During rainy periods, the L.A. River is the main flood control channel for the city, diverting murky water from city streets into the ocean. But some city leaders and others see the river as being useful for much more than flood control, and hope to turn the channel into a thriving resource for recreation.

A stretch of the L.A. River known as the Glendale Narrows near Griffith Park is one area where officials want to make more improvements. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Los Angeles City Councilmembers Tom LaBonge, 4th District, and Ed Reyes, 1st District, as well as Council President Eric Garcetti, 13th District, are working to make the vision for the L.A. River a reality. All three councilmembers represent areas along the river from North Hollywood to downtown Los Angeles. The Los Angeles River flows approximately 50 miles from the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach. Along the way, it passes through residential and industrial areas, as well as Griffith Park and Elysian Park. Throughout that stretch, new bike paths, trails and parks have been created during the past five years, and some portions of the river bottom have been converted from concrete back to a natural sandy bottom.

“For the first time in years, the river is at its most natural and pristine state,” LaBonge said. “From Travel Town to Elysian Park, it’s beautiful right now. There is now an opportunity for people to enjoy the river, and it will be even better when we realize all of the future plans.”

According to LaBonge, whose district includes Griffith Park and the area around Forest Lawn, the L.A. River will soon be an “oasis”. A vast open area near the Ventura (134) Freeway and the Forest Lawn exit will be the future home of the L.A. Headworks Reservoir, an area that will have a massive underground water storage tank underneath a park. The site is envisioned as being similar to the Silverlake Reservior, which now features walking trails and other recreational amenities. The project is anticipated to be built within the next five years, and would be the beginning of a watershed that will extend east and south towards downtown Los Angeles.

Farther down river, between Glendale and Griffith Park, the L.A. River has already taken on the look of a naturally-flowing waterway. The river is flanked by trails and a bike path, which will soon be extended all the way to downtown, and has the longest stretch of natural sandy bottom. Known as the Glendale Narrows, it runs from the Ventura Freeway to Elysian Park.

“What I would like to see there is for us to tear up more of the concrete on the sides to give it that natural look of a river,” said Garcetti, who represents the stretch of the river through Atwater Village and Elysian Park. “We could create steps with grass so during the rains, it could still function as a flood control channel, but would also offer a park-like setting during dry periods.”

Garcetti added that the bottom of the Glendale Narrows stretch of the river was never paved because the hydrology of the riverbed prevented concrete from being used. Garcetti added that four new parks have been created along the section between Griffith Park and Elysian Park during the past five years, and two more parks are planned in the near future.

“We are trying to bring people back to the river, but are also trying to give the river more welcoming gateways,” Garcetti said. “We have done a lot of work to make it safer, working with the LAPD and providing bike patrols. You now see families with kids and fishermen along the river. There is a master plan with one hundred different projects identified that we would like to see in the future.”

On Monday afternoon, several people enjoyed a park along the river near the Los Feliz Boulevard crossing, and bicycled along the river. Mark O’Connor, a resident of Los Feliz, said he visits the park weekly.

“A lot of people laugh when I tell them that I like to come to the L.A. River, but then you look at this place, and it’s actually a real river,” O’Connor said. “Anything they can do to improve it the better. It’s a great place to bring my dogs and take a walk. I really love it.”

Reyes, who is chair of the council’s Ad Hoc River Committee, said he is very excited about the future of the L.A. River. Reyes, who played in the concrete channel as a boy growing up in Cypress Park, said the city’s plans are modeled after Denver, Colorado, which transformed the South Platte River from a polluted channel into a system of parks and recreational facilities. Reyes said the project in Colorado took approximately 18 years to complete, and he hopes Los Angeles can accomplish the same thing in a shorter timeline.

“We have already enhanced the natural bottom and we are building up some of those natural habitats,” Reyes said. “On the ground level, we are reevaluating millions of dollars in new bridge work, and are putting together a significant amount of new acreage of parkland along the river. There is an opportunity for more parks, and we want to continue the progress we have made.”

Reyes said several factors are coming together to make the future plans for the L.A. River a possibility. They include the opportunity to apply for federal funding, which became available after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated the river as a “navigable waterway” in July. The city is also working with the Army Corps of Engineers on a long-term plan that would enable more sections of the river bottom and sides to be replaced. Reyes said that plan is likely a couple of years from being completed, but will allow the city to seek out private investment and redevelopment opportunities for growth along the river. The city has also formed the L.A. River Foundation, which will be identifying funding sources. Reyes added that another important component is the city’s adoption of a memorandum of understanding for restoring the river, which allows the city and the related agencies to “appear with one face” when seeking assistance from the state and the federal government.

Most of the projects that have already been completed have been funded by the city, but officials believe the future projects may cost up to $1 billion over the next 20 years. City officials will be seeking funding from a variety of sources, including the federal and state governments, and private investors.

“When you look at the neighborhood where I grew up, there was very little opportunity for recreation,” Reyes added. “It speaks to the need for continuing the work on this incredible resource that we can someday give to our kids.”