Stench Trench (aka Los Angeles River)

L.A. has flowing money, flowing people and flowing cars. Everything flows in this town, except the river.

We have the prettiest people and the ugliest river. Sacramento has more meth per capita than any city in California. And yet, they have an actual river. San Antonio is full of Texans, and they don’t have a stench trench.  On Saint Patrick’s Day Chicago dyes it’s river green. Apparently in Los Angeles, every day is Saint Patrick’s Day.  If you went fishing in the LA River, you’d be lucky to catch chlamydia.

A clean river would be a stopover for spring and fall migration of birds. That means money. Tourists could see a Great Blue Heron and Mickey Mouse in the same day.  

River front property is worth more than ditch front property.  I see birds in the LA river drinking toxic ooze. We worry about disease transferring from animals to humans.  Let’s stop being a toxic layover. 

Freeing the LA river would be less money than an average city spends preparing for the Olympics.  And instead of empty monoliths left behind, we’d have a river.

In Oahu they have green corridors between development to help absorb rainwater and prevent land slides. Same theory applies to lessening run off from the streets of LA into our river.  Turn useless asphalt into rainwater holding facilities. Engineers use electronics to regulate the flow of Colorado River water.  Why not in the most influential city on Earth? Film crews drive miles to get to an actual river.  We have one here. Our once proud river is used by Hollywood as a wet road for car chases.  Show business seems more interested in getting Hillary into the white house than increasing the quality of life for all Angelinos.  Taming a river isn’t a legacy.  Bringing it back is. Who will step up? 
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