Parks along the LA River

Parks Along The LA River
by Kenny Crone

Most of the greater Los Angeles community seems to have forgotten that the people that first settled here did so because they has a river they could live off of. “Now LA has turned into a concrete jungle, and so has the river,” said a resident of Montebello.

“The LA River is the scar on the face of Los Angeles,” said a long-time resident of Los Angeles . So what does someone put on a scar? Scar Cream. So what does the LA River put on? Parks.

Many parks and recreation areas line the LA River. The parks have natural wildlife habitats in areas such as the Glendale Narrows and near the Long Beach harbor. These parks create green spaces for a county that is lacking green space. The LA River has about 20 parks along its path from the upper San Fernando Valley 51 miles to Long Beach.

But putting a park next to the LA River is a long and difficult process. The organizations that want to put in a park must first buy the land next to the river, then somehow accumulate funding, whether it be by fundraising, or by taxes by a city. Then they must put in the park, which usually takes months and sometimes years, particularly if the site previously had industrial use

Friends of the Los Angeles River, or FoLAR, is the main activist for creating parks next to the LA River. FoLAR’s goal is to create a green space along the 51-mile LA River from its source in the San Fernando Valley to the port in Long Beach.

One of the larger parks next to the LA River is Taylor Yard, or Rio de Los Angeles State Park. The park lies in the Glendale Narrows section of the river is in between the Santa Monica Mountains to the west and Repetto Hills to the east.


Originally the 244-acre site was used for maintenance for railroad operations. Since 1990 the area has been subdivided in various sections for transportation facilities, industrial buildings and commercial uses.

That left 102 acres for habitat restoration, recreation and flood control uses. The park, which opened last year, now has three full-size soccer fields, two baseball diamonds and a play structure and basketball courts. It also has a large area for wildlife habitat.

It took a long time to accumulate the funding for the park, but Alicia Katano, director of educational programs at FoLAR, believes she knows why the general public doesn’t really care about this park next to the river.

“People just don’t know it’s there, that’s the problem with the LA river, if you don’t know it’s there you won’t want to help and protect it.” She said.

On the other hand, some people do not want parks developed because it would attract more people to their neighborhoods. “The extra traffic could affect my daily routine,” said Jim Liebenguth, who lives near the river in the valley.

But some say the parks are great additions to these riverside communities. “I finally have a place to walk with my dog and it’s so nice.” said Spencer Langan, a resident near the river. “It’s fascinating,” said another walker.

Another roadblock to creating these parks is the lack of land for green space in Los Angeles. Industrial and residential development already goes into the flood plain along the River, leaving little open space on which to locate a park.

In 2005, when the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master plan was endorsed by the Los Angeles City Council, the amount of possible parks along the LA River drastically increased. “Creating a green ribbon through the city, with green stands extending the River’s influence into adjacent neighborhoods in order to reconnect communities to the River and each other,” says the master plan.


One new park, Maywood Riverfront Park , already set a precedent by being built on industrial land that was converted to open space. The contaminated soil was removed, and even more opportunities like this are available, FoLAR’s Katano said.
The City Council strongly supported the plan. “For the first time in the City Council’s history, we are bringing a real focus to the LA River. It’s long overdue, particularly for the neighborhoods along the river’s path.” said Councilman Ed Reyes, River Committee Chairman on the city’s website for park acquisition.

Most of the money comes from Proposition 34, which sets aside money for parks. New park acquisitions are expected to come from a combination of funding from local municipalities, state, and federal governments and some private sector funders.
Still, no matter what the Master Plan or the City Council says, it may be difficult to “create a green ribbon through the city.” To do so, might cost, according to the plan, $2 billion or more, but the council is still confident it can be done.

"All of these statements about it being difficult have been made before, and I listen to it and understand it," said Councilman Reyes. "But impossible? I don't believe it is."