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KCET Departures: The Los Angeles River

Posted by: Maven on June 8, 2009 at 6:28 am

From KCET Departures:

Hundreds of years ago, the Gabriellos – L. A.’s first residents – lived and worked on the banks of the Paime Pahite. That river’s basin was green and lush, according to Anthony Morales, Chief Red Bloog of the Tangva Indians, dotted with strands of willow and oak that stretched all the way to the Pacific.

With the arrival of the Spaniards and the western rancheros, the Paime Pahite and its tributaries began to change. The demands of an ever growing population, and development of new irrigation technologies, changed both the river’s landscape and its meaning in the lives of Angelenos. (It also changed its name, the Paime Pahite becoming the Los Angeles River.) By the 1930′s, when a series of heavy floods led the Army Corps of Engineers to canalize the waterway into little more than a concrete flood control channel, the city had essentially turnd its back on the ancient river running through it.

But things have changed. As a result of 25 years of stubborn labor, steady reclamation and dedication, an army of activists, environmentalists, and residents are poised to redisvocer the Paime Pahite. The City now has a master plan to revitalize the river and in the process run a cool, green ribbon of public space up L. A.’s spine.

Journey with us down the 52-mile stretch of the Los Angeles River and meet those who are helping it flow back to our public life and popular imagination.

Check out this interesting and informative interactive webpage on the Los Angeles River by KCET Departures – click here.

June 8, 2009 · Filed Under Southern California

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