General Plan Update - City of Inglewood

6.3 Flood Hazards
6.3 FLOOD HAZARDS
This section describes the existing flood hazards within Inglewood, as well as the flood
protection measures provided by federal, state, and local programs. In addition, federal,
state, and local regulations pertaining to flood hazards are presented. Flood hazards are
an important consideration to the General Plan Update because protective measures and
planning can provide a reliable and safe environment for City’s economic health and
future development. The information for this section comes from a variety of documents,
including correspondence with the City’s Department of Public Works, the City’s 2004
Hazard Mitigation Action Plan and the County of Los Angeles Department of Public
Works Watershed Management Program.
• Existing Conditions
Surface Water Drainage
The City of Inglewood is located within the upper boundaries of both the Ballona Creek
Watershed and the Dominguez Watersheds, as shown in Figure 5.2-1 (Watersheds) of
Section 5.2 of this TBR. The majority of the City is located within the Dominguez
Watershed and drains southward into the Dominguez Channel and ultimately into the
Los Angeles Harbor. However, most of the northern areas of the City (generally the area
north of Manchester Boulevard 90 ) drain westward into Centinela Creek that then flows
west into the Ballona Creek. Additionally, the northern part of the Morningside Park
neighborhood drains northward into Ballona Creek and ultimately into the Santa Monica
Bay. Section 5.2 (Hydrology and Water Quality) contains additional information on the
City’s hydrologic setting.
The Dominguez Watershed is comprised of approximately 110 square miles of land in
the southern portion of Los Angeles County. 96 percent of its total area is developed and
the overall watershed land use is predominantly residential. Rather than being defined by
the natural topography of its drainage area, the Dominguez watershed boundary is
defined by a complex network of storm drains and smaller flood control channels. The
Dominguez Channel extends from the Los Angeles International Airport to the Los
Angeles Harbor and drains large if not all portions of the cities of Inglewood,
Hawthorne, El Segundo, Gardena, Lawndale, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Carson and Los
Angeles. 91
The Ballona Creek Watershed is approximately 130 square miles; the major tributaries to
Ballona Creek include Centinela Creek, Sepulveda Canyon Channel, Benedict Canyon
Channel, and numerous storm drains. Due to the extensive modifications of Ballona
90 County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Works, Ballona Creek Watershed Master Plan, 2006, Website:
http://www.ladpw.org/wmd/watershed/bc/bcmp/masterplan.cfm, accessed March 16, 2006
91 County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Works, Dominguez Watershed Current Conditions, 2006.
Website: http://www.ladpw.org/wmd/watershed/DC/current_cond.cfm, accessed March 16, 2006.
City of Inglewood General Plan Update Technical Background Report
6.3-1