The Los Angeles River at Sepulveda Dam, 2000
Photograph by author
SOURCES / LINKS updated
SITES
ORGANIZATIONS
NATIONAL AGENCIES
STATE AGENCIES
REGIONAL AGENCIES
COUNTY AGENICES
MUNICIPAL AGENICES
INFORMATION SOURCES
BOOKS
ARTICLES
WHICH WAY LA?
Photo Tours
LA River "The city of Los Angeles, then, presents us with an extraordinary opportunity to gaze upon the stained walls of a river siphoned almost to nothing by California's faucets and lawns. In that surreal abstraction of a riverway, given over to obtuse angles and sloping walls, there are the almost imperceptible curves of the original landscape now gone into hiding - and, in the tiniest of cracks and the roar of storm drains, we can watch as that landscape returns." Short essay by Geoff Manaugh of BLDGBLOG.
LA River Reborn This timely exhibition (Skirball Cultural Center, April 6 - September 3, 2006) features photographs of the Los Angeles River by internationally renowned contemporary artists Lane Barden, Anthony Hernandez, Helen and Newton Harrison, John Humble, Dana Plays, and Gary Schwartz. This highly-focused selection of twenty-six works captures the unexpected beauty of the River and documents the fragile relationship between society and the environment. The evocative images—in large-format color photographs and video—portray the detritus of civilization, the monumental architecture of the River's flood control channel, and the persistent rebirth of nature in defiance of human abuse. Through exhibition-related programs, such as an L.A. River bus tour in June, visitors can learn about recent efforts to revive the River and enhance the many diverse neighborhoods it traverses. L.A. River Reborn will offer a forum for discussions on local history, urban planning, and environmental health and justice.
Los Angeles River Connection Prepared by faculty and students at LAUSD's Jefferson High School, this site provides a virtual tour of the river in addition to historical and ecological information on the Los Angeles River. Embedded within this site are links to two photo archives on the river: Los Angeles River Bridges from the City of LA's Bureau of Engineering and railroad enthusiast Bruce Petty's Los Angeles River Railroads.
FOVICKS Greg Ercolano's cryptically titled Friends Of Vast Industrial Concrete Kafkaesque Structures (FOVICKS) page is actually a closely detailed photo essay of the Los Angeles River. As the title implies, Ercolano likes the River the way it is. The photo essay should explain why. Also included are a few photographs of the river in flood. Thanks to Kazys Varnelis at kazys.net for locating this one.
The Los Angeles River: 51 Miles of Concrete Beautiful photographs by John Humble, on display at the Jan Kesner Gallery in Hancock Park at 164 North La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles from 27 October 2001 to 1 December 2001.
Sites | back to top
Confluence Park This short essay by historian Jennifer Price describes plans for developing a park at the confluence of the LA River and the Arroyo Seco, adjacent to the River Center and Gardens.
The Cornfield / Los Angeles State Historic Park The State Parks website for information regarding the development of the Cornfield Yard in Chinatown, a key link between the River and Downtown Los Angeles.
Not A Cornfield is a living sculpture in the form of a field of corn. The project is located just North of Chinatown and South of Lincoln Heights on a large stretch of land well known as "The Cornfields". Temporarily transforming a 32-acre brownfield on the edge of downtown Los Angeles into an agricultural and community programming site will be created under the artistic direction of Lauren Bon with funds from the Annenberg Foundation.
San Gabriel River Corridor Master Plan provides a comprehensive vision of the river corridor, from the mountains to the ocean. It integrates the multiple goals of enhancing habitat, recreation and open space, while maintaining and enhancing flood protection, water supply and water quality. The Master Plan identifies priorities, provides guidance, and helps coordinate over 130 independently sponsored enhancement projects. It emerged from a multi-year community-based planning process that began in 1999.
Sun Valley Watershed in the northeast San Fernando Valley is widely perceived as a demonstration project for comprehensive watershed management. The mission of the Sun Valley Watershed Stakeholders Group is to solve the local flooding problem while retaining all stormwater runoff from the watershed, increasing water conservation, recreational opportunities, and wildlife habitat, and reducing stormwater pollution.
