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LA sanitation officials will now give boaters clear signs if the LA river is safe

Kayakers on the L.A. River near Marsh Park during the opening day of the new "recreation zone."
Kayakers on the L.A. River near Marsh Park during opening day in 2013.
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Mary Plummer/KPCC
)

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The summer kayaking season opens this weekend on the Los Angeles River. And just in time, the city Sanitation department has a new website where you can check how clean the water is.

The new protocol comes after KPCC reported last year that E.coli bacteria levels were 100 times higher than federal standards but local officials who knew didn't have the authority to close the river to recreational users.

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