For the past two decades, the Council for Watershed Health has been dedicated to promoting healthy and sustainable watersheds in the Los Angeles region. As a 501(c)3 non-profit, our mission focuses on using science-based research, education, and inclusive community engagement to advance the wellbeing of our local watersheds, rivers, streams, and habitats.

Back in 2003, environmental advocate Dorothy Green founded our organization with a vision for the future. By 2025, we aim for the Los Angeles area to be a model of urban watershed management where waterways are clean, habitats are restored, floods are controlled, and communities are connected to their local watersheds. We believe in a sustainable region where ecological, social, and economic health go hand in hand.

What is a Watershed?

We all live in a watershed – a region where rainfall and landscape drain into a shared water system. Watersheds are comprised of surface waterways like streams, underground aquifers, and drainage areas that feed into common bodies of water.

Rainfall flows downhill into soils, groundwater, creeks, and rivers, converging into larger waterways as it moves downstream. This integrated drainage system eventually empties out into a final destination like the ocean. So no matter where you live, you’re in a watershed that connects you to both local waterways and global water systems. Understanding our watersheds is key to managing water sustainably.