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In 2008, a group of river activists kayaked the 51-mile L.A. River in three days to prove it was navigable | Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist
Now with the L.A. River defined as a navigable, there's a movement afloat to make it usable for residents. Today L.A. City Councilmember Ed Reyes, who leads the city's river committee on the river and spearheaded the river revitalization master plan, introduced a motion to establish a boating program.
“This motion brings people closer to experiencing the L.A. River--a living, breathing ecosystem of water, plant and animals--through kayaking and other non-motorized boating activities,” Reyes said. “The motion further brings communities together and creates access to the River for locals, especially those who travel long distances just to recreate in water.”
The motion asks that city staff, L.A. County and environmental groups to work with the United States Army Corps of Engineers and deliver a report in 90 days on "the feasibility of establishing a pilot non-motorized boating program for the 32-mile stretch of the L.A. River that lies within the City’s boundaries," according to Reyes' office. The report should look into legal, financial, public safety, education and access issues.
In July, the Environmental Protection Agency declared the L.A. River as navigable, thus fitting it under the Clean Water Act. A three-day boating trip that LAist documented was used as evidence in the government's report. Earlier this month, a group of kayakers took LA Times staffers down a portion of the river. On that trip was river activist George Wolfe who says people need to speak up if they want to someday legally boat the river. With Reyes motion, here's the opportunity.