Walking the Los Angeles River Thru Atwater Village

We've left the San Fernando Valley and we're headed toward downtown Los Angeles. Even here, the Los Angeles River continues to surprise us.

Looking up the Los Angeles River from the Los Feliz Blvd. Bridge

At first glance the Los Angeles River's cement sides suggest flood canal, but no one has told the wildlife. Willows, reeds, and palms are establishing themselves and providing habitat.

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Art painted on a bridge support.

We continue to see a variety of water fowl and birds (34 species in this section). But for the first time we saw a coyote and Canada geese in the River.

The bridge at Los Feliz Blvd. offers easy viewing of the River. There is close parking at the Community Golf Course and a cute food establishment.

Closed access, due to El Nino flood control measures, caused us to cross the River several times and to reroute through adjacent neighborhoods, but we soon found the river walkway again.

We ended at the Marsh Street Nature Center–a hidden treasure with lovely walkways, native plants, a skate park, and a large mosaic rattlesnake sculpture. Just a quarter of a mile further we stopped in at the local Spoke Bicycle Cafe right off the L.A. River Bikeway at N. Coolridge Ave. More photos by Douglas Welch

This area is dog friendly (on a leash), but be sure to give right of way to bicyclists. 

Discover a section of the Los Angeles River near you.
Discover the Headwaters of the Los Angeles River (least sandpipers, American crows) 
Walking the L.A. River - West San Fernando Valley (killdeer, mallards, American crows)
Discover L.A. River at Sepulveda Basin (red-tailed hawk, Canada geese, American wigeon)
Sepulveda Basin - An Earth Minute in One Spot (American coot, double-crested cormorant, song sparrow)
Wildlife at L.A. River - Glendale Narrows (American wigeon, greater yellowlegs, black-necked stilt)
 

Where will you find your EARTHMINUTE ?

Discover The L.A. River at Sepulveda Basin

Los Angeles River west of Balboa Blvd.

As the Los Angeles River heads to the ocean, this is the first section that has a “soft” or natural bottom. Most of the concrete disappears and the River is allowed to strive for wildness.

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You can easily walk this section along a dirt road/path from Lake Balboa to the Sepulveda Dam. The flow of the river slows and vegetation provides habitat. We were surprised to find wetlands between one of the golf courses and the River. 

American wigeons and mallards

Birds abound here; we saw 42 species including the Canada geese, red-tailed hawk, American coots, American wigeons, mallards, snowy egrets, and a great blue heron highlighted in the video.

The fish in the river with flashy silver sides were counted by agency biologists on December 1, 2015 and found to be introduced tilapia. While the tilapia provide food for native birds, they are not a native species. Biologists are hoping the potential El Niño will wash these rapidly increasing non-native fishes out of the river. See the article in the L.A. Times.

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-lariver-fish-el-nino-20151122-story.html

Native fish species were decimated when the River was cemented in the 1930s. Restoring the River means helping native fish reestablish populations. Wouldn’t it be a major success to have steelhead and salmon return to spawn in the Los Angeles River?

My favorite stretch of the River, just above the Sepulveda Dam

Discover more of the Los Angeles River:
L.A River Headwaters
Walking the L.A. River - San Fernando Valley

Up-close with a snowy egret
Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve

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Walking the L.A. River - West San Fernando Valley

Bridge at Tampa, decorated with river related wildlife

Yes, there is a Los Angeles River.

I started walking the river from its Headwaters in Canoga Park and some friends became interested. 

Walk along with us from Winnetka to the bridge at Tampa and the end of the Bike Trail at the Vanalden footbridge.




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Each bridge and section has its own artistic style. Here there were decorative leaf patterns.

We saw 13 species of birds, including a pair of killdeer, American crows, white-crowned sparrows, lesser goldfinches and the group of least sandpipers that I saw further up the river.

We had a great walk. Native plants in the landscaping were blooming, including wild roses, desert morning glory, and more. For more photos of the flowers check out my friend Douglas Welch's blog.

We're almost to the area where the creeks from the Chatsworth area join the river. Hike Limekiln Canyon Park, CA (Pacific tree frog, western fence lizard)

Discover more places around Los Angeles 
to experience your own Earth Minute.

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