Arroyo Committee Seeks Members

 

Want to help protect wildlife, waterways, and open space? If so, consider joining RAAP, the Riverside Area Arroyo Preservation Committee. The joint City of Riverside and Riverside County committee provides suggestions and education about how to protect local waterways, streams, arroyos and the wildlife habitat that adjoins them.

 

RAAP is working to:

· protect and enhance arroyos by improving cooperation and coordination between agencies, developers, and homeowners;

· educate people about the value and care of waterways;

· develop an “arroyo watch” system so concerned neighbors might report potentially damaging activities, such as illegal dumping, grading within stream setbacks, and landscaping with invasive plant species.

 

The RAAP committee began in March of 2003, responding to a request of concerned citizens. RAAP is seeking wide representation to increase its effectiveness and accomplish its mission:

1.   to develop a comprehensive model that would promote the preservation of arroyos and compatible development, enhancing the quality of life for all residents of the community. The model would then serve as a template for other areas.

2.        to promote cooperation between the County of Riverside and neighboring cities concerning the conservation and preservation of arroyos in the project area.

 

The current project area includes all arroyos in the City of Riverside and adjacent county lands. The RAAP committee has identified the following specific goals for the initial project:

· record the biological, historical, and anthropological assets of the arroyos;

· document and promote the wildlife and recreational trail connectivity of arroyo systems and open space areas;

· review laws, regulations, and ordinances pertaining to arroyo protection and use, and recommend modifications as necessary;

· provide suggestions regarding the development review process that would be consistent with regulations which afford arroyo protection while accommodating compatible development;

· offer suggestions to County and City staff, commissions, councils, and boards regarding projects that are adjacent to arroyos, in support of arroyo protection;

· identify undeveloped arroyo areas for future review;

· coordinate with economic development representatives from Cities and the County;

Creek to Coast Clean-up

 

Join Us September 18: Come out to your local river, stream, or neighboring waterway on Saturday, September 18 to help remove trash and debris as part of Southern California’s effort to protect water quality and wildlife habitat. The inland clean-up event is being held in conjunction with International Coastal Clean-up Day. Our goal is to remove upstream pollutants that would otherwise flow downstream, through the Santa Ana River, eventually reaching the ocean.

 

We are hoping to stage several clean-up locations along tributaries to the Santa Ana River including the Alessandro Arroyo, Sycamore Canyon, Golden Star Creek, Castle View Creek and Park, Don Derr Park drain, Temescal Canyon and Creek at Norco/Corona, and more. Main events will be held at Springbrook Wash and along the Santa Ana River at Fairmount Park.  We are currently in need of location coordinators and are building a watershed-wide network of arroyo stewards (see article “Arroyo Committee Seeks Members,” above).

 

The StormWater/CleanWater Protection Program of the Cities and County of Riverside is the local sponsor of the clean-up event. To date, other partners include Trails 4 All, City of Riverside Park and Recreation, Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful (KRCB), the Riverside Land Conservancy (RLC), and the Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District (RCRCD).  We are still seeking sponsors and partners for this and next year’s events.

 

If you or your group would like to volunteer an hour or more, or to host a cleanup site in your area, please call Erin Snyder at the Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District, (951) 683-7691, extension 207. Clean-up events can be arranged any time during Coastweeks. The California Coastal Commission sponsors Coastweeks from September 18 through October 10.  Materials and trash pick-up will be provided.

 

Please check for updates and event information at

http://www.trails4all.org.

· educate the public and government agencies about the value and conservation of arroyos, personal stewardship, and connectivity, in cooperation with the Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District.

If you would like to help protect the dwindling waterways and wildlife of the Riverside area and maintain the quality of life we all enjoy, please join the RAAP committee as a citizen representative of your city council ward or county supervisorial district. Consider asking your Riverside city council member or Riverside County supervisor to appoint you as a representative to RAAP. For more information about RAAP or about starting an “arroyo watch” in your area, please contact Gail Egenes at the Riverside Land Conservancy, (951) 788-0670 or Email: RLC0670@pe.net.

 

RAAP committee meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month, 9 AM at the Riverside County Administrative Center, Board of Supervisors’ Offices, Fifth Floor, Conference Room D.