133-674: The Glendale Narrows is a scenic 11 mile (17.7 km) section of the Los Angeles River in the Northeast Los Angeles region of Los Angeles County, California . The Tongva people used the Los Angeles River as a vital resource, and had village sites in the larger Glendale Narrows region. These villages included Yaanga and Geveronga . The section's course is adjacent to Glendale , Griffith Park , Los Feliz , Atwater Village , and Elysian Valley . It
266-664: A distributary for the San Gabriel River to the east via the Whittier Narrows Reservoir . The river then crosses under the Century (105) Freeway and shifts slightly southwest, then flows east of Compton and west of Bellflower . After crossing under the Artesia (91) Freeway , it receives Compton Creek from the right, 2.7 miles (4.3 km) from the mouth. After crossing under Interstate 405 for
399-472: A flood plain that is now occupied by Los Angeles, Long Beach, and other townships in Southern California . Its path was unstable and unpredictable, and the mouth of the river moved frequently from one place to another between Long Beach and Ballona Creek. Floods damaged extensive amounts of farmland, destroying houses and killing people and livestock. Severe flooding encouraged those living near
532-600: A regional accent , with urban mallards in London being much louder and more vociferous compared to rural mallards in Cornwall , serving as an adaptation to persistent levels of anthropogenic noise. When incubating a nest, or when offspring are present, females vocalise differently, making a call that sounds like a truncated version of the usual quack. This maternal vocalisation is highly attractive to their young. The repetition and frequency modulation of these quacks form
665-816: A speculum on their wings; males especially tend to have blue speculum feathers. The mallard is 50–65 cm (20–26 in) long, of which the body makes up around two-thirds the length. The wingspan is 81–98 cm (32–39 in) and the bill is 4.4 to 6.1 cm (1.7 to 2.4 in) long. It is often slightly heavier than most other dabbling ducks, weighing 0.7–1.6 kg (1.5–3.5 lb). Mallards live in wetlands , eat water plants and small animals, and are social animals preferring to congregate in groups or flocks of varying sizes. The female lays 8 to 13 creamy white to greenish-buff spotless eggs , on alternate days. Incubation takes 27 to 28 days and fledging takes 50 to 60 days. The ducklings are precocial and fully capable of swimming as soon as they hatch. The mallard
798-693: A water gap in the Verdugo Mountains , and crosses under the Ventura Freeway. Here, the river begins to flow over a natural riverbed, but enters another concrete section soon after. Paralleling the Golden State Freeway for the next few miles, the river runs by the eastern side of Griffith Park and the Harding-Wilson Golf Course. It passes Silver Lake Reservoir , which is to the right, and crosses under
931-622: A $ 1 million donation to support the completion of the ARBOR study by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). This study ultimately resulted in the adoption of Alternative 20 , a restoration plan focused on 719 acres of habitat and pedestrian-friendly improvements, among other things. Communities and cities along the banks of the Los Angeles River include: Numerous films, television programs, music videos, commercials and video games have featured various sites along
1064-695: A 'late' clutch occurred in November 2011, in which a female successfully hatched and raised a clutch of eleven ducklings at the London Wetland Centre . During the breeding season, both male and female mallards can become aggressive, driving off competitors to themselves or their mate by charging at them. Males tend to fight more than females and attack each other by repeatedly pecking at their rival's chest, ripping out feathers and even skin on rare occasions. Female mallards are also known to carry out 'inciting displays', which encourage other ducks in
1197-932: A 7.4 miles (11.9 km) section of the Los Angeles River bicycle path and pedestrian walkway, runs along the Glendale Narrows through Glendale, Griffith Park, Atwater Village, and Elysian Valley. Access to its end points are located at Riverside Drive & Victory Boulevard in Burbank and Egret Park in Elysian Valley. There are other access points along its route. Parks along the path include: Rio de Los Angeles State Park , northeastern Griffith Park , Egret Park , Oso Park , Steelhead Park , Duck Park , Riverdale Mini-Park , Marsh Park , Rattlesnake Park , Crystal Park , and Sunnynook River Park . The 3.2 miles (5.1 km) segment from Riverside Drive, opposite Burbank, to Los Feliz Blvd, opened July 1997 and
1330-604: A board appointed by the then Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and certain members of L.A. City Council, to carry out many of its recommended projects. In September 2009, the first board meeting of the LA River Revitalization Corporation was held. Startup funding was provided by the CRA. Harry B. Chandler was elected first chair of the board, and Omar Brownson was hired in 2010 to be the founding executive director. The first development project undertaken by LARRC
