NOTABLE LA RIVER WEBSITES

LARiver.org - This is the City of Los Angeles’s official site, where you’ll find documents, notices of public meetings, and information about efforts by the mayor, city council, and various city agencies to protect and restore the river. 

Los Angeles River Cooperation Committee - This entity is the second of the three new governance entities recommended in the 2007 LARRMP. The Committee was established in 2010; its first public meeting was in January 2011.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Works LA River Master plan - A website where LA County’s river efforts and county’s 1992 master plan are displayed.

Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR) - Founded in 1986, FoLAR is the main private-sector education and advocacy group for the LA River.

KCET’s Departures KCET’s Departures – A site rich with audio and video on the history, neighborhoods and ecology of the LA River.

The CRA/LA Northeast LA River Study Area -  The City and the CRA are studying how to implement a new redevelopment project area along the river in Elysian Valley, Atwater Village, Cypress Park and Glassell Park.

The Cornfields Arroyo Seco Specific Plan - The CRA is also studying this site as a redevelopment project area.

The River Project - A non-profit organization dedicated to natural resource protection, conservation and enhancement of the River. Although it is not up-to-date, The River Project's website has information on some key restoration projects.

NOTABLE WEBSITES ON LA RIVER TRIBUTARIES

Arroyo Seco Foundation - This non-profit organization is committed to the restoration of the Arroyo Seco. ASF also works with LA River Partners on numerous issues pertaining to Arroyo Seco and LA River confluence. These include the Confluence Gateway Multi-Benefit Project, and the extension of the LA River Bikeway northward along the Arroyo Seco to Pasadena.

Ballona Creek Renaissance -
This group is dedicated to improving Ballona Creek and the community's use of it in several ways: water quality, ecosystems, recreation, arts, attractiveness and amenities.

Friends of the San Gabriel River - They aspire to educate residents and communities, to serve as an advocate and catalyst for effective action, to clean up and restore the San Gabriel River, to protect its water quality, and
to celebrate the river’s natural splendor.

Sun Valley Watershed - The mission of the Sun Valley Watershed Stakeholders Group is to solve local flooding problems, while retaining all storm water runoff from the watershed, thus increasing water conservation, recreational opportunities, and wildlife habitat, while reducing storm water pollution.

San Gabriel Mountains Regional Conservancy - Their mission is to connect mountains, urban creeks and watershed of the upper San Gabriel River.

The Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council - Dedicated to preserving, restoring and enhancing the economic, social, and ecological health of the watershed.

San Gabriel & Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy - A state agency and member of three Joint Powers Authorities (Watershed Conservation Authority, San Gabriel River Discovery Center Authority, and Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority).

NOTABLE WEBSITES ABOUT THE PARKS NEAR THE LA RIVER

California State Parks Foundation -
This non-profit membership organization is dedicated to protecting, enhancing and advocating for California's magnificent State Parks.

Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy - Created by the state in 1980, the SMMC has helped to preserve over 60,000 acres of parkland in Southern California.

Mountains Recreation and Conservancy - The MRCA manages and provides ranger services for the SMMC’s land, and other public lands and parks. It is one of the lead agencies providing for the revitalization of the Los Angeles River.

City of Los Angeles Dept. of Parks and Recreation - This Department maintains many of the parks along the River.

North East Trees  – In partnership with governmental agencies, this organization has built over 35 mini-parks in the Greater Los Angeles area, many adjacent to the LA River.

The Trust for Public Land  - This is a national land conservation organization that helps identify and fund parks and open space, including several along the River.

NOTABLE WEBSITES ABOUT THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

Aguafornia - Discussions on California water issues by the Water Education Foundation.

Audubon Society - The Los Angeles chapter of the Audubon Society promotes the enjoyment and protection birds and other wildlife.

California Native Plant Society - This LA/Santa Monica Mountain Chapter organizes local field trips, volunteer events and more, about California's native flora. Its mission is to preserve this rich resource for future generations.

The City Project - This advocacy group strives to achieve equal justice, democracy, and livability, particularly in poorer, minority communities, such as those located along many sections of the LA River.

Environmental Defense Fund - This national group brings together experts in science, law and economics to tackle complex environmental issues.

Friends of Ballona Wetlands - A volunteer group dedicated to protecting and restoring the Ballona Wetlands.

Heal the Bay - This prominent group strives to make the Santa Monica Bay and Southern California beaches healthy and safe again, for both people and marine life. This includes working to clean up the LA River and other water channels, which empty into the Santa Monica Bay.

Los Angeles Conservation Corps - This group was established in 1986 to employ young adults to perform community improvement and environment work.

Los Angeles County Bike Coalition - This membership-based advocacy organization works to improve the bicycling environment and quality of life in Los Angeles County.

