The Brief

From January to February, Southern California went from quite dry to overwhelmingly wet, as a series of storms dropped more than a year’s worth of water in just a few weeks, loading up the L.A. River.

Given that our dry months are coming up, just how much of that stormwater were we able to hold on to? And could we be doing better?

A man walks his dog on the edge of the Los Angeles River, carrying stormwater downstream in February 2024.

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Damian Dovarganes

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AP

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How we capture water

The main way that we capture stormwater is by letting it soak into the Earth and travel through the soil into underground reservoirs.

Back in the day, this would happen all across places like the L.A. Basin, but as we paved over much of the area, we lost much of our ability to sequester rainfall.

That’s where spreading grounds, like those in the San Fernando Valley (seen below), come in.

They're huge open areas of gravel and sand where we divert stormwater without destroying nearby neighborhoods. That water then sits in giant pools and percolates downward over time.

Given that roughly a third of L.A. County’s water comes from underground reservoirs each year, it’s important that we keep on filling them.

“We have two missions. One is to protect communities and to capture as much of that water and keep it from being wasted in the ocean,” said Sterling Klippel, assistant deputy director of L.A. County’s Department of Public Works.

There are 27 spreading grounds throughout the county and 14 major dams that can hold water back and slowly release it during dry periods onto those same grounds when our flood channels aren’t being inundated.

When the water is released, it’s often diverted with the help of giant inflatable dams.

Inflatable dams are used to divert water to spreading grounds.

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Orange County Water District

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How fast the water percolates depends on both the media it’s flowing through and how much sediment is in the water. Brown-looking stormwater has a lot of silt in it, which can slow down absorption rates. Crews go in with heavy equipment during the spring and summer to scrape the spreading grounds clean ahead of the next rainy season.

This year L.A. County has sequestered roughly 100,000 acre-feet of stormwater, about half of what they typically capture during an average year. Last year they captured more than 600,000 acre-feet, or roughly enough water for half of the population of the county. For reference, one acre foot is about the equivalent of a football field flooded with about a foot of water.

L.A. County is able to capture more than 90% of the water that falls in the San Gabriel watershed above the spreading grounds.

A partially inflated dam that's holding back some water, while allowing other water to run over.

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Orange County Water District

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The Orange County Water District utilizes a similar system. Drive down the 91 Freeway and you’ll see what looks like a bunch of lakes. They’re actually part of their portfolio of 26 recharge facilities that’ve been built across 1,500 acres over the past 70 years.

They’re able to capture about 220 million gallons of water a day, according to John Kennedy, general manager of the water district.

Can we do more?

Building additional spreading grounds is tough, as we're quite limited on space here.

“The L.A. Basin is very dense and property values are sky high. So unfortunately, doing the spreading grounds and dams around the city is going to be nearly impossible just because of the high price tag,” said Art Castro, manager of the Watershed Management Group at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

Some spreading grounds, like those in Pacoima, are being dug out — but there’s a limit to how deep you can go.

LADWP is considering other options as it works towards the goal of capturing 150,000 acre-feet per year by 2035. They currently capture roughly 83,700 acre-feet.

Vertical storm drains are one consideration. They are 150-foot-deep holes lined with permeable pipe that are allowed to fill with water and drain into the surrounding soil.

LADWP is also looking at utilizing subterranean stormwater capture at an estimated 20 parks throughout the city. That project is currently in the design phase.

What about at the home level?

Yes, you can help fill our underground aquifers from your front yard.

A key feature of the lawn elimination programs here in California is making sure that you put in some sort of water retention feature, like a swale. It's basically a trough that slows down water and lets it soak into the ground, rather than running into the street.

We might no longer have tens of thousands of acres of unpaved farmland throughout the region, but given that 70% of land use is private property here in L.A., widespread use of swales in our yards could make a difference.

More than a century after it first opened its doors, the Vermont Square Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library still is operating out of its original building, nestled among the homes on West 48th Street.

It’s not just a library. For generations, it’s been considered a safe place and gathering spot for people who otherwise may have no place to go. Today, the neighborhood council uses the room in the library’s basement for meetings, the grassy area out back is a place to relax, and for some, the building is a refuge from hot- and cold-weather days.

Of course, people also go there to read books, for free access to the internet and for children’s programming. But they also go there to find peace and quiet amid the hustle and bustle of inner-city Los Angeles.

“It feels safe. It’s pretty big. It’s nice inside and comfortable. There are people to talk to, and I can meet friends,” resident Moses Rogers told The LA Local.

The Vermont Square Branch was built in 1913 on what had been park land donated by the city of Los Angeles. It was funded with a Carnegie Foundation grant, the philanthropy of industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who funded the arts, higher education and public libraries after making his fortune in steel in the late 19th century.

The library is not the oldest branch in the city system, but it’s the first library building owned by the city. All other city libraries and facilities were housed in rented spaces.

