean. Vol 9, No 3. 48pp. This issue of Coast and Ocean (a quarterly magazine covering coastal issues) was primarily dedicated to articles concerning the Los Angeles River. Articles included a historical description of the river, a summary of current uses and problems of the river, proposals for upgrading the flood control system to handle a 100 year flood, and a review of changing attitudes on the necessity for concrete walls along the river.

1a Williams, P. 1993. Los Angeles River: overflowing with controversy. Contains a general description of the river's history, its environments, and possible future. 8-19 pp.

1b Josselyn, M. and S. Chamberlain. 1993. History: the way it was. Briefly describes the river's history from 1769 to 1937. 20-23 pp.

1d Gustaitis, R. 1993. Interviews with: Carl Blum & Diego Cadena, LACDPW; Lewis MacAdams & Jim Danza, Friends LA River; Peter Goodwin, Philip Williams & Assoc.; Dorothy Green, Heal the Bay. 24-31 pp.

1e Kroll, C. 1993. LA River: changing views of the river. This article is a discussion of the values of concrete flood control levees vs river banks with a natural habitat. 24-31 pp.

2 California State Coastal Conservancy. 1993. Los Angeles River park and recreation area study. 98pp. This study identifies potentials for recreation and habitat enhancement along approximately 50 miles of the river corridor. Biological and physical resources were reviewed, previous and ongoing studies described, and constraints and opportunities explored. A key objective of the study was to identify improvement projects that could be carried out in the near-term, while additional planning studies for the entire river and watershed are completed by Los Angeles Department of Public Works and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

3 MBC Applied Environmental Sciences, for City of Long Beach. 1994. Marine biological baseline study Queensway Bay, Long Beach Harbor. ~153 pp., plus appendices. This report is a comprehensive marine biological baseline study conducted in Queensway Bay near the mouth of the Los Angeles River. Biological information comes from original surveys conducted in 1990, 1991 and 1994. Parameters covered in the surveys include: water quality, sediment grain size, sediment chemistry, invertebrate and algal communities, fish populations and avifauna. Appendices contain species lists for all fauna surveyed.

4 California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region. 1994. Water quality control plan Los Angeles Region (4). 187 pp., plus appendices. The Los Angeles Regional Board's Basin Plan is designed to preserve and enhance the water quality and protect the beneficial uses of all regional waters. The plan designates beneficial uses and associated water quality objectives for inland surface waters, ground waters, coastal waters, and wetlands for the Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. It includes a discussion of applicable policies and statutory requirements and identifies measures for achieving water quality objectives. It also describes ongoing monitoring and assessment programs.

5 Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. 1996. Water Quality Assessment and Documentation. 106 pp. A list of waterbodies in the Los Angeles and Ventura County coastal watersheds that do not or are not expected to attain water quality standards after application of required technology-based controls. It includes a description of the methods and criteria used in the assessment. 303(d) lists are prepared as part of the Water Quality Assessment of the State's major waterbodies, and meet a requirement of Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act.

6 Moffatt & Nichol, Engineers. 1994. Mitigation analysis for Queensway Bay plan, Long Beach California. 24pp. This report describes the City of Long Beach's proposed development plan for the waterfront at Shoreline Aquatic Park and identifies required mitigation measures. It includes calculations for sub- and intertidal habitat areas that would be lost under the proposed development and evaluates potential mitigation sites. No biological or environmental data are provided.

7 Moffatt & Nichol Engineers. 1995. Proposed mitigation monitoring and maintenance program for Queensway Bay development. 17pp. This report is a preliminary mitigation and monitoring plan prepared to lay the groundwork for a successful completion of the permitting process. A brief description of the project is provided along with a description of the proposed mitigation. A preliminary maintenance and monitoring plan is also described.

8 Friends of the Los Angeles River. 1995. Friends of the Los Angeles River proposed flood control strategy for the Los Angeles and San Gabriel River Systems; 1st ed. 41 pp. This proposal addresses two main issues: 1) expedient, cost effective, 100-year flood protection in the coastal flood plain, and 2) modification of the (ACOE & LACPWD) proposed approach to flood control. Element one proposes additional storm water storage in various new and existing facilities upstream, and identifies measures for increasing capacity in the last five miles of the river. It also proposes improved management of water releases at several up-stream dams. Element two proposes watershed management practices that integrate water conservation, water quality, recreation, wildlife habitat, and flood control to reduce the need for higher channel bank walls.