Taylor Yard / Rio de Los Angeles State Park On June 29, 2000 Governor Davis designated Taylor Yard as the future site of the first State Park in the region in a generation and committed $45,000,000 in state funds for acquisition of lands at the site. With over 2 miles of river frontage, the park would become the centerpiece of the Los Angeles River Greenway. Also see Taylor Yard website by The River Project.
Organizations | back to top
Arroyo Seco Foundation The Arroyo Foundation focuses on creating and restoring parkland along the Arroyo Seco, which runs from the San Gabriel Mountains above Pasadena to join the LA River just north of downtown Los Angeles.
Friends of the LA River "FoLAR is a nonprofit organization founded in 1986 to revitalize and protect the Los Angeles River - a living urban river system - through inclusive planning, education and wise stewardship." As this mission statement indicates, FoLAR is one of the primary and most vocal advocate of the Los Angeles River and river development issues. FoLAR also sponsors monthly tours of the Los Angeles River.
Friends of the San Gabriel River
Heal the Bay and Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project The primary concern of these two organizations is water quality in the Santa Monica Bay. As such, their interest in watershed issues focuses on reducing pollution caused by storm water runoff, especially from Ballona Creek.
Los Angeles and San Gabriel Watershed Council The Watershed Council is an umbrella group for various organizations interested in river issues. As they state, "Our mission is to facilitate a comprehensive, multi-purpose, stakeholder-driven consensus process to preserve, restore, and enhance the many beneficial uses, economic, social, environmental and biological, of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers watersheds ecosystem through education, research, planning, and mediation."
The Los Angeles River Project Not to be confused with The River Project mentioned below, the Oxy LA River Project was a series of conferences, art installations, river walks and other public educational forums sponsored by Occidental College between Fall 1999 and Summer 2001. Most of these events are archived online.
Northeast Trees Northeast Trees is responsible for a series of pocket parks along the LA River in the Glendale Narrows.
The River Project The River Project is the other primary non-profit organization dedicated to improving local neighborhoods and communities through the restoration of the Los Angeles & San Gabriel River Watersheds. The River Project organized the Coalition for a State Park at Taylor Yard. Their mission is "to encourage responsible management of our watershed lands and revitalization of our rivers for the social, economic and environmental benefit of our communities. Through outreach, advocacy, scientific research and hands-on educational programs, we provide communities with the tools to reclaim their riverfront lands."
Tree People An organization dedicated to increasing trees and parks in greater Los Angeles. This rather straight-forward agenda encompasses a variety of social, economic and ecological benefits, providing holistic solutions to problems of drought, flooding, air and water pollution, landfill closures, high energy costs, youth unemployment, and urban blight. The TREES Project presents a series of case studies for retrofitting the design of typical buildings in the Los Angeles River watershed.
National Agencies | back to top
Army Corps of Engineers - Los Angeles District The majority of Los Angeles' flood control works were constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers between 1934 and 1970. Following their 1992 evaluation of the flood control system, the Corps today is updating the system under the $217 million Los Angeles County Drainage Area (LACDA) project. Information regarding the LACDA is available through the Corps' website, including technical data, the current regulation plan, and water flow information for each of the major dams the Corps operates.
EPA - Environmental Protection Agency The EPA enforces clean water, clean air and other Federal environmental laws. Environmental profiles of the Los Angeles River, San Gabriel River, and Santa Monica Bay watersheds, including locations of superfund sites, can be found with the EPA's Surf Your Watershed program.
FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA is responsible for disaster relief, ranging from floods to earthquakes. They also establish areas subject to flood insurance. Searching their website with the terms "Los Angeles Floods" yields a variety of articles and maps related to flooding predicted by the Army Corps' 1992 evaluation of Los Angeles flood control system. FEMA also provides a link to Project Impact, an interactive disaster mapping program maintained by the GIS software company ESRI.
United States Forestry Service - Angeles National Forest Half of the Los Angeles River Basin is mountainous terrain, and half of this, a quarter of the total watershed, lies within the Angeles National Forest. In the hydrological sequence, the Forestry Service is the agency of first responsibility. Their efforts to control fires and other forms of de-foliation on the mountains reduces erosion and storm water runoff into urban areas and the drainage system.