Santa Monica Baykeeper - Founded in 1993, the Santa Monica Baykeeper's mission is to protect and restore the Santa Monica Bay, San Pedro Bay and adjacent waters through enforcement, fieldwork, and community action.

Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Areas Steering Committee - This group meets regularly in the 225-acre Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve to help preserve and enjoy this habitat for wildlife.

Sierra Club - Los Angeles Chapter - This leading environmental group works to protect the wild places of Southern California.

Southern California Steelhead Recovery - This coalition of environmental, conservation, surfing, sport and commercial fishing and river groups works to restore free-flowing rivers and streams, riparian habitat, and watersheds in order to foster the full recovery of the Southern Steelhead and other native aquatic and riparian species of Southern California.

Sun Valley Watershed Stakeholders - This group is working to solve the local flooding problem while retaining all storm water runoff from the watershed, thus increasing water conservation, recreational opportunities, and wildlife habitat, while reducing storm water pollution.

Theodore Payne Foundation - Founded in 1960, this organization promotes the understanding and preservation of California native flora.

TreePeople - TreePeople is an environmental group that plants trees, works on reclaiming water runoff, and plans for a sustainable future for Los Angeles.

UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science - This research center aims to preserve California's biodiversity and ecosystems through research, education and public outreach in partnership with state and federal agencies.

Urban Semillas – The group works to educate underserved and monolingual (Spanish-speaking) communities about watershed and social justice issues.

The Village Gardeners - This all-volunteer organization is dedicated to the beautification of the Los Angeles River between Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Fulton Avenue, in the cities of Studio City and Sherman Oaks.

Wetlands Action Network - This organization concentrates on wetlands protection and restoration efforts in many areas in the Pacific region.

NOTABLE BLOGS

Arroyo Lover - Meredith McKenzie, a watershed expert and advocate, blogs about the Arroyo and LA Rivers.

Andy Lipkis - TreePeople’s founder and president opines about sustainable solutions.

Biking In LA - A thoughtful blog about two-wheeling in the Southland.

L.A. Creek Freak - A blog with recent river news and events, written by long-time activist and river guide, Joe Linton and co-writter, Jessica Hal.

Rambling L.A. - Llsa Setziol, an environmental reporter, writes about Southland gardening, outings, green projects and more.

Spouting Off - Mark Gold, president of Heal the Bay blogs about water-related topics.

OTHER NOTABLE WEBSITES

Bridges of L.A. - Kevin Break’s stunning photos of the River’s historic bridges.

LA Conservancy’s River Bridges - An overview of the historic structures spanning the River, from the leading architectural preservation organization.

LA River Railroads - Photos and stories of the railroads, engines and cars that run along the River, from enthusiast Bruce Petty.

Scenic Photographs of the River - Gorgeous images of the LA River by photographer John Humble.

NOTABLE DOCUMENTS/PUBLICATIONS

The Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan - This impressive document is a comprehensive vision plan that was crafted between 2005 and 2007 from public workshops, interviews and dozens of meetings of architects, planners, environmentalists, engineers, city and agency staffers and consultants. It lays out a compelling vision for neighborhood parks, open space, removal of sections of the concrete channel and riverfront revitalization. The LA City Council adopted it in 2007.

Los Angeles River Revitalization Brochure - This fold-out brochure summarizes some of the highlights of the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan -- its inspiration, goals, vision, and community benefits. It also includes a project map showing the location of future potential projects by neighborhood, as well as "10 things to do along the Los Angeles River." 

Parks, Playgrounds and Beaches for the Los Angeles Region - In 1930, Olmsted Brothers and Bartholomew Associates, the landscape architectural firm started by the sons of America’s most important planner, Frederick Law Olmstead, published this classic report. Their original plans proposed a series of parks, playgrounds and public beaches including a parkland alongside the LA River. The City Project has taken these visionary but ignored proposals and mapped them against the realities of today.

NOTABLE BOOKS ABOUT THE RIVER

Eden By Design: The 1930 Olmstead-Bartholomew Plan for the Los Angeles Region by Greg Hise, William Francis Deverell, 2000. The authors reexamine the Olmsted and Bartholomew plans for what might have been in Los Angeles open space design.

Hazardous Metropolis: Flooding and Urban Ecology in Los Angeles by Jared Orsi. University of California Press, 2004.

The Los Angeles River: It’s Life, Death, and Possible Rebirth by Blake Gumprecht, 1996

Río L.A.: Tales from the Los Angeles River by Patt Morrison with photos by Mark LaMonica, 2001. Essays

Down by the Los Angeles River: Friends of the Los Angeles River’s Official Guide by Joe Linton, 2005. The comprehensive guide to walking and biking on the River, along with numerous maps, points of interest and interesting tidbits.

Ulysses Guide to the Los Angeles River, Volume 1 by Christopher D. Brand, Evan D. Skresderstu, Steve Martinez, and J. Matthew Brand, along with Ulysses L. Zemanova, 2002