Hahamongna is the rare spot in the Arroyo Seco at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains where the mountainous watershed meets the urban plain. Periodically floods roar into this basin. Bounded on the north by the mountains and Jet Propulsion Laboratory and on the south by Devil's Gate Dam, Hahamongna contains five unique habitat zones that only exist in alluvial canyons near the mountains. Most sites like this in Southern California have been destroyed.

Don't let Hahamongna go the way of other lost environmental treasures in Southern California.

The Meaning of Hahamongna

The original settlers of the region were sometimes called the Hahamongna Indians. The word means "Flowing Waters, Fruitful Valley" in the native Tongva language.

A New Paradigm for Sediment Management

October 1, 2011 - Now that the scoping meetings on LA County's sediment removal program are set to begin, this is a good time to reflect on the big picture, on whether our current flood and sediment system is healthy and sustainable for the future.

At the recent symposium on sediment management sponsored by the Council for Watershed Health at Descanso Gardens, Tim Brick of the Arroyo Seco Foundation offered his thoughts on "Sediment Management and Sustainability." He stated that sediment is not a waste product, but rather a vital part of our environment, and that a new paradigm is needed for sediment managed that is environmentally-sensitive, intregated with other important local goals and cost-effective.

Dianne Patrizzi captured most of Tim's remarks in two videos she posted on Youtube:


Tim's slide presentation at the symposium is viewable here: Sediment Management and Sustainability

You can find other presentations from the symposium on Dianne's blog: Mllegramophone Blog