9 California State Coastal Conservancy. 1995. US Environmental Protection Agency: grant application for state wetlands protection development. (Clean Water Act Section (104(b)(3)). Outlines objectives and methods to develop an integrated, comprehensive assessment of the wetland resources of the Los Angeles River watershed. Assessment is to be conducted during 1996/97.

10 Green, Dorothy; Heal the Bay. 1996. Personal communication.

11 Woodward-Clyde Consultants for the County of Los Angeles. 1994. Los Angeles County drainage area project, master environmental impact report. ~445 pp. This EIR covers the proposed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' and Los Angeles County Department of Public Works' proposed flood control project for the lower reaches (downstream of the Whittier Narrows Dam) of the Los Angeles River. The project included: constructing parapet walls on existing levees, raising access roads, modifying bridges, armoring the backside of some levees, widening portions of the flood channels, and overlaying some grouted channel sides with concrete. A brief description of the biota, derived from existing literature, for each segment of the project is provided.

12 Saint, P.K., T.L. Hanes, and W.J. Lloyd. 1993 Waterbodies, wetlands and their beneficial uses in the Los Angeles Region(4); Vol. 1, waterbodies and their beneficial uses. California State University, Fullerton. 189 pp., plus appendix. This report evaluates the designated beneficial uses for all waterbodies under the jurisdiction of the Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region. Research for this report included investigation of historical records, field survey to verify habitat types and the use of a geographic information system. The information collected was used to develop recommendations for additions to the LARWQCB 's list of waterbodies and to determine the appropriate beneficial use designation. Field studies were conducted between the summer of 1991 and the spring of 1993.

13 Corado, Ana; Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region. November 1996. Personal communication.

14 Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Garrett, K. L., ed. 1993. The biota of the Los Angeles River. 304 pp. This report covers the physical and biological features of a portion of the Los Angeles River from the Glendale Freeway downstream to the Golden State Freeway in the vicinity of Newell Street. Information on the current geophysical conditions are from original surveys and historical documents, and the descriptions of biological conditions are from original and previous field work. Biological sections report on the algae of the river, vascular plants, freshwater mollusca, freshwater fish fauna, reptiles and amphibians, avifauna, and mammals. The introductory section contains photographs of river and riparian conditions from 1991 through 1992. (This report is not cited in the profile as the study area is upstream of the area covered in the profile.)

15 Simons, Li & Associates, Inc., prepared for County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works. 1997. Los Angeles River alternative flood control study, draft baseline conditions report. This report is part of the US Army Corps of Engineers project for flood control improvements along the Los Angeles River. The purpose of this study is to identify one or more alternatives considering structural and non-structural means by which would modify the scope of the recommended Los Angeles County Drainage Area (LACDA) and that (a) are feasibility from an engineering, environmental, cost and timing prespecify, (b) provide equivalent flood protection, and (c) may provide other benefits such as recreational use, water conservation, or habitat restoration and enhancement.

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This file last modified on: Tuesday, December 2, 1997.
Document URL: http://ceres.ca.gov/wetlands/geo_info/so_cal/los_angeles_river.html
Copyright © 1997 California Resources Agency. All rights reserved.

GENERAL			Source
Site	Los Angeles River
Map	Long Beach, USGS 7.5' quadrangle
Location	The Los Angeles River enters San Pedro Bay at Queensway Bay in the southeastern corner of the City of Long Beach. The profile focuses primarily on the portion of the river that is 'soft-bottomed' from the Willows Street Bridge to Queensway Bay.
Contacts	Los Angeles Department of Public Works (LACDPW); 818-458-4309
	Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR); 213-223-0585
	Heal the Bay; 310-270-4151
	American Oceans Campaign; 310-576-6162
Approximate Wetland Habitat Acreage	234		11
Approximate Historic Acreage	Acreage not specified, but historic wetlands consisted of extensive marshes, streams, lakes and seeps covering much of present day downtown Los Angeles to San Pedro Bay and eastward to the San Gabriel River.		1b


Ownership	Owner	Acres	Source
	City of Long Beach (the river channel is operated and maintained by two agencies - US Army Corps of Engineers and LACDPW)	Not specified.	2


LAND USE			Source
Land Use Designation	The Los Angeles River is designated in the City of Long Beach's Local Coastal Plan land use section as river/channel and flood control channel.		13
Onsite Use	The river has been channelized for flood control; it is periodically cleared of deposited sediment, debris, and vegetation by the LACDPW to maintain flood flow capacity.		1a
Historic Use	The lower Los Angeles River was once part of one of the largest floodplains in the United States. Drainage of the wetlands and channelization of the river began with farming and cattle ranching in the 1780's. By 1954 the entire length of the river was channelized.		1b
Adjacent Use	For the length of the river through the City of Long Beach, urban development abuts the channel right-of-way. Adjacent to the river mouth to the west are the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles - the largest port complexes on the west coast of the United States. To the east is the City of Long Beach's Shoreline Aquatic Park.		2
Adjacent Historic Use	Native Americans began inhabiting the area some 9000 years ago. The pueblo of Los Angeles was established in 1781, and agriculture and cattle ranching were the main uses up to the Civil War. After the Civil War, the area saw intensified agricultural uses and successive waves of port, residential and industrial development.		1b, 2


