One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Fighting to Keep the LA River a River
The political battle to keep the Los Angeles River officially a river after is heating up. Earlier this month, the U.S. Army Corps issued a finding stating that only two small portions of the Los Angeles River constitute as "traditional navigable waters" under the Clean Water Act.
If the decision is allowed to stand, "it would greatly undermine federal protections both for the LA River and the ephemeral streams and tributaries that feed into it," according to Damian Carroll at Assembly Mike Feuer's office. "This issue is of particular importance in light of the City's work in developing the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan."
It is currently illegal to boat in the LA River for safety reasons, but "the fact that it has been accomplished provides credible evidence to overturn the Army Corps' finding," Feuer wrote in a letter to Stephen L. Johnson of the EPA. Feuer also noted in his objection to the Army Corps' finding that the city and other agencies have spent "countless hours" creating the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan that includes permitted boating and river recreation.
Photo: A father and son kayak in the LA River in August, 2007, in Sherman Oaks (story and photos here) | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
