Los Angeles River Research Paper

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This week, the namesake waterway of the nation's second-largest city opened for unrestricted public recreation for the first time since the 1930s -- when devastating floods prompted officials to close public access to the river and pave its banks with concrete to improve storm drainage, officials said. Raymond was the third person to paddle a 2.5-mile section that's now wide open for public use. Even the name of this stretch of the 51-mile river captures its natural allure: Elysian Valley. "My experience was, 'wow,'" said Raymond, who plied the waters as a representative of the Los Angeles River Expeditions and the Los Angeles Kayak Club. "There's always the sound of water. That's what's so awesome." Unlike other big city rivers -- such as New York's Hudson River or…show more content…
It's better known as the cinematic home for violence and car chases in films such as "Grease" and "Terminator 2." In the 1990s, the conservation group American Rivers placed it six times on the list of the country's 20 most threatened and endangered rivers. In 2010, however, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared it a "traditional navigable water," allowing for Clean Water Act protections, officials said. The river ultimately ends in the Pacific Ocean at Long Beach, California. Another maiden kayaker this week, Councilman-elect Mitch O'Farrell, almost capsized during his adventure. "People were downright giddy to get into a kayak on the Los Angeles River," he said. "Even that 2.5-mile has rapids. It takes some concentration. It's a real river. It does take certain risks." Alissa Walker, a blogger who wrote about her experience Monday, said she has been among a group of enthusiasts who have taken illegal trips down the river just to prove it was safe. Like others, she hopes officials will open other sections of the river to the

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