The route begins all the way in Griffith Park, meandering the tons of trash and debris it has accumulated through Los Angeles’ entirety before emptying into Long Beach’s ocean – and often onto its beaches.  Mayor Foster has taken notice and addressed the possibility of diverting the Long Angeles River’s flow away from Long Beach in Tuesday’s State of the City address.

The problem is disgustingly apparent, and one need only drive scenic Queensway Drive for evidence.  Beneath the glitzy Long Beach skyline, and downstream from bridges acting as gateways to some eerie trash finish line, lies a plastic/paper/gunk jambalaya – prepared sloppily and best served never.

These pictures – captured a few days after last weekend’s Southland storm – show an L.A. River trash net overflowing with garbage.  Ebbing and bobbing with the river’s soft waves, the floating mass of plastic breathes.  Large clumps come together like Pangea before continental drift takes hold and the trash spreads to all corners of the net.  Birds pick and swim through the debris as Long Beach’s skyline looms in the background.

The trash caught in the net is removed and hauled off, but most of Los Angeles’ refuse slides by undisturbed – free to make its way to whatever beach, bay or breakwater it so chooses.


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