Wildlife in the L.A. River

Wildlife in the L.A. River

By Juan Carlos Noble

Wildlife is important to a city. For some cities the wildlife a signature part of the city such as sea lions in San Francisco and pelicans in Miami. Many cities have wildlife, and though natural species may not be a key aspect, they are still recognized and looked upon kindly by both inhabitants and tourists.

In the cement ruled-fortress that is Los Angles, wildlife struggles for attention and the ability to survive. For the little wildlife that exists in Los Angeles County, much of it is found along the Los Angles River, a river that forces its way through the city. Its banks are mostly composed of cement, and its waters are the city’s nastiest runoff.

To the average resident of Los Angeles, the river is just a blemish on the face of the city, or as one Los Angles resident put it, “little more than a giant puddle.” To people around the world, it is the place where scenes from movies like “Transformers” and music videos are filmed.

However people fail to acknowledge that the natural bedded areas of the river, which lie in such places as the Sepulveda Basin and the Glendale Narrows, actually have a great variety of wildlife. In some basins that run adjacent to the river wildlife thrives.

Since the beginning of the river, it has been home to several different species of fish. In terms of aquatic life, the river is home to two fish that are only found in Southern California. Both the Santa Ana Sucker and the Arroyo Chub are native to rivers and creeks all over Southern California.

Recently the numbers of the Santa Ana Sucker in the L.A. River dwindled to the point where great concern was shown for the fish. In 2003, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to designate a critical habitat for the fish after its original habitat was decreased to less than 25 percent habitat, according to a statement issued by the court.

In the 20th century the river was actually home to one of the biggest commercial fishes, trout. But the steelhead trout run was wiped out by Corps of Engineers between 1938 and 1940, experts say. The trout were wiped out for several reasons, first because they prefer a temperature that is below 54 °F, and second because all of the flooding and construction that took place during the thirties and forties created an environment which was not to their liking for spawning. It seems doubtful the trout will be able to return to the L.A. River, not just because of the condition the river is in but also because the temperature of the river has gone up. When Alicia Katano Education Director of Friends of the Los Angeles River was asked about whether the trout could return she replied “We certainly hope so and there are companies working on studying this.”


Carp are an invasive species to the river. “They are definitely thriving there.” said Katano. Carp can live just about anywhere, “They are not seen as a sign of a "pristine" river ecosystem but the L.A. River is not a ‘pristine’ waterway.” added Katano. They are able to live along side with the other fish, more sensitive fish in harmony.

In addition to fish the river provides a home for numerous birds such as egrets, herons, ducks, sandpipers and many more species. In some parts of the river are islands that birds can use as a safe haven from cats and coyotes. Some of the islands are maintained by volunteers such as George Wolfe who checks up on his kayak and makes sure that the islands are in good condition and that the birds have a safe place to go.

Some residents who live near the river aren’t even aware of the wildlife that is in the river. “I’d see like some moths or some grass growing, but I don’t remember seeing any other animals inside the river” said Marc Castaneda, a native of the San Fernando Valley.

Anyone crossing over the river is now greeted by a blue-and-white sign with an attractive pelican. Environmentalists fear that if trends to revitalize the river cant be explained, the only wild life you will be seeing along the L.A. River will be the pelicans on those signs.