A Watershed Decision for the LA River

"The designation overturned an earlier ruling by the Army Corps of Engineers that only four miles of the river were navigable, which would have made it easier to develop its upper reaches by eliminating the need for certain federal permits.

'This is an important day, one we've been working toward for years,' said poet and writer Lewis MacAdams, founder of Friends of the Los Angeles River. 'It is a day when the EPA has essentially redefined the L.A. River and its values. In other words, starting today, a flood control channel is only one of its many characteristics.'"