Los Angeles River restoration could face setback due to climate change, wildfires
A new movement is happening to revitalize the Los Angeles River with life, but the recent wildfires have put the progress at risk.
Amid the concrete flood channels are rare green pockets within the LA River are proving essential not just for the wildlife but for the city's resilience. The natural spaces are helping LA adapt to a hotter, drier and more unpredictable future.
Long before the freeways and skyscrapers, the LA River sustained the Tongva people and Spanish settlers. Currently, it faces threats from pollution and climate change.
"It's really critical for us to understand that the river is LA's origin story," said Candice Dickens-Russell, the CEO of Friends of the LA River. "LA is where it is because the river is where it is and all roads lead to the river when it rains, everything finds its way here."
Dickens-Russell and her organization are helping advocate for nature, the climate and equity on the LA River. They are committed to protecting the river's ecosystem and the communities it impacts.
"Our rivers are 10 million years old…all of that life in this special environment has persisted," said Ann Willis, with American Rivers. "We're not trying to stop change, we're just trying to acclimate and moderate the pace of change for many generations to come."
Southern California's wildfires are a stark reminder of this changing climate. Post-fire runoff carries toxic metals and carcinogens into the river, threatening water quality for millions.
American Rivers is a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization that works to promote the health of rivers across the country. They work with communities to reduce river pollution, remove unnecessary dams and advocate for policies for clean water.
"When fires burn cities and impact homes and communities, the impact to the river lasts a long time," Willis said. "Heavy metals like lead, zinc, copper, things that don't degrade… can enter our food chain, can make our beaches unswimmable our water undrinkable."
The Sepulveda Basin is one of the only stretches of the LA River that looks like a real river. The area thrives with greenery, wildlife and year-round flowing water thanks to reclaimed water. It's a success story for river revitalization, offering space for kayaking, fishing and nature walks.
But just a few miles downstream, it's a very different picture. Most of the LA River looks like a man-made flood channel designed to move water out of the city as quickly as possible. Efforts are underway to turn more of these concrete walls into green spaces that provide much-needed environmental benefits. With climate change intensifying and threats like wildfire runoff contaminating the water, the fight to restore the LA River is more urgent than ever.
"There is a direct connection between the diversity and health of our natural world and the economic health of our lives," Willis said. "The beautiful thing about natural infrastructure like a floodplain or a healthy forest is that in many ways it maintains itself…we can take the money we would've spent on gray infrastructure and we can invest in other places where it's really needed."
Over one million people live within a mile of the LA River. Neighborhoods with more parks see lower asthma rates and fewer heat-related illnesses. Restoration isn't just about water, it's about community health and climate adaptation.
"I don't think that most people understand the connection between the river and climate or the way that a healthy green, thriving river can impact the climate," said Dickens-Russell. "Notice the nature. It's not something you get in your car and drive far away to do. It's right there and take the time to notice it."
Community education is key to the river's future. With continued restoration, more sections of the LA River could look like the Sepulveda Basin—lush, thriving, and full of life. But as climate change accelerates, the fight for the river's future is far from over.
