Restoring Verdugo Wash: Ecological Intelligence Guiding Urban Transformation

 At Stratifyx, we believe even the most urbanized landscapes hold untapped ecological value. The Verdugo Wash Master Plan—led by the acclaimed team at MVVA and the City of Glendale—presents a unique opportunity to restore ecological function, improve public safety, and reconnect communities with nature. And we’re proud to announce that Stratifyx will be supporting this visionary effort as it kicks off in the coming months. 

Unlocking the Potential of Verdugo Wash 

Verdugo Wash is more than a concrete channel. It’s a complex landscape shaped by decades of flood control infrastructure, urban expansion, and overlooked natural systems. Using high-resolution mapping, aerial imagery, and historical datasets, Stratifyx has already begun early assessments of the Wash—from its headwater tributaries in the San Gabriel foothills to its engineered outlet at the Los Angeles River. 

Our preliminary analysis has identified remnant floodplains, degraded infrastructure, and large parcels that could play a critical role in future restoration. These insights are laying the foundation for a more resilient, ecologically connected future. 

Bringing Ecology into the Community Vision 

Once the project launches, Stratifyx will provide ecological expertise and geospatial intelligence to help guide the restoration process. Our contributions will support MVVA and partners in crafting a master plan that: 

• Assesses current ecological conditions and legacy hydrology 

• Identifies restoration opportunities aligned with flood protection 

• Explores wildlife habitat connectivity and movement corridors 

• Prioritizes phased restoration and long-term management strategies 

Our Role Across Two Project Phases 

Phase I: Project Management & Technical Contributions 

Stratifyx will participate in project startup meetings, site tours, and ongoing team coordination. Our technical scope includes: 

Existing Conditions Analysis 

We will develop a memorandum summarizing key site conditions, including:  

• Historic and current hydrology 

• Channel geometry and infrastructure 

• Ecological health and habitat indicators 

• GIS-based maps, cross-sections, and spatial analyses 

• Opportunities and constraints for phased improvements 

Conceptual Design Alternatives 

Stratifyx will contribute to evaluate and frame restoration scenarios such as: 

• Re-establishing natural channel form and floodplain connections 

• Designing stormwater storage opportunities on adjacent lands 

• Recommending plant palettes that thrive in urban wash environments 

• Estimating capital and O&M costs for ecological interventions 

Environmental Insights 

Through fieldwork and data analysis, we will support broader planning goals like: 

• Enhancing biodiversity and vegetation management 

• Supporting wildlife corridor crossings and habitat resilience 

• Reducing wildfire risks through nature-based strategies 

• Improving stormwater treatment and water quality 

All insights will be aligned with California’s Wildlife Action Plan and adapted to the Wash’s unique mountain-to-valley ecological context. 

Phase II: Community Engagement & Plan Review 

Stratifyx will support public engagement by participating in stakeholder meetings and reviewing outreach materials to ensure ecological goals are clearly communicated and understood. 

Once the draft and final master plans are developed, we’ll provide detailed feedback to ensure that ecological integrity, resilience, and sustainability are embedded in all aspects of implementation—including construction plans and long-term operations and maintenance strategies. 

Looking Ahead 

This exciting project is set to begin soon. As Verdugo Wash becomes a new model for urban ecological restoration, Stratifyx is honored to be part of the team helping bring this transformation to life—merging data, design, and ecology to shape a healthier, more connected future for the region. 

How Can Stratifyx Expand Your Ability to Benefit from Nature-Based Investment?

It might not seem like a money-making go-to. But as a land developer, you have the opportunity to take advantage of a rapidly emerging market: nature-based ecological solutions.

Many engineers and land developers haven’t been trained in ecological expertise, nor have they traditionally had the incentives to integrate these solutions into their projects- That’s not the way it’s been done. But when you consider long-term risk reduction, increasing climate-related disasters, evolving regulatory requirements, and growing community interest, the opportunities become necessities.

The gap between where most developers are today and where the market is going is where Stratifyx fits. 

You don’t have to be a GIS or ecology expert to use strategy to enhance your proposals. Stratifyx makes it simple. Our technology enables you to visualize ecological, hydrological, and carbon data layers holistically revealing development opportunities that align both environmental and financial goals.

With easily accessible, science-backed tools, you can unlock hidden asset value tied to the natural capital on your land. Our software helps identify areas suitable for carbon credit generation, biodiversity credits, and nature-based infrastructure like stormwater mitigation, flood buffers, and soil and water quality improvements. What may seem like low-value or unusable land can become a source of long-term revenue.

Just as importantly, Stratifyx helps developers navigate and comply with new and emerging environmental regulations. Growing investor scrutiny and policy shifts around sustainability, make being able to demonstrate nature-based planning.

Stratifyx empowers developers to move beyond outdated practices and lead with future-ready, profit-aligned, and ecologically sound strategies. 

Nature is an asset. We help you treat it like one.

