Rio de Dios

From its headwaters in Calabasas to the tidal mouth in San Pedro, the Los Angeles River is many things–a storm drain, a wildlife corridor, a history lesson, an open air art gallery, and a metaphor for missed chances balanced against the hope of future possibilities. Once integrated into one of the largest estuary and floodplain systems in California, the L.A. River now waits for rediscovery and renewal. Many people do not know it is there at all, and few can accurately recall its history. Rio de Dios changes that, blending science, history, art, and poetry to explore the complex and contradictory worlds of the Los Angeles River. A fresh, vivid synthesis of the culture and biology of the river, this book investigates its pockets of still-wild habitat, honors its losses, and celebrates its evolving future.