April 23--An estimated 5,000 volunteers scoured the Los Angeles River from the Hyperion Bridge to the Arroyo Seco on Saturday as the annual Earth Month cleanup continued.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and several council members and other elected officials joined volunteers on the second of three Saturday cleanups. Volunteers assembled at seven locations such as those known to locals as the Frog Spot, Steelhead Park and Sunnynook Footbridge.
The 27th annual "Great L.A. River Cleanup" began April 16 in the upper portion of the river. Fifteen tons of trash were removed there.
Officials estimated that 30 tons would be removed from the mid portion of the river Saturday.
The cleanup will conclude April 30 on the lower river. In all, more than 10,000 volunteers are expected to participate.
The effort is organized by Friends of the Los Angeles River, a nonprofit group that advocates for restoration of the river's natural riparian habitat, which was largely sacrificed when a massive flood-control project starting in the late 1930s lined the river in concrete.
Interested in the stories shaping California? Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter >>
Volunteers can still register for the third Saturday at www.folar.org
doug.smith@latimes.com
Twitter: @LATDoug