State Agencies | back to top
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy The SMMC operates the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens at 570 West Avenue 26, Los Angeles CA 90065, 323/221-8900 - the central stop of any tour or introduction to the Los Angeles River.
Regional Agencies | back to top
San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy The San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy is an independent State agency within the Resources Agency of the State of California. State law established the Conservancy in 1999 (Chapters 788 and 789, Statutes of 1999). Its jurisdiction includes the San Gabriel River and its tributaries, the Lower Los Angeles River and its tributaries, and the San Gabriel Mountains, Puente Hills, and San Jose Hills. It was established to preserve urban open space and habitats in order to provide for low-impact recreation and educational uses, wildlife and habitat restoration and protection, and watershed improvements within its jurisdiction. As of October 2001, very little information is available online from the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy except the report "Common Ground," which in many ways duplicates the research this website, although of course from a more offical perspective.
Water Replenishment District of Southern California With a service population of 3.5 million people, the WRD monitors groundwater extractions from coastal aquifers to prevent overdrafting and sea-water intrusion. Information about groundwater usage and efforts to supplement underground reservoirs with treated waste water, aqueduct water, and recycled storm water through aquifer recharge basins operated in conjuction with the County Department of Public Works is available through the WRD.
County Agencies | back to top
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works The Army Corps of Engineers shares responsibility for flood control with Los Angeles County. The County Department of Public Works provides information on the 15 dams, 115 debris basins, and 32 groundwater recharge reservoirs it maintains, in addition to other hydrological data.
Municipal Agencies | back to top
City of Los Angeles Ad Hoc Committee on LA River In order to coordinate efforts with regards to the revitalization of the Los Angeles River, the City Council has established the Ad Hoc Committee on the Los Angeles River. Chaired by Council Member Ed Reyes. The Ad Hoc Committee is the managing entity for the LA River Revitalization Master Plan.
City of Los Angeles Stormwater Management Program The City of Los Angeles provides information about their program to curb ocean pollution caused by stormwater runoff, describing in the process the storm drainage network and its distinction from the sewer system.
Information Sources | back to top
California Department of Water Resources Information about water resources, use and projects across the California is provided by the state. Average water consumption data for urban, agricultural, recreational and environmental uses can be found here at Water Uses in California.
California Environmental Resources Evaluation System General environmental information, including information on watershed projects, about the state can be found here.
California River Assessment A database of geographic information for every river basin in California maintained by UC Davis. The Icemaps section of the CRA site is an interactive mapping program.
Ecological Subregions of California Information on the ecology of California is provided by the United States Forestry Service.
United States Geological Survey The USGS is the primary source for geographic information throughout the US, and consequently its website is deep and dense. Sub portions of the USGS site include water-use data by county and watersheds and the EROS data center, which is home to the interactive national atlas.
Heat Island Group: Los Angeles The Heat Island Group, which studies what are known as "urban heat islands," has documented the Los Angeles region as a typical example of average temperature increases caused by urbanization. The Group also studies how increases in vegetation and reflective roof surfaces can reduce the temperatures of urban environments, and by extension, smog. Their findings therefore lend additional support and purpose to efforts to increase parkspace within the Los Angeles Region.
Southern California Association of Governments SCAG provides data on regional planning efforts and links to its member organizations and a wealth of on-line information sources.
Books | back to top
Down by the Los Angeles River by Joe Linton (Los Angeles: Wilderness Press, 2005) The Official Guide from Friends of the Los Angeles River.
