The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Angeles National Forest are critically important to area water supplies, providing one-third of Los Angeles County’s drinking water. The rivers and creeks that flow out of the mountains recharge the local groundwater aquifers and provide important surface water for millions of people that live downstream.

After the 2009 Station Fire caused extensive damage to the area, the National Forest Foundation (NFF) and several local groups recognized the urgent need for a multi-year effort to restore the impaired watershed. Recognizing this critical resource as well as their reliance on the forested headwaters that provide their businesses with water, several CWAC corporate members saw an opportunity to align company needs and values with those of local organizations and communities.

In 2015, these CWAC members began a partnership with NFF to help restore hundreds of millions of gallons of water annually to the damaged San Gabriel Watershed. By removing 67 acres of a water intensive and prolific invasive species called Arundo donax, or giant cane, the project is returning significant amounts of water to area streams, improving the well-being of the San Gabriel Watershed for wildlife and Southern Californians.

Project lead: National Forest Foundation

Participating CWAC members: The Coca-Cola Company | MillersCoors | Anheuser-Busch | Bonneville Environmental Foundation

Additional partners: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power | The Walt Disney Company | California Wildlife Conservation Board | Edison International

To learn more: Read NFF’s press release, or contact Wes Swaffar, Senior Manager, Ecosystem Services, National Forest Foundation – wswaffar@nationalforests.org