HYDROLOGY			Source
Tidal Influence	The soft bottom area of the river which is tidally influenced extends up to the Willow Street Bridge, a distance of 2.6 miles from the mouth at Queensway Bay.		1, 2
Watershed Area	834 square miles		13
Tributaries and Flow	Tributary	Flow	Source
	Los Angeles River	Year-round flow is maintained by urban and agricultural run-off, and discharges of treated wastewater. During the drier months up to 80 million gallons per day enter Queensway Bay. For a 133	1a, 15
		year flood the Corps has calculated a discharge of 175,000 cfs for the river where it enters Queensway Bay. The river has a soft bottom for the first 2.6 miles upstream from the mouth.
Dams	Twenty-two dams or diversion structures influence runoff to the LA River. The US Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains four major flood control reservoirs within the LA River system: Hansen Dam constructed in 1940, Sepulveda Dam in 1941, Whittier Narrows Dam in 1957, and Santa Fe Dam		1, 8
Other Sources	Point and non-point urban runoff and three wastewater treatment facilities provide the primary source of year-round river flow.		1


WATER QUALITY			Source
General	The Los Angeles River (lowest reach) is identified on the LARWQCB's 303(d) List as impaired, not meeting standards for pH, AMM, Pb, coliform, trash, scum algae, TDS and turbidity. Beneficial Uses identified for the lowest reach of the river are; IND, REC1, REC2, COMM, EST, MAR, WILD, RARE, SHELL, NAV, MIGR, SPWN and WET. Beneficial uses for the Los Angeles River Estuary (Queensway Bay) are identified as IND, NAV, REC1, REC2, COMM, EST, MAR, WILD, RARE, MIGR, SPWN, SHELL and WET. The Los Angeles River Estuary is not included in the assessment of impaired water bodies.		4, 5
Dissolved Oxygen (DO)	Sampling in November 1990, February 1991 and July 1994 at the mouth of the LA River. Bottom DO ranged from 2.7 mg/l (temp. 19.1 C) in the fall to 11.4 mg/l (temp. 21.8 C) in the summer. Surface water DO ranged from 4.1 mg/l (temp. 19.2 C) in the fall to 11.6 mg/l (temp. 22 C) in the summer. Time of day of sampling was not specified		3
Water Salinity	Sampling in November 1990, February 1991 and July 1994 at the mouth of the LA River. Salinity at the bottom ranged from 33 ppt in the fall to 26.4 ppt in the winter and at the surface from 29.0 in the fall to 24.3 in the winter.		3
Sedimentation	Data for sediment loading in this reach of the river are not available. LA Regional Water Quality Assessment Report indicates that PAH and chlordane have been detected in the sediment.		13


SOIL			Source
Soil	River bed - composed primarily of sand, coarse sand, silt and a large amount of surficial silts.		3
Habitat	Acres	Vegetation
River bottom (typically covered by surface flows)	Not specified	Algae	1
River sand bars (brackish to saltwater marsh - tidally influenced)	From Anaheim Street Bridge to the river mouth - acreage not specified	1993 - willows, rushes, cattails, mulefat and several exotic species were present.	1, 2
Fresh/brackish water marsh - non-tidally influenced.	~1.5 mile reach downstream of the Willow Street Bridge - acreage not specified (intermittent 15 foot wide strip on both sides of the river).	1994 - predominately rushes, cattail, willow, mulefat and non-native species.	11


ANIMAL USE			Source
Birds	Biweekly Nov. 1990 through March 1991, and April through June 1994 in Queensway Bay adjacent to the river mouth. In the winter surveys, 50 of the 60 species observed were water associated and in the spring 44 of the 60 species were water associated. Three special status species were identified in the spring survey.		3
Fish	1994 - four sampling days in Nov. 1990, Jan. and Feb. 1991, and June 1994 from a station just outside the mouth of the river in Queensway Bay. A total of seven species were collected in a beam trawl. Cheekspot gobies were most abundant followed by northern anchovies and arrow gobies.		3
Benthic Invertebrates	1994 - three sampling days in Oct. 1990, Jan. 1991 and June 1994 at the mouth of the river. A total of 64 taxa were collected with polychaetes comprising 94% and crustaceans 2%; mollusks and nemerteans were the next dominant taxa. Ghost shrimp were the dominant invertebrates collected from beam trawls during the fish surveys.		3
Insect	Not specified
Other Wildlife	Not specified.
Special Status Species	1994 - California brown pelican, California least tern, and American peregrine falcon.		3


