River of dreams: Divining the fate of the los angeles river

摘要

One hot August day I go searching for the Los Angeles River. I don't care about a blue line on the map. I'm looking for something more fanciful. Today, I'm looking for magic. Over the years, I have occasionally fallen victim to spells cast by streams and rivers. Their incantations have taken various forms—a lazily drifting canoe, a trout fly landing in a still pool, even just a rock where I can sit and study the moving water. On this summer day in the nation's second largest city, I want to see if the Los Angeles River is capable of any such alchemy.