1463-737: A book about his 1876 visit to Los Angeles, entitled Los Angeles in Südcalifornien. Eine Blume aus dem goldenen Land ( Los Angeles in Southern California. A Flower from the Golden Land ) which included a description of the fish in the Los Angeles River: "the salmon, Quinnat salmon (Salmo quinnat), abundant between November and June; two kinds of trout, the brook trout (Salar iridea); and the salmon trout (Ptychocheilus grandis)." These three species are known today as
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#17327808095901596-609: A brood of ducklings. Nesting sites are typically on the ground, hidden in vegetation where the female's speckled plumage serves as effective camouflage , but female mallards have also been known to nest in hollows in trees, boathouses, roof gardens and on balconies, sometimes resulting in hatched offspring having difficulty following their parent to water. Egg clutches number 8–13 creamy white to greenish-buff eggs free of speckles. They measure about 58 mm (2.3 in) in length and 32 mm (1.3 in) in width. The eggs are laid on alternate days, and incubation begins when
1729-492: A combination of hot temperatures and reduced water levels place mallards at an increased risk of contracting botulism , as these conditions are ideal for Clostridium botulinum to propagate, with the birds also more likely to come into contact with botulinum toxin produced by the bacteria. Outbreaks of botulism among mallard populations can lead to mass die-offs. The predation-avoidance behaviour of sleeping with one eye open, allowing one brain hemisphere to remain aware while
1862-554: A concrete channel on a fixed course, which was built after a series of devastating floods in the early 20th century. Before the opening of the Los Angeles Aqueduct , the river was the primary source of fresh water for the city. Although the Los Angeles region still receives some water from the river and other local sources, most of the water supply flows from several aqueducts serving the area. The Los Angeles River
1995-529: A darker crown and eye-stripe. Mallards, like other sexually-dimorphic birds, can sometimes go though spontaneous sex reversal, often caused by damaged or nonfunctioning sex organs, such as the ovaries in mallard hens. This phenomenon can cause female mallards to exhibit male plumage, and vice versa (phenotypic feminisation or masculinisation). Both male and female mallards have distinct iridescent purple-blue speculum feathers edged with white, which are prominent in flight or at rest but temporarily shed during
2128-510: A few blood vessels to prevent heat loss, and, as in the Greenland mallard, the bill is smaller than that of birds farther south, illustrating the rule. Due to the variability of the mallard's genetic code, which gives it its vast interbreeding capability, mutations in the genes that decide plumage colour are very common and have resulted in a wide variety of hybrids, such as Brewer's duck (mallard × gadwall, Mareca strepera ). The mallard
2261-669: A few metres deep. They are attracted to bodies of water with aquatic vegetation. The mallard is omnivorous and very flexible in its choice of food. Its diet may vary based on several factors, including the stage of the breeding cycle, short-term variations in available food, nutrient availability, and interspecific and intraspecific competition . The majority of the mallard's diet seems to be made up of gastropods , insects (including beetles, flies, lepidopterans , dragonflies , and caddisflies ), crustaceans , other arthropods , worms, feces of other birds, many varieties of seeds and plant matter, and roots and tubers . During
2394-609: A few miles before it begins to parallel the Long Beach (710) Freeway near Maywood , Bell , Cudahy , and Commerce , 20 miles (32 km) from the mouth. Paralleling the Long Beach Freeway south-southwest, the river then crosses under former California State Route 42 and the interstate as it receives the Rio Hondo from the left, 9 miles (14 km) from the mouth. The Rio Hondo ("deep river") now serves as
2527-404: A glass window. This paper was awarded an Ig Nobel Prize in 2003. Mallards are opportunistically targeted by brood parasites , occasionally having eggs laid in their nests by redheads , ruddy ducks , lesser scaup , gadwalls , northern shovellers , northern pintails , cinnamon teal , common goldeneyes , and other mallards. These eggs are generally accepted when they resemble the eggs of
2660-709: A large railroad yard on the left. It enters a wider concrete channel with sloped sides, and crosses under Cesar Chavez Avenue, the Hollywood (101) Freeway , and the San Bernardino (10) Freeway as it passes east of downtown Los Angeles , flowing past the East Los Angeles Interchange of the Santa Ana (101) Freeway , Pomona (60) Freeway , and Interstates 5 and 10 on the left. It then makes a gradual turn east and then turns southeast, flowing
