Kayaking the Los Angeles River (VIDEO)
Posted September 12, 2012 in Environmental Justice, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
A couple of weeks ago, I took an awesome kayak trip down the Los Angeles River and shot some video along the way. Check it out.
It's an exciting time for the Los Angeles River. This summer's kayak tours sold out immediately and have been the hottest ticket in town. Agencies and elected officials at all levels are now engaged in efforts to revitalize the River, including the Obama administration, which has included the River as part of its Urban Waters Federal Partnership. The California Legislature just passed a bill that will help increase public access to the River.
If you missed out on the kayak tours this year, contact the organizers and your local elected officials and let them know the program should be expanded. I've also included some links below if you want to learn more about L.A. River kayak trips and revitalization efforts.
Links:
Paddle the L.A. River Program: This is the tour I took, highlighted in the video above. The PADDLE program is run by the Los Angeles Conservation Corps under a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with The River Project, the Mountains and Recreation Conservation Authority, Urban Semillas, Friends of the Los Angeles River, and the City of Los Angeles.
L.A. River Expeditions: This group is also leading L.A. River kayak tours, all of which sold out instantly.
Taylor Yard: Here's my blog post on our collaborative efforts with the community to protect open space along the River at a former railyard known as Taylor Yard. A follow-up post is here. The developer has extended its option once again, so I will be updating my blog again on this issue soon.
L.A. River Revitalization Master Plan: This is the City of Los Angeles's long-term vision and master plan for revitalizing the River and the communities through which the River flows.
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Comments
Lisa Beebe — Sep 12 2012 08:59 PM
Thanks for posting the video! This looks like so much fun! Maybe I'll check it out next year. :)
Laura McLean — Sep 13 2012 09:26 AM
Great video tour! Thanks Damon!
Mark Creamer — Sep 13 2012 01:51 PM
Sounds like a great trip!!
Josh Mogerman — Sep 13 2012 02:44 PM
Ha! You are going to force me to post my recent Chicago River float on Switchboard to accompany yours:
http://chicagoist.com/2012/08/11/river_tour.php
Gruvdiva — Sep 16 2012 06:10 PM
To the uninitiated this looks SO cool. And I'm glad that people who haven't a clue are getting this exposure. I just think that it's a crying shame that as usual, nature in Los Angeles is only available to those who can pay for it.
As someone who has spent many hours at the river's edge observing the wildlife in the air, water and land, and an experienced kayaker WISHING I could put my boat in the river, it bums me out that I cannot enjoy the river, which is my birthright, from my own kayak, without hiring an expedition company and buying permits.
The LA River belongs to the people. Not just those who can afford to buy passage.
Damon Nagami — Sep 16 2012 09:15 PM
Gruvdiva -- I could not agree more that everyone should have equal access to the L.A. River, to do things like kayaking, hiking and birdwatching. This is a long-term goal of our organization and many others.
Public access to the river is and has long been very limited due to public safety concerns (e.g., floods), and because multiple agencies claim jurisdiction over the river and require permits for activities like kayaking. The goal of the kayaking program is to raise awareness to further river restoration efforts and expand public access.