MNN - Mother Nature Network

The once rather unknown Los Angeles River has been constantly in news the last few years, especially since a bunch of kayakers paddled down the waterway in 2008 to show that the river was indeed navigable. That splashy feat countered the Army Corps of Engineers contention that most of the river was unnavigable, and thus ineligible for some Clean Water Act protections. Finally in 2010, the EPA declared the L.A. River navigable.

 

Wish you'd been one of the intrepid original kayakers? It's too late for that — but on the upside you can now become an L.A. kayaker with relative ease, thanks to a new Paddle the L.A. River pilot program. Launched today in the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area, this program allows the public to go on guided kayak and canoe trips!

 

Get click-ready, because starting tomorrow at 7 a.m., tickets will go on sale online — and will be very limited, since only 10 people are allowed per trip, and only two trips are happening a day, and the only days the trips will be offered are Saturdays and Sundays between Aug. 13 and Sept. 25.

 

But if you're lucky enough to get a ticket, you'll get a chance to paddle around between Balboa Boulevard and Sepulveda Dam within the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area. The cost per ticket — which includes not just the trip itself but also the educational info about the river's environment and wildlife from guest speakers — is $50.

 

Scared of the water? Go on a river walk instead with nonprofit Friends of the Los Angeles River. These 90-minute walks will be led by a docent who'll school you on river revitalization, access, and recreation as kayakers and canoers splash on by. The walks cost just $10 with an RSVP to contact@folar.org or 323-223-0585.