Lead Agency-Organization(s): The Foundation for CA State University, San Bernardino Water Resources Institute

Project Description: The The Lytle Creek Watershed Action Project builds the local capacity to preserve and restore watershed balance in a disadvantaged community with an impaired stream. Four retail water agencies have surface water rights to divert water from Lytle Creek in the upper Santa Ana watershed of Southern California. Lytle Creek’s drainage basin is approximately 186 square miles with a mean annual runoff is 31,720 acre feet. The Project will improve water supply reliability by coordinating supplies derived from the delta with local supplies from Lytle Creek that are interdependent of the delta and improve the efficient use of these waters. The Project consists of three elements: a Lytle is Vital Watershed Stewardship Program (Lytle is Vital Program), a Water Quality and Biotic Monitoring & Natural Disturbance Regimes Program (Creek Intervention Program), and an Environmental Justice Program.

Programs:

The Lytle is Vital Program is guided by an Advisory Committee made up of Partners and Co-Sponsors in the Project and an array of local stakeholders assembled from the watershed to promote watershed stewardship activities. Watershed Forums will be hosted for the public to learn about personal actions that can be undertaken to sustain the watershed and the benefits to the community. Forums address topics such as resource efficient land use to promote retention of surface water runoff, fire prevention actions, preparation for post-fire mitigation strategies, water-efficient landscaping and gardens and urban run-off prevention programs at home or the workplace. Children attending disadvantaged schools in the Lytle Creek watershed (Muscoy, Bloomington, Rialto, Fontana, Colton and San Bernardino) learn about cause and effect of non-point source pollution as well as prevention and how to plant a water-efficient garden at home or school.

The Creek Intervention Program establishes a bi-lingual Ambassador Program with the National Forest Service providing outreach to “break the cycle of polluting behavior” caused by thousands of day-use visitors from disadvantaged communities that utilize the creek for swimming, bathing and large gatherings. A water quality monitoring program is established in consultation with the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board for CSUSB faculty to train and supervise student interns to collect samples in Lytle Creek to identify the locations where pathogen-indicator bacteria are being introduced and perform lab tests to quantify the levels of bacteria causing Lytle Creek to remain listed as an impaired stream. A monitoring program on the recovery of the Santa Ana Speckled Dace impacted by the 2003 wildfires and debris flows evaluates the natural disturbance regimes shaping the Lytle Creek ecosystem. Programs offered by the Lytle Creek Fire Safe Council Inc. to visitors and residents living in close proximity to the creek and canyon play an important role in preventing wildfires and the post-fire flooding.

The Environmental Justice Program brings a water education and participation to economically community that has lacked meaningful engagement in watershed issues. Many of the low-income residents are all that is left of a once rural area overtaken by exponential growth.  Many lack the awareness to promote stewardship activities to address the emerging health, safety and quality of life issues they face.

1. ✦Collaborate on the development of the outreach program
   

2. ✦Bi-lingual watershed-based constituency building and education
   

3. ✦Capacity building within the Lytle Creek Communities
   

4. ✦Develop outreach information and materials