Insurance Industry is a Key Driver in Nature-Based Development

The future of “Nature-based solutions”, sustainable development, and risk reduction that cuts costs is ripe with possibilities. 

One of the most promising avenues is the growing role of the insurance industry in unlocking capital for nature-aligned infrastructure. By supporting projects that integrate natural systems into the built environment, insurers not only reduce long-term exposure to climate-related risks but also bolster confidence in emerging markets. It’s a forward-thinking approach that aligns profitability with sustainability and it’s gaining traction fast.

Nature based solutions save money by utilizing the already existing pathways, processes, and relationships in nature to reduce risk, enhance biodiversity and natural features, and support community. 

They solutions are effective because they work with existing ecological processes and landscapes rather than replacing or disrupting them. These strategies utilize the power of already existing natural systems to provide ecosystem services like flood mitigation, water purification, carbon sequestration, and habitat restoration. 

Unlike traditional “gray” infrastructure, these solutions often require lower upfront investment, reduced long-term maintenance, and offer co-benefits for community well-being and climate adaptation. 

Gray green infrastructure, a hybrid approach that blends engineered systems with natural elements, is one way to incorporate risk-reduction and increase value into your development projects- in rural and urban areas.

Some of these solutions include; 

• previous pavements

• “berm and swale” for stormwater runoff 

• constructed wetlands for (chemicals and flood reduction)

• sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS)

• green roofs

Stratifyx specializes in helping land developers, engineers, and planners incorporate nature-based solutions at every scale of their project. Our platform provides high-resolution ecological data, advanced mapping tools, and landscape-scale visualizations to guide and streamline holistic, forward-thinking decision-making. 

Whether your goal is to meet evolving regulatory standards, attract investment through natural capital markets, or future-proof your project against climate risk, Stratifyx delivers the insights you need. We empower teams to align development with ecological integrity from early-stage planning through implementation.

By integrating insurance perspectives early in the design process, Stratifyx helps project teams build with nature in ways that attract investment, meet compliance, and enhance long-term value. As natural hazards increase and regulatory pressures tighten, these collaborations between developers, planners, and insurers are essential to the future of development/  

When it comes to risk reduction, nature is the most powerful ally we have. The time to act and to invest is now.

New Report Estimates 26% Growth in Natural-Capital and Biodiversity Credit Market

As a land-development software provider committed to offering sustainable solutions to our clients, we know that AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) firms are increasingly being asked to engage in projects that utilize nature-based solutions. A recent report from Meticulous Research highlights  additional insights in this space: the rapidly growing market for biodiversity and other natural capital credits.

Market projections estimate a 26% growth, with the value of natural capital credits expected to reach nearly $37.55 billion by 2032- a significant leap from its current valuation at just $6 billion. This signals more than just a financial trend. Now more than ever, this market report represents a shift in how ecosystems and biodiversity are being quantified and valued in this industry.

For those of us involved in land development, regeneration, and urban infrastructure projects, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity- How do we continue to do the environmental restoration and built-environment work we are passionate about, while also complying with various credit market standards and capitalizing on this emerging market opportunity? 

Stratifyx is an online decision support platform for organizations engaging in sustainability work across varying sectors. Designed for professionals across sectors, Stratifyx leverages local ecological data at landscape scale to identify the most effective and sustainable land-use scenarios from the earliest stages of project development. By providing holistic, high-level insights, Stratifyx empowers project managers and developers to incorporate nature-based solutions that complement the various environmental regulations, permitting requirements, and crediting protocols that your project faces, while also providing opportunities to visualize how to generate additional value from the natural capital available on your site. 

As stewards of the built and natural environment, embracing natural capital credits can enhance the resilience and sustainability of land development projects and the communities where they reside. By integrating nature-based solutions and participating in the natural capital credit markets, you can contribute to a nature-positive future while meeting the evolving expectations of our clients and regulators.

Nature's Voice

Applied Ecology for Smarter and Faster Land Use Decisions 

From project conception to final evaluation and reporting, the land development process can be long and complex. That complexity, often driven by regulatory and permitting constraints, can stand in the way of maintaining a holistic, ecological view of landscapes. Stratifyx provides our customers an unprecedented geospatial data library, designed for easy visualization and dynamic insights that uncover previously unseen ecosystem service value. Those insights accelerate the development process, improve land resilience, and increase financial returns. Offering the first of its kind in data and geographic visualization, Stratifyx is situated at the forefront of land development projects that combine technology with ecological intelligence, offering a powerful software platform for companies committed to sustainable and impactful land development and restoration.

Our projects revolve around assessing soil health, biodiversity, and water quality in collaboration with the partners we work with to catalyze smarter land use decisions. The online platform enables landscape architects, environmental engineers, construction companies, and conservation organizations to complete projects with higher profitability, accelerated time frames, and participation in environmental  markets, including wetland mitigation banking or soil carbon accrual. Our customers are identifying areas where ecological, economic, and social impacts can be maximized, leveraging insights from thousands of global restoration projects completed over 40 years.