2793-447: A mallard) to huge bald ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) and golden eagles ( Aquila chrysaetos ), and about a dozen species of mammalian predators, not counting several more avian and mammalian predators who threaten eggs and nestlings. Mallards are also preyed upon by other waterside apex predators , such as grey herons ( Ardea cinerea ), great blue herons ( Ardea herodias ) and black-crowned night herons ( Nycticorax nycticorax ),
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#17327808095902926-422: A range of bird species, including the great egret , snowy egret , great blue heron , green heron , black-crowned night heron , double-crested cormorant , American white pelican , mallard , cinnamon teal , northern shoveler , American coot , black-necked stilt , greater yellowlegs , spotted sandpiper , killdeer , black phoebe , red-winged blackbird , and the introduced Muscovy duck . It also serves as
3059-413: A request for proposals in 2005 for the preparation of a Revitalization Master Plan, which would identify proposals that would make the Los Angeles River a "front door" to the city, and support civic activities. The city's Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan was adopted in 2007. One of the key recommendations made by the master plan was the establishment of a non-profit development corporation, with
3192-541: A river bank, but not always near water. It is highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and forms large flocks , which are known as "sordes". Mallards usually form pairs (in October and November in the Northern Hemisphere) until the female lays eggs at the start of the nesting season, which is around the beginning of spring. At this time she is left by the male who joins up with other males to await
3325-441: A separate subspecies, the Greenland mallard ( A. p. conboschas ). The mallard is a medium-sized waterfowl species that is often slightly heavier than most other dabbling ducks. It is 50–65 cm (20–26 in) long – of which the body makes up around two-thirds – has a wingspan of 81–98 cm (32–39 in), and weighs 0.7–1.6 kg (1.5–3.5 lb). Among standard measurements,
3458-432: A sequence of 2-10 quacks in a row, starting loud and with the volume gradually decreasing. Male mallards make a sound phonetically similar to that of the female, a typical quack , but it is deeper and quieter compared to that of the female. Research conducted by Middlesex University on two English mallard populations found that the vocalisations of the mallard varies depending on their environment and have something akin to
3591-529: A severe threat to indigenous waterfowl's genetic integrity. Mallards and their hybrids compete with indigenous birds for resources, including nest sites, roosting sites, and food. Availability of mallards, mallard ducklings, and fertilised mallard eggs for public sale and private ownership, either as poultry or as pets, is currently legal in the United States, except for the state of Florida , which has currently banned domestic ownership of mallards. This
3724-734: A state agency, published its Los Angeles River Park and Recreation Study in 1993, identifying potential projects along the river. In 2006, Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa visited South Korea to look at their river restoration project for the Cheonggyecheon . As a result of the Ad Hoc River Committee's efforts, and with funding from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power , the City of Los Angeles' Department of Public Works - Bureau of Engineering issued
3857-477: A stopover for migrating birds such as the Canada goose . Bird hunting is illegal, violators are subject to a minimum $ 550 fine. The Narrows also serve as a water source for many other animals which include mule deer , domesticated horse , king snake , and beaver . Before development in the 20th century, animals such as mountain lion , Mexican gray wolf , and the extinct California grizzly bear also relied on
3990-777: A strong flavour. They were first domesticated in Southeast Asia at least 4,000 years ago, during the Neolithic Age , and were also farmed by the Romans in Europe, and the Malays in Asia . As the domestic duck and the mallard are the same species as each other, it is common for mallards to mate with domestic ducks and produce hybrid offspring that are fully fertile. Because of this, mallards have been found to be contaminated with
4123-550: A time, the river itself was a geographical divide between East L.A., which is largely Latino, and predominantly white, wealthy West L.A. These minority groups established themselves along the banks of the river, using fish for food. A distinguished link between the LA river and marginalization can be seen through time as a 1909 New York Times article describes these communities as poor transient communities that consume diseased fish to sustain themselves. Remediation efforts in order to tame
Glendale Narrows - Misplaced Pages Continue
