The People Have Spoken

The people have spoken, and they had good news for the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA). That's because at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival, held Jan. 15 in Nevada City, CA, the CLCA's documentary, "Rock the Boat," garnered the People's Choice Award. Congrats, CLCA!

The film, which the CLCA sponsored and co-produced, chronicles a group's 51-mile boating expedition down the cement-lined Los Angeles River in 2008. Over the Army Corps of Engineers' objections, the group of 12 coasted down the river on a quest. Their mission: to have the EPA declare the Los Angeles River navigable so it could be eligible for protection under the Clean Water Act. And it ultimately did gain protection under the act, on July 7, 2010.

"We think this movie brings attention to what the river is now and what it could be in the future," said Chuck Carr, the CLCA's director of communications. "With California's water issues, rather than see all the water pushed out to sea, there are lots of ways to harness some of that water for Los Angeles to use."

For more information about the documentary or to see a trailer, visit http://www.rocktheboatfilm.com/.