Monofilament Collectors on the LA River

Our chapter has been partnering with the Friends of the Los Angeles river ( FOLAR) on several events the last few years including  fishing days to collect different species of fish to determine what kinds of fish are in the LA River system. This data will help in the overall recovery and restoration efforts.

As a fishing place gets popular in an urban environment, so does the amount of human debris accumulating and discarded, tangled monofilament is unfortunately part of the problem. The L.A. River is teeming with wild animals including multiple species of shore birds, of whom entanglement with fishing line is very bad news for them.

To mitigate this problem, FOLAR decided to buy, assemble and label three to four monofilament collectors and place them in the key popular fishing spots. South Coast Chapter stepped up with a cash donation for collector parts and printing of the message labels to be placed on the collectors. We crafted the message in both English and Spanish.

Berkeley Corp. will help with emptying the collectors and FOLAR will monitor the collectors and anglers to determine whether to expand the program.

It is a long-term goal of the chapter to get a L.A.-based TU sub-group going to focus on the LA watersheds of the LA and San Gabriel Rivers. Hopefully, this is a step in that direction.