Title supplied by cataloger. For many years the Los Angeles River was the subject of many jokes because of its dry riverbed. Originally an alluvial river that ran freely across a flood plain, the Los Angeles River's path was unstable and unpredictable with the mouth of the river moving frequently from one place to the other. The river was prone to bursting its banks with devastating affects, a problem that plagued the local area well into the 1930s. This situation ultimately lead to an outcry for flood control measures. The Army Corps of Engineers began an ambitious project of completely encasing the river's bed and banks in concrete leaving only a trickle of water flowing down its middle. Today, this intermittent river flows for most of its 51 miles through a narrow concrete channel. This photo was taken from the 7th Street viaduct looking north. It shows the Sixth Street viaduct with rough and muddy waters full of debris swirling down under the Los Angeles River basin, pre-1938 cementing. Photo dated: November 9, 1937.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;13 x 18 cm. Photographic prints
River channels--California--Los Angeles Railroad tracks--California--Los Angeles Bridges--California--Los Angeles Rivers--California--Los Angeles Sixth Street Bridge (Los Angeles, Calif.) Los Angeles River (Calif.)
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
