The Los Angeles River

In 2008 I found myself on a tour of the LA River with naturalist Jenny Price. She first took us to a spot just north of the Sepulveda Dam, one of the few soft-bottomed sections of the river. I saw egrets, stilts, herons, and a host of other river birds, and the lush overgrowth was not at all what I normally associated the LA River with - the dystopian concrete flood channel I had seen depicted in so many Hollywood films.

Later that day we walked down a dark foreboding tunnel under the 6th Street Bridge. We emerged smack in the riverbed, about an inch of water beneath our feet and a coating of slippery moss that made walking in the shallow waters an adventure. The concrete banks were almost completely covered with years of graffiti, and a deep channel of water ran down the center of the river that made the crossing from one side to the other impossible.

This was where the race scene from Grease was filmed, and it turns out that the tunnel was the primary access ramp for the film crews who came to capture the weird and unique settings at this iconic LA location. I didn’t know that years later I would be leading my own river tours down there, and would get to watch the faces of people as they too emerged from that tunnel into that surreal concrete landscape.

Over the years I’ve gotten to work with many river folks, the amazing and tireless people at FoLAR (Friends of the LA River) like Lewis MacAdams, Shelly Backlar and many others. I photographed many river cleanups and events as well as the historic LA River Expedition organized by river kayaker George Wolfe that changed the official designation of the river and got it the protection it desperately needed.

While once you had to sneak through fences just to get near the river, I now see kayakers navigate the whitewater along the Glendale Narrows and cyclists shoot up and down the adjacent bike path with the cool river breezes at their back. The graffiti is long gone as are many of those fences.

The river is changing, and I have no doubt that someday it will be truly recognized as the centerpiece of our city. I am blessed that I got to document some of those changes during such a transformational time. Already in some places it is almost unrecognizable, the landscape has changed so considerably.

These photos are in geographical order, from the river’s source in Canoga Park, down to Long Beach where it empties into the sea. But do yourself a favor and explore its many parts in person, there are 51 miles of it. Some of it is lush and overgrown, some sections almost bucolic in both sight and sound. Parts of the south river are so expansive, it’s like a concrete desert with an oasis running down its center, with room to run and ride forever. Experience it and make it your own, I hope these photos inspire you enough to do so.

Links to some of my published work on the LA River
Time: The Redemption of the LA River
Curbed LA: 9 views of the LA River before and after it was paved in 1938
Grist: Lost and found: Scenes from the Los Angeles River

Prints will be available on my new fine art website, coming soon. Until then please contact me directly.

I still have a few copies of my LA River book hardcover edition, you can still order here.

Life Finds a Way, a small plant grows out of the river at the Confluence.
Lewis MacAdams, co-founder of FoLAR.

The Los Angeles River begins where Bell Creek and Arroyo Calabasas come together in Canoga Park.

At the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area the river is so overgrown it’s hard to believe you are in a city.

Assorted trash from storm runoff accumulates in little pockets along the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area.

A Snowy Egret and a Black-necked Stilt share the river near the Sepulveda Dam.
A lone figure and cloud at the Sepulveda Dam.

The Great Wall of Los Angeles depicts the history of California as seen through the eyes of women and minorities. The mural, located along the Tujunga Wash, is designed by Judith Baca and executed with the help of over 400 community youth and artists.

In July of 2008, LA River kayaker George Wolfe along with several other boaters, embarked on a three-day trip from the Sepulveda Basin to its estuary in Long Beach. Deemed not to be a “traditional navigable water” by the Army Corps of Engineers — and therefore not worthy of clean water standards, the Expedition’s purpose was to prove it was a navigable waterway and eligible for protection. On July 2010, the EPA changed the designation of the river and in the words of EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson - “This designation assures the community that their local waters are protected by the nation’s water laws, a clean, vibrant LA River system can help revitalize struggling communities, promoting growth and jobs for residents of Los Angeles.”

Ducks wait out a storm and rising waters along the Glendale Narrows.

FoLAR’s (Friends of the LA River) annual "La Gran Limpieza" clean up of the Los Angeles River along the Glendale Narrows, one of two soft-bottomed sections of the LA River.

Kayaker and LA River activist George Wolfe.
LA Mayor Eric Garcetti at LA River clean-up.

Learning to fish at "off the hook" fly fishing event, Glendale Narrows. When the river was concreted, it spelled the end for the once-ubiquitous Steelhead Trout, revitalization efforts hope to one day bring back the indigenous fish.

The 1st annual LA River Boat Race was held on August 30, 2014, on a 3/4 mile course consisting of small rapids and flatwater located along a stretch of the river along the Glendale Narrows in the Elysian Valley. Winner of Women’s and Men’s advanced classification: Liz Brackbill and Brett Duxbury.

Graffiti and cyclist along bike path in Frogtown.

Fernando Gomez, Chief Ranger for the MRCA (Mountains, Recreation and Conservation Authority).

Many things end up in the river, this vintage dolly in the Glendale Narrows has a story we will never know.

Great Blue Heron Taking Flight, Glendale Narrows.

Ducklings going down the to river

Heron crossing sign on a pedestrian bridge along the Glendale Narrows.
Canadian Goose along the Glendale Narrows.

A young girl walks across the river amidst the lush tree growth at the Glendale Narrows.

The newly opened North Atwater Multi-Modal Bridge is a pedestrian - equestrian bridge along the upper part of the Glendale Narrows.

Black-necked Stilt and homeless tent along the Glendale Narrows. Many homeless make their camps along this part of the river due to the protections of the thick underbrush and trees.

The LA skyline glows at dusk behind a lush growth along the Glendale Narrows.

Drain Pipe and pigeons at The Confluence. The Confluence is where the Arroyo Seco and LA River meet, and the site the original settlement of Los Angeles started. It now has towering concrete walls lining this segment of the river and drain pipes where pigeons like to rest.

This auto parts lot, along with many others, once lined adjacent Mission street.

In 2008, graffiti lined the concrete banks of the river downtown. As access to the river has increased, the graffiti has been whitewashed and all but disappeared.

The LA River rises dramatically during a big rainstorm near the now-demolished 6th Street Bridge in downtown Los Angeles.

The historic 4th Street bridge over the river in downtown Los Angeles.

South of downtown Los Angeles, the river widens dramatically as the concrete channel heads down to Long Beach.
A Great Blue Heron walks amidst some river plants in Vernon, the LA skyline in the background.

A lack of park land and cool breezes attract residents on hot Summer evenings along the southern part of the river near Bell.

A cyclist climbs a small incline along the bike path that goes from downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach.

The sun reflects off the river’s culvert in Paramount.

Los Angeles River near WIllow Street

Mouth of the Los Angeles River at Long Beach