Calabasas earns water quality award





For dedication in keeping trash out of storm drains and ultimately the creeks, rivers and ocean, the city of Calabasas and the Mountains Restoration Trust (MRT) received a 2005 Water Quality Award, presented by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.

The Water Quality Award is given each year to public agencies, individuals, businesses and organizations that help protect and restore water quality in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

This year’s award was given during a banquet at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

“This award is basically for the Headwaters Corner,” explained Alex Farassati, Calabasas environmental services manager. “It is for excellence in storm water management.”

Located at the intersection of Old Topanga Canyon Road and Mulholland Highway on the edge of Calabasas and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the 6.36-acre Headwaters Corner Headwaters Corner is a regional name for an area that contains Dry Canyon Creek, a headwater to the Los Angeles River that drains into the Pacific Ocean. It is also MRT’s home.

“There has been a lot of activity going on (at Headwaters Corner) to clean the creek, to restore the (water) banks, and there are ongoing projects to vegetate the area to help prevent pollution in the creek,” Farassati said.

Accoridng to Debbie Bruschaber, MRT project manager, “We have two single-family structures here that demonstrate to people what they can do in their own backyards—or their front yards—to minimize urban runoff (pollution running into streams).”

One example of how urban runoff is minimized at the house is through vegetated swells, a natural filtration system, which catches runoff before it enters the stream, Bruschaber said.

The city and the MRT also take many steps to keep the creeks, rivers and beaches clean, including trash pickup and encouraging public awareness.

“This (award) is a great honor,” Bruschaber said.

Two of the buildings at Headwaters Corner will soon be part of an interpretive center that will provide visitors further education about wildlife and nature.


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