4256-418: A very small and fluctuating population. Mallards sometimes arrive on its island home during migration, and can be expected to occasionally have remained and hybridised with Laysan ducks as long as these species have existed. However, these hybrids are less well adapted to the peculiar ecological conditions of Laysan Island than the local ducks, and thus have lower fitness . Laysan ducks were found throughout
4389-518: A white square on the wings in flight, and is a smaller bird. More similar to the female mallard in North America are the American black duck ( A. rubripes ), which is notably darker-hued in both sexes than the mallard, and the mottled duck ( A. fulvigula ), which is somewhat darker than the female mallard, and with slightly different bare-part colouration and no white edge on
4522-477: A word for beaver To-le-vah-che . The ongoing efforts to revitalize the river began in earnest in approximately 2002. A number of city and county departments, committees and non-profit organizations have led the revitalization efforts. Since the 1938 floods and the subsequent concreting of the river channel, actual restoration of the River to its natural state is no longer possible or necessarily desirable, in most of
4655-605: Is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas , Eurasia , and North Africa . It has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Falkland Islands, and South Africa. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae . Males (drakes) have green heads, while the females (hens) have mainly brown-speckled plumage . Both sexes have an area of white-bordered black or iridescent purple or blue feathers called
4788-676: Is considered to be a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Unlike many waterfowl, mallards are considered an invasive species in some regions. It is a very adaptable species, being able to live and even thrive in urban areas which may have supported more localised, sensitive species of waterfowl before development. The non-migratory mallard interbreeds with indigenous wild ducks of closely related species through genetic pollution by producing fertile offspring. Complete hybridisation of various species of wild duck gene pools could result in
4921-478: Is currently introgressing into the mallard populations of the Primorsky Krai , possibly due to habitat changes from global warming . The Mariana mallard was a resident allopatric population – in most respects a good species – apparently initially derived from mallard-Pacific black duck hybrids; it became extinct in the late 20th century. The Laysan duck is an insular relative of the mallard, with
5054-522: Is heavily polluted from agricultural and urban runoff . Fed primarily by rainwater and snowmelt (in winter and spring), the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant in Van Nuys (in summer and fall), and urban discharge, it is one of the few low-elevation perennial rivers in Southern California. Some water usually reaches the ocean, even in the driest summers; although there are historical accounts of
5187-670: Is leased from the Corps by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, plays host to diverse uses today including athletic fields, agriculture, golf courses, a fishing lake, parklands, a sewage treatment facility, and a wildlife reserve. The Los Angeles River bicycle path runs through the Glendale Narrows and is accessible to the public at its north end at Riverside Drive, at Los Feliz Boulevard, and at its south end at Glendale Boulevard, Fletcher Drive and at Egret Park in Elysian Valley. The bike path runs parallel to
5320-686: Is legal year round. 34°06′58″N 118°16′05″W / 34.116°N 118.268°W / 34.116; -118.268 Los Angeles River The Los Angeles River ( Spanish : Río de Los Ángeles ), historically known as Paayme Paxaayt ' West River ' by the Tongva and the Río Porciúncula ' Porciúncula River ' by the Spanish, is a major river in Los Angeles County, California . Its headwaters are in
5453-420: Is more a consequence of local ducks declining than of mallards spreading; allopatric speciation and isolating behaviour have produced today's diversity of mallard-like ducks despite the fact that, in most, if not all, of these populations, hybridisation must have occurred to some extent. Mallards are causing severe "genetic pollution" to South Africa's biodiversity by breeding with endemic ducks even though
Glendale Narrows - Misplaced Pages Continue
5586-635: Is not warranted a vulnerable rating. Also, the population size of the mallard is very large. Unlike many waterfowl, mallards have benefited from human alterations to the world – so much so that they are now considered an invasive species in some regions. They are a common sight in urban parks, lakes, ponds, and other human-made water features in the regions they inhabit, and are often tolerated or encouraged in human habitat due to their placid nature towards humans and their beautiful and iridescent colours. While most are not domesticated, mallards are so successful at coexisting in human regions that
