L.A. River named first ecohydrology demo site in the U.S. by UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recognized a SCCWRP-led flow ecology study in the Los Angeles River as one of the world’s 51 ecohydrology demonstration sites – honoring a scientific achievement that successfully balanced local water supply needs with environmental preservation goals.

The study, which is summarized in a newly published L.A. River web portal hosted by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme, was conducted from 2019 to 2021. The project involved bringing together more than 50 L.A. River management stakeholders to evaluate if and how the river’s flows can be reduced for water-recycling purposes while simultaneously protecting the ecological and recreational benefits provided by these flows. The project also served as a pilot application of the California Environmental Flows Framework (CEFF).

The L.A. River project is the first and only U.S. site to be recognized as a UNESCO ecohydrology demonstration site. The other 50 sites span 31 nations.