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USACE poised to meet significant L.A. River study milestone

Published July 30, 2013

LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is finalizing preparation of a draft report for the Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restoration study and anticipates releasing the report to the public in early September. The action will trigger a 45-day public comment period that will help inform a final report, which will include a recommendation to Congress.  

The draft report details four action Alternatives, and identifies the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tentatively selected plan, or TSP.  

“The TSP is ‘tentative’ and not a final agency decision,” said Los Angeles District Commander Col. Kim Colloton. “We will ask for public and agency comments on all alternatives, and consider all comments before we make a final decision. Transparency and community involvement are vitally important.”  

Colloton said the Corps, City of Los Angeles and stakeholders have jointly developed the alternatives, and the purpose of the collaborative effort has been to find ways to improve the L.A. River ecosystem in a constrained funding environment.  

“Hundreds of ideas were explored, and the best of these were combined to come up with the final array of alternatives in the draft report,” she said.  “The ultimate goal is to maximize ecosystem benefits relative to costs.”  

The study focuses on an 11-mile stretch of the river in the nation’s second largest urban region and has the ability to positively impact millions of people who live in close proximity to its boundaries.  Ultimately, the study recommends improvements that would restore ecological value and habitat to the Los Angeles River corridor.  

Between now and the time of the report’s release, the Corps will be refining data and environmental analysis related to the proposed alternatives.  

Colloton said, “We and our partners have put tremendous effort into developing these alternatives, and we are very interested in what the public has to say about them.”


Release no. 13-016