

The LA River's official beginning, where the Bell and Calabasas Creeks meet up in Canoga Park, is now marked with a brand new, $11.5-million green space called the LA River Headwaters, says County Supe Zev Yaroslavsky's website. The project, which contains a total of two-and-half miles of trails for pedestrians and bikes, is the river's largest greening endeavor to date. "If we improve the beginning and end of the river, then we can start filling in all the gaps. Ultimately, the grand picture is to provide connectivity for recreation along the whole river," says the LADWP's watershed manager.

The five-acre park also has a large section of hidden, water-recapturing elements that should collect and filter about 587,000 gallons of runoff a year, "enough water for five families of four in a year," the chief deputy director of the county Department of Public Works tells KCET. The park also has two bridges and two underpasses (not cheap to build), one of which "transforms the culvert into a walkable area" and creates access to the greenway's trails. The project received partial funding from Proposition 84 River Parkways Grant, but most of the money came from the County's Flood Control District.

The greenway officially opened this past weekend, but it's not yet finished. As it stands, the trail ends suddenly at a residential street to the east, where a gate stands and prevents access to the area. LADWP is also working to link the Headwaters' trails to the LA River bike path.

· Green river milestone [ZY]

· New Greenway Opens at L.A. River's Headwaters in Canoga Park [KCET]