Hazardous Metropolis : Flooding and Urban Ecology in Los Angeles by Jared Orsi (Berkeley / Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2004) "Although better known for its sunny skies, Los Angeles suffers devastating flooding. This book explores a fascinating and little-known chapter in the city's history - the spectacular failures to control floods that occurred throughout the twentieth century. Jared Orsi's lively history unravels the strange and often hazardous ways that engineering, politics, and nature have come together in Los Angeles to determine the flow of water." [quoted from Amazon.com's editorial summary]
Rio LA: Tales from the Los Angeles River by Patt Morrison (Angel City Press, 2001) INTERVIEW with author Patt Morrison on "Which Way LA?" from KCRW 89.9fm
The Los Angeles River: Its Life, Death and Possible Rebirth by Blake Gumprecht (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999) The essential one-volume resource on the Los Angeles River. Begun as a masters thesis in geography at the California State University, Los Angeles, this book is well-researched, well-documented and well-written. The first chapter, which describes the natural condition of the river, is on-line through Johns Hopkins University Press. Book REVIEWED by Douglas Dieterman.
Ecology of Fear by Mike Davis (New York: Metropolitan Books / Henry Holt and Company, 1998) A controversial history of natural and man-made disasters in Los Angeles. Chapter 2, "How Eden Lost its Garden," reviews the lost opportunities of various environmental conservation proposals including Olmsted & Bartholomew's 1930 greenbelt scheme for the Los Angeles River. Slightly different versions of this chapter have been published in other architectural and urban studies books, but Ecology of Fear is probably the publication most accessible to the general public.
The Seven States of California: A Natural and Human History by Philip Fradkin (Berkeley / Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1997) The section on Los Angeles, entitled "The Prolifigate Province," examines the social fabric of the region by by tracing the course of the River. The brutal state of the river serves as a metaphor for the harsh reality of Los Angeles' social fissures just following the Rodney King uprising/riots.
Parks and Gardens of the Greater Los Angeles Region by Achva Benzinberg Stein (Los Angeles: University of Southern California School of Architecture, 1996)
California Rivers and Streams by Jeffrey Mount (Berkeley / Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1995)
The Control of Nature by John McPhee (New York: The Noonday Press / Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1989) The chapter "Los Angeles Against the Mountains" vividly describes the experiences of foothill residents forced out of their homes by mudslides during the 1960s and 1970s storms.
Parks, Playgounds and Beaches for the Los Angeles Region by Olmsted Brothers & Bartholomew (Los Angeles: Citizens Committee on Parks, Playgrounds and Beaches, 1930) One of the more famous reports recommending the creation of parkways and greenbelts along the river corridors, on the reference shelves at the Los Angeles Public Library. Very difficult to find, it is being reprinted by the University of California Press with introduction and commentaries by Greg Hise, William Deverall, and Laurie Olin under the name Eden By Design: The 1930's Olmsted-Bartholomew Plan for the Los Angeles Region. The drawings are unfortunately poorly reproduced in the reprint, but they can be downloaded in color from University of California Press. Book talk REVIEWED
Magazine / Newspaper Articles | back to top
"Return of the River" by Sam Hall Kaplan, (Los Angeles Downtown News, January 24, 2005) "The recent deluge that dumped record rainfalls on Southern California also brought the Los Angeles River to the fore. The rising water brown with runoff soil coursed through Los Angeles, past Downtown and into the ocean, contained for much of its 50-mile length in its concrete channel. If anything, it was a reminder to the curious crowds lining the edge that Los Angeles is a river city, like so many other major metropolises. However, the river with its seasonal flows is not as dramatic as the Thames in London, the Seine in Paris and New York City's Hudson and East rivers. But even when just a trickle, the L.A. River is a vital element of the city's rich history, and now a potential focal point of the future of Los Angeles."
"Flood of '38 Forever Altered the Southland Landscape" by Cecilia Rasmussen (Los Angeles Times, January 23, 2005) "The pummeling rains of two weeks ago made Donna Gustin Crippen feel as if she were 8 years old and it was 1938 again; when rain fell in feet, not inches, and her neighbors were swept to their deaths. The flood killed more than 100 people, and left thousands homeless and scores missing. It was Southern California's deadliest flood of the 20th century."
"Dam that Rain" by Ivy Dai, (Pasadena Star News, January 13, 2005) "As devastating as the recent storms were, it would take a great deal more rain to test the limits of the flood-control system that protects the San Gabriel Valley. The series of dams along the San Gabriel River are designed to handle what engineers call a 100-year storm - an event so massive it usually happens once a century. The dams built to tame the San Gabriel River are designed to handle much more rainfall than what fell in the past few weeks. The San Gabriel River Master Plan, due for approval this year, has a flood-control system with dams built to withstand a 50-year storm with full soil saturation, and some dams built for more than a 100-year rainfall."