5719-609: Is one of four sections of the Los Angeles River that has an earthen bottom. The area is popular for outdoor recreation, birdwatching , and local fishing. Major streets crossing it include: Los Feliz Boulevard , Glendale Boulevard , and Fletcher Drive. There is also a footbridge between Sunnynook River Park and Atwater Village, south of Los Feliz Blvd. Starting points for access include: The Elysian Valley Bicycle & Pedestrian Path, Glendale Narrows River Walk, North Atwater Creek Restoration & Park, and Marsh Park. The Glendale Narrows Elysian Valley Bike Path and pedestrian walkway,
5852-875: Is planned to be achieved by creating a 51-mile arts and culture corridor, identifying and supporting cultures, and involving artists and cultural groups in the design process. The next goal outlined in the LA River Master Plan addresses impacts to the housing economy and the homeless community through incorporating the Affordable Housing Coordinating Committee in planning, creating mapping and assessment tools, increasing affordable housing, securing funding, and enhancing outreach to homeless populations. The actions to enhance engagement and education include providing spaces for all ages to learn, developing new educational materials, involving aspects from indigenous peoples, and promoting
5985-526: Is sometimes still used this way. It was derived from the Old French malart or mallart for "wild drake" although its true derivation is unclear. It may be related to, or at least influenced by, an Old High German masculine proper name Madelhart , clues lying in the alternative English forms "maudelard" and "mawdelard". Masle (male) has also been proposed as an influence. Mallards frequently interbreed with their closest relatives in
6118-663: Is the date of the yearly Catholic feast day in honor of the Virgin Mary's Assumption into Heaven and assuming the role as Queen of the Angels, to which the small Portiuncula chapel, where the Franciscan Order began in Assisi, Italy , is dedicated. The river was thereafter referred to as the "Porciuncula River". In later years, the "Los Angeles" part of Crespi's lengthy name won out. Control of California, along with
6251-600: Is to prevent hybridisation with the native mottled duck . The mallard is considered an invasive species in Australia and New Zealand, where it competes with the Pacific black duck (known as the grey duck locally in New Zealand) which was over-hunted in the past. There, and elsewhere, mallards are spreading with increasing urbanisation and hybridising with local relatives. The eastern or Chinese spot-billed duck
6384-417: Is to support flourishing ecosystems by increasing habitat and ecosystem function, improve plant biodiversity including native species, connecting habitat to support wildlife, and increasing environmentally-friendly practices. The LA county goal of equal access to the river is outlined by creating access points and gateways and promoting safe transportation to the river. The objective of enhancing arts and culture
6517-712: Is widely distributed across the Northern and Southern Hemispheres; in North America its range extends from southern and central Alaska to Mexico, the Hawaiian Islands , across the Palearctic , from Iceland and southern Greenland and parts of Morocco ( North Africa ) in the west, Scandinavia and Britain to the north, and to Siberia, Japan, and South Korea. Also in the east, it ranges to south-eastern and south-western Australia and New Zealand in
6650-586: The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds – an agreement to protect the local waterfowl populations – applies to the mallard as well as other ducks. The hybrids of mallards and the yellow-billed duck are fertile, capable of producing hybrid offspring. If this continues, only hybrids occur and in the long term result in the extinction of various indigenous waterfowl. The mallard can crossbreed with 63 other species, posing
6783-607: The Cahuilla ) Indians of the San Gabriel Mission were described by Father Pedro Font on the second de Anza Expedition in 1776, "The costume of the men in heathendom is total nakedness, while the women wear a bit of deer skin with which they cover themselves, and likewise an occasional cloak of beaver or rabbit skin, although the fathers endeavor to clothe the converted Indians with something as best they can." The Tongva or Gabrieleño Indians of Mission San Gabriel had
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#17327808095906916-603: The Canoga Park section of the city of Los Angeles, just east of California State Route 27 (Topanga Canyon Boulevard), at 34°11′43″N 118°36′07″W / 34.1952°N 118.601838°W / 34.1952; -118.601838 (the east side of Canoga Park High School ). Bell Creek flows east from the Simi Hills , and Arroyo Calabasas flows north from the Santa Monica Mountains . From there
7049-785: The D-loop sequence suggest that mallards may have evolved in the general area of Siberia . Mallard bones rather abruptly appear in food remains of ancient humans and other deposits of fossil bones in Europe , without a good candidate for a local predecessor species . The large Ice Age palaeosubspecies that made up at least the European and West Asian populations during the Pleistocene has been named Anas platyrhynchos palaeoboschas . Mallards are differentiated in their mitochondrial DNA between North American and Eurasian populations, but
