L.A. River prevented a flood disaster. Can we harness its power?

As intense atmospheric rivers become more common in a warming world, so too do
questions about storm water capture in Los Angeles. Each year, when rain pours
down and the L.A. River roars back to life, Angelenos want to know how much of that
water is being captured and stored — and how much is washing out to sea.
The monster storm that hammered Southern California this week dropped billions of
gallons of rain, but as much as 80% of that water was whisked into the Pacific Ocean,
experts say.

For residents who only recently were asked to conserve unprecedented amounts of
water, such a loss can be confounding. But capturing rainfall is only one part of the
L.A. River’s job. It is also a flood control channel that is critical to protecting lives and
properties when storm waters surge.

“It’s a delicate balance between capturing that water for beneficial use later on and
keeping the public safe — making sure that people can get to work and that children
can get to school,” said Kerjon Lee, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.

Indeed, without the Los Angeles River and other local channels such as Ballona
Creek, more of that stormwater would have ended up in streets and neighborhoods.
The waterways were channelized nearly a hundred years ago in response to
devastating regional flooding.

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