Officials are moving ahead with a major revitalization of the Los Angeles River – removing miles of concrete along its banks and re-greening areas now covered with pavement. This series of photos and renderings show before-and-after views of what the city hopes will be a $1.3 billion restoration project.



Slide the bar from left to right to view the proposed transformations. (All photos courtesy of The City of Los Angeles.) __________________________



Piggyback Yard



The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Los Angeles officials hope to transform the 125-acre Piggyback Yard, the city’s last active railyard, into a massive green space in the heart of downtown, L.A.’s version of New York’s Central Park.

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Taylor Yard



Los Angeles is proposing reverting a 42-acre Union Pacific Railroad property called Taylor Yard back into a network of meandering marshland, riffles, and pools. The city is currently negotiating to buy the land, though one Army Corps biologist warns that after serving as a rail yard for decades, the site will likely need hazardous waste cleanup first.

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Arroyo Secco Confluence



The Arroyo Seco project would require removing one-half mile of concrete riverbed and banks and establishing a riparian wetland and marsh to provide public green space and flood protection. It would also connect the main channel of the L.A. river with the Los Angeles State Historic Park.

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Verdugo Wash Confluence



This project would involve restoring wetlands at the junction of the Los Angeles River and the Verdugo Wash stream.

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The Bowtie



In an area of the river known as the “Bowtie,” developers propose widening and re-sloping the waterway to restore freshwater marsh habitat, as well as removing concrete along the riverbed and banks. The measures would help restore some of the river’s natural floodplain.