History: Over a thousand years ago, the Tongva Native American village was established on the banks of the river where Los Angeles City Hall stands today. An estimated 5,000--10,000 Native Americans lived in the region.

In 1769 the Spanish exploration began, and in 1776 civilians settled on the banks of the River.

In 1781, Pueblo de Los Angeles was founded. Then, in 1815, the river flooded, washing the original pueblo plaza away. The River changed its course, emptying into Ballona Creek. The Pueblo was rebuilt on higher ground in its present location.

In 1825, the River flooded again and returned to outlet in San Pedro Bay. Another flood struck in 1861, when fifty inches of rain fell in five weeks, washing away the river banks.

In 1914, the River flooded again, causing $10 million in damages. Discussion of channelizing the River began at this time.

In 1930, the first greenway was proposed for the river by the sons of the man who developed New York City's Central Park. The proposal called for a linear green belt and settling grounds for flood control purposes, not so different from current plans.

In 1938 heavy flooding caused $62 million in damages. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began to channelize the river. The project took twenty years to complete and used three million barrels of concrete.

In 1987, Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR) was founded to promote preservation and restoration of the River. In 1991, the County initiated Los Angeles River Master Plan. Then, in 1995, Elysian Valley Gateway Park opened. The park is the first of a projected series. It is managed by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

Wildlife: Los Angeles River runs for a total of 51 miles through 13 cities and 25 different biological communities. A 1993 study identified over 200 species of birds and 19 species of reptiles and amphibians. A variety of fish and crustaceans also inhabit places along the river.

A total of only 12 miles of the river retains its soft, natural bottom, the largest stretch of which is between Griffith Park and the Elysian Valley (much of this along Atwater Village). This area could not be paved completely because the ground water table is too high.

Myths and Truths: Some folks argue that the River is not a real river at all, but just a drainage ditch. They point to the concrete banks. However, virtually any large city with a River uses some sort of augmentation to the riverbanks to prevent flooding and direct the water, whether it be concrete or stone. Just because areas of our beach front are reinforced with boulders does not mean that the Pacific Ocean is not a real ocean.

A new kind of bank is being tested upstream. It consists of nylon netting through which tree roots can grow, stabilizing the bank while allowing for things to grow along it. In the recent flooding, this nylon net alternative worked just as well as the concrete banks, or probably better, as it allows some water to soak into the earth and replenish the ground water table.

Some folks also worry that the River is dangerous. It isn't except during flood stage. The banks are angled at a 45 degree slant in order to create what is called "laminar flow." This makes the water constantly move toward the center of the channel. Anyone foolish enough to get into the water will suffer from the cold water and be caught up in a flow that moves at some points as fast as forty five miles per hour.

Just as one wouldn't want to go surfing during a riptide, people should be wise enough to stay out of the River when it is flooding.

During most of the year, the River moves slowly -- and the water is not particularly dirty. Most of the water during dry months comes from two water-recycling plants in Burbank. In fact, an estimated 100 million gallons of water are released daily.

Why green the River? Greening the River offers many benefits, both in terms of the beauty of our environment and the practical business of managing rainwater during storms. The main cause of the severe flooding is people. We have paved over so much of the southland that there are fewer and fewer areas for water to sink into the earth. It has to go somewhere, so it is flooded down the River channel and out to the ocean. That means, however, that all the water is essentially wasted and thrown away.

The various green belt plans set aside areas for parkland to allow storm water to sink into the earth, where it becomes part of our general water supply and available for trees and vegetation. The more water goes into the ground, the less has to be rushed out of the channel. Recently, there have been worries that the River, during a one hundred year storm cycle, might actually overflow the bank. One proposal, which was defeated, was merely to build higher walls along the River. A more sensible solution is not to try to fight the environment but to work with it, letting nature reduce the amount of water that must be channeled out to sea.

It is also the case that Los Angeles has the least amount of public park space for its residents of any major city in the world. We know, but don't know exactly why, the presence of parks and trees actually reduces crime. Over the last twenty years, many American cities have restored their once-neglected Rivers and discovered that these new parklands create businesses, jobs, improve tourism, and benefit their communities in many other ways. Because of entrenched resistance and old fashioned ideas (not to mention insane ones, such as paving the River to make it into another freeway), Los Angeles remains one of the few cities left that has not taken concerted efforts to restore its River.

That has all begun to change now with the County's Master Plan and efforts of groups like FoLAR, NorthEast Trees, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the trust for Public Land. Over the next few years, a series of parks are being built, and the Mountain Conservancy has millions of dollars set aside to buy properties along the River, where the land can be stripped of pavement and "settling pools" for water restored to the environment.

These parklands will allow for bicycling, jogging, walking and birdwatching along the River, along with other recreational activities. Furthermore, the presence of Park Rangers provided by the Mountains Conservancy will help to reduce crime and keep the River trash-free and beautiful.