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LA River Right-of-Way

The LA River right-of-way facilitates access by the LA County Flood Control District (LACFCD) and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to operate and maintain the river channel.

It includes the entirety of the LA River channel as well as areas immediately adjacent to the channel banks. These adjacent areas are called “landside.” As part of the process to update the LA River Master Plan, the right-of-way was mapped in greater detail using aerial photography and parcel ownership records. There are over 2,300 acres of land in the right-of-way, including over 550 acres of landside area and 1,740 acres within the river channel.

In addition to LACFCD-controlled land adjacent to the river, utility and railroad rights-of-way are potentially underutilized spaces whose repurposing could increase access, connectivity, and park space.
OLIN, 2019.

Along the river, the width of the right-of-way varies. Nearly three quarters of the river has a landside area greater than 12 feet wide. However, about 16.5% of the river has no landside area, which makes access to the channel difficult in those areas. While it is essential that maintenance remain uninhibited, in certain areas open space in the right of way could be redesigned to also provide trails, access, recreation, or habitat.

The LA River landside takes many forms. Though discontinuous along the river’s two banks, the landside includes over 550 acres that can potentially be used for corridor projects, including trails.

OLIN, 2019.
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