Editing Waterway restoration (section)

== Urban Waterway Restoration ==
Urban waterway restoration focuses on restoring waterways in neighborhoods and communities. Each restoration project has different goals. Examples include [[flood control]], [[water quality]], or [[habitat restoration]]–it is not limited to these three. Waterway restoration in urban areas create sustainable urban places.

Urban waterway restoration plays a part in [[environmental justice]]. Urban water in need of restoration tend to be in low-income communities due to industrial waterfront development causing pollution.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Moran |first=Sharon |last2=Perreault |first2=Meredith |last3=Smardon |first3=Richard |date=2013-01-01 |title=Finding Our Way: Urban Waterway Restoration and Participatory Processes |url=https://openpublishing.library.umass.edu/fabos/article/id/721/ |journal=Fábos Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning |language= |volume=4 |issue=1 |doi=10.7275/fabos.721}}</ref> Other risks include storm surge and sea levels rising.

[[Constructed wetland]]s can be used to restored degraded urban waterways. The precipitation levels throughout seasons change the amount of water flow the waterways receive. The hydrological variability affects the amount of nutrients the water receives.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Adyel |first1=T. M. |last2=Hipsey |first2=M. R. |last3=Oldham |first3=C. |title=A multi-functional and multi-compartment constructed wetland to support urban waterway restoration |journal=Water Practice and Technology |date=December 2018 |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=764–770 |doi=10.2166/wpt.2018.086 |bibcode=2018WatPT..13..764A |hdl=10536/DRO/DU:30150126 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
[[File:Los Angeles River Anas platyrhynchos.jpg|thumb|Above is a small section of the LA River. The LA River is undergoing multiple projects to improve biodiversity and recreational uses as part of the LA River Revitalization project.]]

=== Urban River Restoration ===
Urban rivers contain biodiversity, control flooding, and support communities.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Break |first=Climate |date=2024-02-07 |title=Restoring Urban Waterways to Create Climate Resiliency, with Nick Wesley - Climate Break |url=https://climatebreak.org/restoring-urban-waterways-with-nick-wesley/ |access-date=2025-05-05 |language=en-US}}</ref> Restoration of these areas often include re-establishing the natural floodplains in the area to reduce the risk of flooding.

Healthy rivers create ecosystems that are effective carbon sinks.<ref name=":1" /> These ecosystems also regulate local temperatures. River restorations improve water quality in urban areas that are usually polluted from contaminated runoff.

==== LA River Revitalization Project ====
The LA River Revitalization Project aims to restore about 11 miles of the Los Angeles River by re-establishing a self-sustaining ecosystem.<ref>{{Cite web |title=LA River Ecosystem Restoration {{!}} Los Angeles River Revitalization |url=https://lariver.lacity.gov/blog/la-river-ecosystem-restoration |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=lariver.lacity.gov}}</ref> It aims to reintroduce historic floodplains for flood risk management. It also aims to create recreational opportunities by widening areas and improving the ecosystem.