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North Santa Monica Bay Watershed

Melina Watts
Melina Semphill Watts Consulting LLC
melinawatts@gmail.com 

The North Santa Monica Bay Watershed includes some of LA County’s most beautiful natural areas, such as the Santa Monica Mountains, Topanga Canyon, and Malibu Creek.

A combination of rugged open space and residential communities, this watershed has many natural channels that carry stormwater and other runoff directly into the Pacific Ocean. This watershed contains another unique feature – the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon over the 101 Freeway. 

I actually started off working in films, and came to this work originally more as a storyteller than as a scientist. I learned that a big part of this role is engaging with the public, and it became my passion to educate others about how we can protect this watershed. I believe in consensus-based action. To me, that means finding a sweet spot between what community members and policy experts want, and then letting me go out and find the funding to make it happen. If I had to choose one favorite place in this watershed, it would be the Calabasas Commons.

– Your Watershed Coordinator Melina

Get in touch with Melina to learn about how we can create exciting water capture projects in your community. 

 

From the Community

  • A surprising amount of our collective water goes into lawn maintenance. In certain areas, it can be over 70% of our water usage!
  • View of Point Dume from the beachside bluffs (John Michael Wilyat)
  • Santa Monica Mountains (National Park Service)
  • “This watershed is where I feel like my soul belongs. I see my role as helping people and nature live together in harmony.”

    Melina Watts
  • Trail guide in the Santa Monica Mountains (National Park Service)
  • Juan Bautista de Anza Park has some of the largest, most spectacular trees in LA County. Perfect for hikes and picnics all year round.  
  • Signage near the summit of Backbone Trail (National Park Service)
  • Featured Project

    Las Virgenes Creek, Calabasas

    In addition to restoring Las Virgenes creek and adding 1.5 miles of native fish habitats, this project will increase clean water capture through a reverse osmosis facility at the base of Ladyface Mountain. 

    • Improved park facilities for the community
    • New trail paths along Las Virgenes Creek
    • Local stormwater capture
    • Increased erosion control
  • Natural habitat alongside the creek

Watershed Area Steering Committee Members

Watershed committee members work with the watershed coordinators to develop investment plans for their watershed.

David Pedersen

Las Virgenes Municipal Water District

Agency
Chair

Madelyn Glickfeld

Institute of the Environment and Sustainability UCLA

Community
Vice Chair

Marcela Benavides-Aguilar

Los Angeles County Flood Control District

Agency

Craig Jones

Las Virgenes Municipal Water District

Agency

Susan Nissman

Resident

Community

Tevin Schmitt

Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation Ventura County

Community

Jessica Forte

Agoura Hills

Municipal

Tatiana Holden

Calabasas

Municipal

Joe Bellomo

Hidden Hills

Municipal

Aaron Ordower

Los Angeles County SD 3

Municipal

Bruce Hamamoto

Los Angeles County

Municipal

Mark Johnson

Malibu

Municipal

Roxanne Hughes

Westlake Village

Municipal

Melina Sempill Watts

Melina Sempill Watts Inc.

Watershed Coordinator
Non-voting Member

Upcoming Events

Events and meetings related to the North Santa Monica Bay watershed. Find archived events here.

Resources

Documents, facts sheets, links, and more related to the North Santa Monica Bay watershed.

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