7182-584: The European herring gull ( Larus argentatus ), the wels catfish ( Silurus glanis ), and the northern pike ( Esox lucius ). Crows ( Corvus spp. ) are also known to kill ducklings and adults on occasion. Also, mallards may be attacked by larger anseriformes such as swans ( Cygnus spp. ) and geese during the breeding season, and are frequently driven off by these birds over territorial disputes. Mute swans ( Cygnus olor ) have been known to attack or even kill mallards if they feel that
7315-599: The Glendale (2) Freeway , 32 miles (51 km) from the mouth. Making two meanders as it flows in a southeasterly direction, the river parallels the interstate and Riverside Drive then crosses under the interstate and Arroyo Seco (110) Parkway as it flows east of Elysian Park . It then receives the Arroyo Seco , another major tributary, from the left. The river flows south past the Mission Junction,
7448-546: The Glendale Narrows ; and along its last few miles in Long Beach. The river was dry for nine months of the year as late as the 1950s. According to an August 2013 article in the Los Angeles Times , the water in the river today is largely "industrial and residential discharge," which originates from the "two giant pipes that collect the sewage from the homes of 800,000 San Fernando Valley residents" that lead to
7581-841: The Old World mallards and the New World mallard demonstrates the extent to which the genome is shared among them such that birds like the Chinese spot-billed duck are highly similar to the Old World mallard, and birds such as the Hawaiian duck are highly similar to the New World mallard. The size of the mallard varies clinally ; for example, birds from Greenland , though larger, have smaller bills, paler plumage, and stockier bodies than birds further south and are sometimes classified as
7714-585: The Sepulveda Dam . As the river proceeds into the usually-dry reservoir, it spills out into a channel that is similar to its historical, non-channeled form. It crosses under Balboa Boulevard and then receives Bull Creek . The river then passes through the outlet works of Sepulveda Dam, 43 miles (69 km) from the mouth. It flows again into a concrete channel and crosses under the San Diego (405) Freeway as it passes through Van Nuys , Sherman Oaks , and Studio City , still flowing east. Paralleling U.S. Highway 101 briefly, it then veers southeast, away from
7847-416: The Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains , and it flows nearly 51 miles (82 km) from Canoga Park through the San Fernando Valley , Downtown Los Angeles , and the Gateway Cities to its mouth in Long Beach , where it flows into San Pedro Bay . While the river was once free-flowing and frequently flooding, forming alluvial flood plains along its banks, it is currently notable for flowing through
7980-424: The Tillman Water Reclamation Plant , "before crashing over a man-made waterfall into Lake Balboa. That body of water, along with two smaller ones, puts 23 million gallons of water a day into the river at Sepulveda Basin." Despite the heavy flood flows of the river during winter months, the LA river has become a refuge for marginalized communities, such as migrant, homeless, and diverse sociocultural communities. For
8113-720: The genus Anas , such as the American black duck , and also with species more distantly related, such as the northern pintail , leading to various hybrids that may be fully fertile. The mallard has hybridised with more than 40 species in the wild, and an additional 20 species in captivity, though fertile hybrids typically have two Anas parents. Mallards and their domestic conspecifics are fully interfertile; many wild mallard populations in North America contain significant amounts of domestic mallard DNA. Genetic analysis has shown that certain mallards appear to be closer to their Indo-Pacific relatives, while others are related to their American relatives. Mitochondrial DNA data for
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#17327808095908246-402: The wing chord is 25.7 to 30.6 cm (10.1 to 12.0 in), the bill is 4.4 to 6.1 cm (1.7 to 2.4 in), and the tarsus is 4.1 to 4.8 cm (1.6 to 1.9 in). The breeding male mallard is unmistakable, with a glossy bottle-green head and a white collar that demarcates the head and neck from the purple-tinged brown breast, grey-brown wings, and a pale grey belly. The rear of
8379-416: The 5 freeway for the majority of its length and has mile markers and call boxes for information and safety purposes. Rio de Los Angeles State Park is north of downtown Los Angeles in the neighborhood of Cypress Park on the east bank of the river. The 247-acre (1.00 km ) park includes restored wetlands featuring native plants as well as recreational activities. The river's southern stretch forms