It was designed in the architectural style of the Italian Renaissance, and you still can find the original circulation desk, windows that allow in natural light, old furniture and marble fixtures inside the library.

Branch manager Martha Sherod has worked at the library for 13 ½ years and calls the Vermont Square Branch a hidden treasure that some in the neighborhood can overlook. She said some people think it’s a government building, but for the people who grew up using the library, it symbolizes being home.

“People come here for a purpose, they want to be here. We really like serving them,” Sherod told The LA Local. “Now that I’ve been here so long, I’ve seen kids grow up from being little kids to college students. So, it’s really been a joy for me.”

Sherod said the branch holds about 24,000 items and has 4,500 visitors a month on average. The library also offers adult and teen programming, including free legal advice, health screenings, arts and crafts and book club activities.

“The library isn’t just for quietly sitting and reading. There’s usually a lot of good activities happening. There are resources that you can use at home by downloading or just coming in here,” Sherod said.

The Vermont Square Branch was designated by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission in 1983 after the community rallied to keep the building from being replaced. The exterior of the building remains the same, although the library was retrofitted for earthquake safety in 1990, a process that caused the branch to close to the public for six years.

Longtime Vermont Square resident Fletcher Fair told The LA Local she’s been going to the branch since the late 1960s, and the library will always be a cornerstone of the community.

“It’s the neighborhood library, and that’s where everyone went and prospered. We hung out, studied and partied,” she said. “There were a lot of events here.”

The first measles case of the year in Los Angeles County has been confirmed by the L.A. County Department of Public Health.

County public health officials said Friday a county resident who recently traveled abroad has been confirmed to have measles. Authorities have not identified any locations, other than healthcare settings, where the person could have exposed others.

Affected healthcare facilities are contacting patients and employees about potential exposure. County officials also are in the process of identifying those who may have had contact with the person.

Measles spreads easily through the air and can stay on surfaces for many hours. Those infected can spread the virus before showing symptoms, which can take weeks to appear.

Symptoms include a fever above 101 degrees; cough; runny nose; red, watery eye; and a rash that typically starts on the face.

So far, 588 measles cases of measles have been reported in the U.S. this year, the highest number of cases in a January since the U.S. eliminated measles in 2000. Most of these cases are linked to outbreaks in South Carolina, Arizona and Utah.

The L.A. County Department of Public Health is encouraging Angelenos to check their immunization statuses for a measles, mumps, rubella vaccine to determine if they’re protected against the virus.

Residents also should notify their health providers for guidance in the case of a potential exposure.

If symptoms develop, contact a healthcare provider via phone as soon as possible. L.A. Public Health advises people not to go physically into a health care facility before notifying them of measles symptoms.

The leaders of the Los Angeles Unified teachers union now have the power to call for a strike if they can’t reach a deal over pay, benefits and student support with the district.

United Teachers Los Angeles’ has about 37,000 members. Of those that voted, 94% voted in favor of authorizing a strike. The tabulation process lasted late Friday night, and results were announced overnight Saturday.

Union members, which include school psychologists, counselors and nurses, simultaneously voted to approve an agreement that preserves existing health benefits without increasing costs to educators.

The strike authorization vote does not guarantee teachers will stage a walk out this semester. First the union must exhaust all steps of the collective bargaining process.

Stephanie Castro teaches 7th grade English at Luther Burbank Middle School in Highland Park and voted for the strike authorization.

“ I will do what needs to be done to fight for these proposals,” Castro said. “I want to make it super clear to Angelenos that teachers don't want to go on strike. We absolutely would rather be in our classrooms with our students… We also know that things cannot continue as they are.”

In a statement Saturday, the district pointed to other recent agreements with its labor unions, while also citing fiscal challenges related to declining enrollment and other factors: "We recognize the real financial strain on educators and staff, but must make difficult decisions to preserve classrooms, student services, and long-term stability within finite resources."

How did we get here? And what happens next?

UTLA’s bargaining team has met with the district more than a dozen times since negotiations began last February.

The union declared an impasse in December, a legal step that triggers intervention from a neutral mediator appointed by the state’s labor relations board.

Wednesday, the mediator determined the two parties would move to the next step in the process, fact-finding, where a representative from the union, the district and the California Public Employment Relations Board collectively develop a recommendation to settle the negotiations.

The rejection of this panel’s recommendation could lead to a strike— or more negotiating.

As in previous contract talks, the proposals that cost the most money are those that take the longest to hash out.

The union is asking for raises and changes to the salary schedule so that newer teachers who complete professional development can earn increases more quickly. UTLA estimated before mediation, that this would amount to an average pay increase of 16% the first year and 3% the following year. The annual ongoing cost to the district would be about $840 million.

The district has said it cannot afford what the union has proposed and has offered annual increases of 2.5% the first year and 2% the second year with a one-time payment of 1%.

