L.A. River Partnership Brings Secretary of Interior to Atwater

Council District 1's Ed Reyes will join Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar Thursday to discuss a federal and city partnership to continue efforts to revitalize the L.A. River.

North Atwater Park, the site of the event, is adjacent to the Glendale Narrows stretch of the river. It is entered from the east side off the river on Chevy Chase off San Fernando Road.

The 9-mile Glendale Narrows runs down from Atwater through the Elysian Valley and has a natural bottom fed by an aquifer.

According to a press release, the river revitalization is one of seven projects across the country selected for a Urban Waters Federal Partnership.

The partnership strives to connect neighborhoods with their waterways through federal and community-driven collaborations.

Reyes, of course, has led city efforts to revitalize the river as chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on the L.A. River.

North Atwater Park is currently being restored with native vegetation and a filtration system as part of the city's master plan for the river.

It is set to reopen this spring.

The Red Car Park, just below, at Glendale Boulevard has already seen a fair amount of restoration and is getting wide use by the public.