OUTLOOK			Source
Enhancement Status	As of winter 1996 - the City of Long Beach is proposing the creation of a seven acre tidal wetland as mitigation for two projects along the shore of Queensway Bay. This created wetland is to be at the current site of the Golden Shore Boat Launch Ramp. The Coastal Conservancy, Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, and Los Angeles Department of Public Works are conducting a comprehensive assessment of the wetland resources of the Los Angeles River and its watershed. The assessment will provide the basis for planning habitat enhancement and restoration, and recreational projects along the river.		1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9
Watershed Management	Several agencies and community groups have proposed alternatives for watershed and flood control measures to deal with a 100 year flood. The Los Angeles River Flood Control Strategy Task Force was established in 1996 to investigate and make recommendations on these various methods and options. The Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles has begun (spring of 1997) a Watershed Management Initiative for the Region which is primarily a volunteer monitoring program for the watershed.		1d, 8, 10, 13
Pressure	Population growth within the watershed increases the problems associated with pollution from non-point urban runoff. The need to provide 100 year storm flood protection along the river may result in reduced natural habitat. Expansion of the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles may affect water quality and the biotic community at Queensway Bay and the mouth of the river.		1e, 2, 8


SOURCES
1	California State Coastal Conservancy, R. Gustaitis (ed.). 1993. California Coast and Ocean. Vol 9, No 3. 48pp. This issue of Coast and Ocean (a quarterly magazine covering coastal issues) was primarily dedicated to articles concerning the Los Angeles River. Articles included a historical description of the river, a summary of current uses and problems of the river, proposals for upgrading the flood control system to handle a 100 year flood, and a review of changing attitudes on the necessity for concrete walls along the river.
1a	Williams, P. 1993. Los Angeles River: overflowing with controversy. Contains a general description of the river's history, its environments, and possible future. 8-19 pp.
1b	Josselyn, M. and S. Chamberlain. 1993. History: the way it was. Briefly describes the river's history from 1769 to 1937. 20-23 pp.
1d	Gustaitis, R. 1993. Interviews with: Carl Blum & Diego Cadena, LACDPW; Lewis MacAdams & Jim Danza, Friends LA River; Peter Goodwin, Philip Williams & Assoc.; Dorothy Green, Heal the Bay. 24-31 pp.
1e	Kroll, C. 1993. LA River: changing views of the river. This article is a discussion of the values of concrete flood control levees vs river banks with a natural habitat. 24-31 pp.
2	California State Coastal Conservancy. 1993. Los Angeles River park and recreation area study. 98pp. This study identifies potentials for recreation and habitat enhancement along approximately 50 miles of the river corridor. Biological and physical resources were reviewed, previous and ongoing studies described, and constraints and opportunities explored. A key objective of the study was to identify improvement projects that could be carried out in the near-term, while additional planning studies for the entire river and watershed are completed by Los Angeles Department of Public Works and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
3	MBC Applied Environmental Sciences, for City of Long Beach. 1994. Marine biological baseline study Queensway Bay, Long Beach Harbor. ~153 pp., plus appendices. This report is a comprehensive marine biological baseline study conducted in Queensway Bay near the mouth of the Los Angeles River. Biological information comes from original surveys conducted in 1990, 1991 and 1994. Parameters covered in the surveys include: water quality, sediment grain size, sediment chemistry, invertebrate and algal communities, fish populations and avifauna. Appendices contain species lists for all fauna surveyed.
4	California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region. 1994. Water quality control plan Los Angeles Region (4). 187 pp., plus appendices. The Los Angeles Regional Board's Basin Plan is designed to preserve and enhance the water quality and protect the beneficial uses of all regional waters. The plan designates beneficial uses and associated water quality objectives for inland surface waters, ground waters, coastal waters, and wetlands for the Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. It includes a discussion of applicable policies and statutory requirements and identifies measures for achieving water quality objectives. It also describes ongoing monitoring and assessment programs.
5	Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. 1996. Water Quality Assessment and Documentation. 106 pp. A list of waterbodies in the Los Angeles and Ventura County coastal watersheds that do not or are not expected to attain water quality standards after application of required technology-based controls. It includes a description of the methods and criteria used in the assessment. 303(d) lists are prepared as part of the Water Quality Assessment of the State's major waterbodies, and meet a requirement of Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act.