"Opening the Floodgates" by Sam Hall Kaplan, (Los Angeles Downtown News, November 15, 2004) "The dream of the Los Angeles River as a free flowing focus for revitalizing a forlorn stretch of the city and county with parks, housing and natural habitats has once again emerged out of the bog of parochial politics and academic inertia. Giving the dream rise was the announcement last week by a consortium of government and community leaders that $3 million has been allocated by, of all entities, the Department of Water and Power to develop a comprehensive a plan for 30 miles of the river from Canoga Park to Boyle Heights."
"New Park Could Have a Ripple Effect on Waterway" by Patricia Ward Biederman, (Los Angeles Times, November 11, 2004) "Valleyheart Greenway in Studio City is part of a wider effort to revitalize LA's natural heritage."
"River Plan Rolls Along" by Jessica Garrison, (Los Angeles Times, November 4, 2004) "After years of fitful attempts to revitalize the Los Angeles River, city leaders will announce today a nationwide search for a consultant to design a plan for the oft-disparaged waterway. Los Angeles has earmarked $3 million for the plan, which many hope will transform not just the riverbanks, but also the city's urban core."
"Getting the L.A. River Right" by Sam Hall Kaplan (LA Downtown News, September 9, 2004) "Perhaps someday the Friends of the L.A. River will be conducting cruises on the series of lakes created by the damming and widening of the river, and pointing with pride to the parks along the banks bordered by a parade of desirable apartment towers, as they now do in Chicago."
"River of Angels" by Tad Friend, (The New Yorker, January 26, 2004) Written in the inimitable New Yorker style, this essay is an overview of the struggle to revive the LA River, as seen through the eyes and personality of Lewis MacAdams, founder of FOLAR.
"The River that L.A. Forgot" by Paul Pringle, (Los Angeles Times, December 23, 2003) "The hard-working San Gabriel shows the hand of man from its upper reaches to its desiccated journey seaward. Some say it deserves shelter." The original online version included this nice PDF map of the San Gabriel River watershed.
"The Same River Twice" by Jack Shafer (Slate, December 16, 2003) A report on charges that the New York Times article "Los Angeles by Kayak: Vistas of Concrete Banks" plagarized The Los Angeles River: Its Life, Death and Possible Rebirth by Blake Gumprecht. "Several passages relating facts and lore about the river distilled passages from the book...the article should have acknowledged the significant contribution of Mr. Gumprecht's research." [For the record, much of the information presented in this website is also distilled from Gumprecht's book, which remains the essential one-volume history of the LA River.]
"State Agrees to Buy Land for Park on L.A. River" by Miguel Bustillo (Los Angeles Times, December 14, 2003) State parks officials agreed to purchase a half-mile-long sliver of land along the Los Angeles River near downtown - a 17.8-acre property, just south of the Glendale Freeway - for more than $10 million. The latest acquisition will link a new state park at Taylor Yard to the river.
"Down by the River" by Alan Loomis (ArcCA 4.03 winter 2003) A short essay examing river restoration as a catalyst for urban and community renewal, written for the quarterly journal of the American Institute of Architects / California Chapter.
"Los Angeles by Kayak: Vistas of Concrete Banks" by Charile LeDuff (New York Times, December 8, 2003) "To take a trip down the Los Angeles River to Long Beach Harbor by kayak is to paddle into an adventure." A short journalistic trip down the Los Angeles River.
"Los Angeles' Lost River" by Hilary Kaplan (The Next American City, Issue 2: The Changing Neighborhood, 2003) "From atop bicycles and in strollers, beneath kites or behind dogs, English, Spanish, Hebrew, Farsi, and Russian voices exchange the news of the day in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley." A brief survey of restoration efforts, written for a hip planning journal.
"New Idea Floated for LA River" by Miguel Bustillo (Los Angeles Times January 24, 2003) Giant inflatable rubber dams would create an artificial lake downtown that could serve as a centerpiece for urban renewal.