“Significant distance remains between what the District can responsibly offer and what UTLA proposes,” read a Jan. 28 statement from LAUSD.

The union’s other proposals include more investment in arts education, legal aid for immigrant families, and staff to support students’ mental health.

Castro, the middle school teacher, said she notices a difference when her students have access to the school’s psychiatric social worker and other wraparound services.

“It allows them to be fully present in the classroom,” Castro said. “They're not so worried about things that are happening outside of it and can really focus on that essay that they need to write or developing a thesis statement.”

Are you a UTLA member? Share your thoughts on why your union needs a new deal — or doesn't — with me via email.

It's not everyday you can credit one of the world's biggest pop stars for rekindling your memories of a place.

So, thank you, Harry Styles, for reminding us of the mesmerizing, confounding, iconic and the brashly weird wonders of the Bonaventure Hotel in downtown L.A.

Last week, the singer returned to pop music after a four-year respite with the surprise release of a new album. Along came the first music video for “Aperture,” a breezy electronic number that unfolds as a non-sequitur romp through a sleek hotel — beginning as an inexplicable chase, then breaks into a long, nifty dance sequence, and crescendos in a hat tip to Dirty Dancing.

The absurdity makes for a nice fit.

In the video, when Styles steps onto the escalator before realizing he is being followed, a distant recognition went off in my head.

The escalator at the Bonaventure.

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Fiona Ng

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LAist

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The Bonaventure has no bad angles.

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Fiona Ng

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LAist

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That hunch grew more certain when he and his pursuer tumbled down a spiral of staircases that's almost Hitchcockian in its composition.

Spiraling staircase inside the Bonaventure.

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Fiona Ng

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LAist

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The Bonaventure's curved skylight.

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Fiona Ng

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LAist

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And later, when the two somersault through a cocktail lounge with Los Angeles twinkling in the backdrop, the setting could only have been The BonaVista, the revolving restaurant (yes, it really spins) on the 34th floor of the Bonaventure.

Making a cameo

Styles is the latest among a long list of artists and moviemakers to make use of the location. In 1993's In the Line of Fire, Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich had their big shoot-out finale there, and managed to squeeze in a little repartee inside one of its famous capsule elevators. More recently, Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s "Luther" and Maroon 5 and LISA's "Priceless" prominently featured the hotel.

Bonaventure under construction in the mid-1970s.

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Los Angeles Public Library Institutional Collection / LAPL

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The Bonaventure in 1987.

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James Ruebsamen

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Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection / LAPL

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Since it opened in January 1977, the behemoth — towering hundreds of feet over Figueroa Street with some 1,400 rooms and the reigning title as Los Angeles's largest hotel — all but demanded the attention.

The Bonaventure was built between 1974 and 1976 in the midst of Bunker Hill's redevelopment that started two decades back with land seizures through eminent domain and the evictions of thousands of low-income Angelenos.

The ambition was to remake the urban core into a world-class arts and cultural destination.

The atrium of the Bonaventure.

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Fiona Ng

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LAist

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Architect and real estate developer John C. Portman brought his signature vaulting atrium to the task. For the Hyatt in his hometown of Atlanta, that feature was 22 stories high. For the Bonaventure, the atrium was seven.

Raw concrete of the Bonaventure.

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Fiona Ng

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LAist

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The staircases.

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Fiona Ng

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LAist

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Portman's idea was to create a city within its walls, and populated his creation with shops, restaurants and other amenities so people simply wouldn’t have to leave.

The Bonaventure’s interior has been described as Brutalist in style, a raw concrete maze of dangling lounges, shooting columns, swirling staircases, curved walkways, glass elevators and seemingly dead ends. Its mirrored and cylindrical exterior has been called postmodern and futuristic.

Bonaventure in 1977.

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Tom LaBonge

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Los Angeles Photographers Photo Collection / LAPL

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The Bonaventure in 1989.

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William Reagh

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Los Angeles Photographers Photo Collection / LAPL

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A returned visit

I have always thought of it looking a little dated, like a sad disco ball.

A few days ago, I went to the Bonaventure again for old times’ sake. I took this same walk several times a week for six years, when I worked downtown in the mid-aughts. Back then, this network of pedways was really our only way to get to any place for coffee or lunch.

View of the Bonaventure taken from the 3rd and Fig. pedway.

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Fiona Ng

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LAist

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The Bonaventure was one of our options, with its food court on the fourth floor. Sometimes, I spent my lunch simply walking its various floors, entranced by the vast, hushed space that felt somehow endless and somewhat abandoned. I have always thought it was the perfect setting for a chase scene.

On my latest visit, the lines and curves were clashing and crisscrossing in ways that I hadn't before noticed. Cultural theorists have famously written about the disorientation the building is said to inspire — how easily you can feel lost.

And what a privilege it is.

Thanks, Harry, for the nudge to go and spend a couple leisurely hours getting lost in a quintessentially Los Angeles riddle.

Everyone should do it.