6	Moffatt & Nichol, Engineers. 1994. Mitigation analysis for Queensway Bay plan, Long Beach California. 24pp. This report describes the City of Long Beach's proposed development plan for the waterfront at Shoreline Aquatic Park and identifies required mitigation measures. It includes calculations for sub- and intertidal habitat areas that would be lost under the proposed development and evaluates potential mitigation sites. No biological or environmental data are provided.
7	Moffatt & Nichol Engineers. 1995. Proposed mitigation monitoring and maintenance program for Queensway Bay development. 17pp. This report is a preliminary mitigation and monitoring plan prepared to lay the groundwork for a successful completion of the permitting process. A brief description of the project is provided along with a description of the proposed mitigation. A preliminary maintenance and monitoring plan is also described.
8	Friends of the Los Angeles River. 1995. Friends of the Los Angeles River proposed flood control strategy for the Los Angeles and San Gabriel River Systems; 1st ed. 41 pp. This proposal addresses two main issues: 1) expedient, cost effective, 100-year flood protection in the coastal flood plain, and 2) modification of the (ACOE & LACPWD) proposed approach to flood control. Element one proposes additional storm water storage in various new and existing facilities upstream, and identifies measures for increasing capacity in the last five miles of the river. It also proposes improved management of water releases at several up-stream dams. Element two proposes watershed management practices that integrate water conservation, water quality, recreation, wildlife habitat, and flood control to reduce the need for higher channel bank walls.
9	California State Coastal Conservancy. 1995. US Environmental Protection Agency: grant application for state wetlands protection development. (Clean Water Act Section (104(b)(3)). Outlines objectives and methods to develop an integrated, comprehensive assessment of the wetland resources of the Los Angeles River watershed. Assessment is to be conducted during 1996/97.
10	Green, Dorothy; Heal the Bay. 1996. Personal communication.
11	Woodward-Clyde Consultants for the County of Los Angeles. 1994. Los Angeles County drainage area project, master environmental impact report. ~445 pp. This EIR covers the proposed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' and Los Angeles County Department of Public Works' proposed flood control project for the lower reaches (downstream of the Whittier Narrows Dam) of the Los Angeles River. The project included: constructing parapet walls on existing levees, raising access roads, modifying bridges, armoring the backside of some levees, widening portions of the flood channels, and overlaying some grouted channel sides with concrete. A brief description of the biota, derived from existing literature, for each segment of the project is provided.
12	Saint, P.K., T.L. Hanes, and W.J. Lloyd. 1993 Waterbodies, wetlands and their beneficial uses in the Los Angeles Region(4); Vol. 1, waterbodies and their beneficial uses. California State University, Fullerton. 189 pp., plus appendix. This report evaluates the designated beneficial uses for all waterbodies under the jurisdiction of the Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region. Research for this report included investigation of historical records, field survey to verify habitat types and the use of a geographic information system. The information collected was used to develop recommendations for additions to the LARWQCB 's list of waterbodies and to determine the appropriate beneficial use designation. Field studies were conducted between the summer of 1991 and the spring of 1993.
13	Corado, Ana; Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region. November 1996. Personal communication.
14	Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Garrett, K. L., ed. 1993. The biota of the Los Angeles River. 304 pp. This report covers the physical and biological features of a portion of the Los Angeles River from the Glendale Freeway downstream to the Golden State Freeway in the vicinity of Newell Street. Information on the current geophysical conditions are from original surveys and historical documents, and the descriptions of biological conditions are from original and previous field work. Biological sections report on the algae of the river, vascular plants, freshwater mollusca, freshwater fish fauna, reptiles and amphibians, avifauna, and mammals. The introductory section contains photographs of river and riparian conditions from 1991 through 1992. (This report is not cited in the profile as the study area is upstream of the area covered in the profile.)
15	Simons, Li & Associates, Inc., prepared for County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works. 1997. Los Angeles River alternative flood control study, draft baseline conditions report. This report is part of the US Army Corps of Engineers project for flood control improvements along the Los Angeles River. The purpose of this study is to identify one or more alternatives considering structural and non-structural means by which would modify the scope of the recommended Los Angeles County Drainage Area (LACDA) and that (a) are feasibility from an engineering, environmental, cost and timing prespecify, (b) provide equivalent flood protection, and (c) may provide other benefits such as recreational use, water conservation, or habitat restoration and enhancement.