"Bureaucratic Shoals Slow River Effort" by Jose Cardenas (Los Angeles Times January 9, 2003) Multiple jurisdictions complicate efforts to revitalize the 51-mile Los Angeles River.
"Paradise Reclaimed: A Field Guide to the LA River" by Jennifer Price (LA Weekly August 10-16, 2001) Over a year in the making, this is the most comprehensive guide to the current state of the river as a place. The print version includes a two-page map of the river's current and future access/park sites; this map is interactive in the online version. Also included in the online version is an extensive bibliography. (Because the Weekly's archives are fragmented, the link connects to the index of articles for this issue, not the article directly.)
"The River Wild" by Steven Heller (Metropolis July 2001) An update to the magazine's earlier article on the LA River, based on the changing circumstances of the Cornfield Yards story.
"Wild and Free?" by Adam Davidson (Metropolis February 2001) A brief, but extremely well written overview of the Los Angeles River and its history, with a focus on the Cornfield Yards controversy.
Which Way LA? on KCRWfm89.9 | back to top
The LA River and related issues have frequently been the topic on KCRW's daily news program "Which Way LA?," hosted by Warren Olney. These programs are archived online. Requires Real Player.
17 Oct 2001 | Conservancy Plan Envisions Green Watersheds in LA In a city of seven million people, it would take the collaborative efforts of individuals, local, state and federal officials, but open space advocates say it's never too soon to start designing for a greener Los Angeles. Now, a joint plan by the Rivers and Mountains Conservancies offers a plan for restoring the balance between our urban development and natural resources, beginning with the San Gabriel and Los Angeles Rivers. We take a look at this new vision for the "greening" of LA with Joe Edminston, who co-authored the report, and Stephanie Pincetl, coordinator of USC's Sustainable Cities Program.
02 Aug 2001 | Chinatown Cornfield Gets Millions for Park The abandoned rail yard that was to become an industrial center employing 1000 is on the way to becoming a park. With Governor Davis' agreement to help purchase and clean up the 40-acre "Cornfields" near Chinatown, elated open-space advocates are now talking about a string of projects along the LA River. We hear about the dramatic grass roots achievement, the vision that once was, the vision of what comes next, and what the tradeoffs might be, from the visionary behind it all, the legal council for the Friends of the LA River, a Chinatown businessman, and an LA historian.
14 Sep 2000 | The LA River and the City's Urban Environment On Thursday, September 14, from 12:30 to 2 pm, the five announced candidates for mayor of Los Angeles will debate the critical issues regarding the Los Angeles River and LA's urban environment on a special live-on-location remote broadcast of "Which Way, LA?" The event, dubbed "Which Way for the LA River & L.A.'s Urban Environment," will be held in Keck Theater at Occidental College in northeast Los Angeles. The debate will give the candidates the opportunity to express their views on issues that are pivotal to the future livability of Los Angeles. It is a significant event in a race that is also noteworthy as LA's first "term limits" election for mayor. Debate REVIEWED
21 Jul 2000 | The Cornfields and Chinatown Chinatown as LA now knows it was created back in the 1930's, when the Chinese community was re-located to make way for Union Station. The population now is 42% Asian, 47% Hispanic and 17% African-American. The neighborhood is in desperate need of parks, schools and employment. Now, a major confrontation is brewing over what to do with the so-called "Cornfield" - almost 50 acres of former industrial land that is Chinatown's next door neighbor. City Hall has blessed a plan by the Cornfield's owner for a complex of warehouses on the site. But community groups, environmentalists and civil rights leaders have a different vision: schools, homes, parks and small businesses along a meandering, rehabilitated Los Angeles River. The battle's about to come to a head, and the outcome will help shape the future of downtown LA.
01 Oct 1999 | The LA River Upstream, down stream, the LA River looks different from different perspectives. Would going "back to nature" mean an end to flood control?
17 Jul 1997 | The LA River Is the LA River really a river, or is it only a drainage ditch? Is the LA River providing as much flood controls as we really need? If it can be restored, are recreation and commerce compatible uses?