8512-430: The 51 mile river, lest new flooding occur. Studies in the 1980s included a freeway to be used during the dry season to alleviate traffic congestion, and use as a path for hovercraft. In 2011, the creation of the L.A. River Recreation Zone legalized recreational use in the area. Since then, there have been countless projects to restore recreational use, including a 2.5 mile section of the Glendale Narrows that opened to
8645-560: The Army Corps of Engineers recommended a $ 453 million plan to restore nearly 600 acres of wildlife habitat – much of that located between Griffith Park and Lincoln Heights – as the best option to restore the river's ecosystem while preserving the flood protection provided by the concrete encasement. Subsequently, all Federal funding for the plan has been on hold. In early 2016, there was some dispute as to federal funding for river cleanup after winter storms. As part of Proposition 68 in California in June 2018, later that year, grants were given for
8778-658: The Chinook salmon, steelhead/rainbow trout, and Sacramento pikeminnow. The native species of the Los Angeles River were extirpated by the conversion of the natural riverbed into a concrete trapezoidal channel in 1938. The last known native species to be caught in the river was a rainbow trout in 1940 by a local fisherman. There is an abundance today of non-native fish species in the Los Angeles River which include common carp , largemouth bass , tilapia , green sunfish , Amazon sailfin catfish , bluegill , black bullhead , brown bullhead , channel catfish , fathead minnow , crayfish , and mosquito fish . However, Arroyo chub , which
8911-400: The Great LA Cleanup had up to 10,000 volunteers over three weekends covering the upper, middle, and lower sections of the River. In 2016, an estimated 5,000 volunteers took place in the annual cleanup, including the mayor and several elected officials. In 2018, more than 6,000 volunteers removed more than 60 tons of trash at nine sites along the Los Angeles River. In 2019, the FoLAR cleanup was
9044-402: The Greenland mallard which is larger than the mallards further south. Allen's Rule says that appendages like ears tend to be smaller in polar forms to minimise heat loss, and larger in tropical and desert equivalents to facilitate heat diffusion, and that the polar taxa are stockier overall. Examples of this rule in birds are rare as they lack external ears, but the bill of ducks is supplied with
9177-456: The Hawaiian archipelago before 400 AD, after which they suffered a rapid decline during the Polynesian colonisation. Now, their range includes only Laysan Island. It is one of the successfully translocated birds, after having become nearly extinct in the early 20th century. Mallards have often been ubiquitous in their regions among the ponds, rivers, and streams of human parks, farms, and other human-made waterways – even to
9310-420: The Los Angeles River (FoLAR) was founded in 1986 by poet and activist Lewis P. Macadams. Originally deemed a "40-year artwork to bring the River back to life," FoLAR was the first organization advocating for habitat restoration and public access on the LA River. One FoLAR's more prominent ongoing projects is the annual Great LA River Cleanup, which began in 1988 with a group of less than twenty people. In 2017,
9443-580: The Los Angeles River. Since the river is a trickle for much of the year and the culvert is dry, it is often used as a setting for races, car chases, gang rumbles, and other scenes requiring an open, deserted setting within the city. The following have scenes filmed or set within the culvert: Mallard A. p. platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 A. p. domesticus Linnaeus, 1758 A. p. conboschas C. L. Brehm , 1831 (disputed) [REDACTED] The mallard ( / ˈ m æ l ɑːr d , ˈ m æ l ər d / ) or wild duck ( Anas platyrhynchos )
9576-584: The River known as the LA River Index. In 2018, the County of Los Angeles opted to update their River Masterplan. Geosyntec was hired to lead the effort, with Gehry Partners, RiverLA and OLIN taking on additional responsibilities. In 2019, Gehry revealed to Alta Magazine that he is working on designing several projects along the River, including a cultural center in Southgate. On September 13, 2013,
9709-526: The Southern hemisphere. It is strongly migratory in the northern parts of its breeding range, and winters farther south. For example, in North America, it winters south to the southern United States and northern Mexico , but also regularly strays into Central America and the Caribbean between September and May. A drake later named "Trevor" attracted media attention in 2018 when it turned up on
9842-622: The St. Francis Dam, unpredictable and devastating floods continued to plague it well into the 1930s, including: The incidents resulted in the US Army Corps of Engineers beginning an ambitious project of encasing the river's bed and banks in concrete . The only portions of the river that are not paved over are in the flood-control basin behind the Sepulveda Dam near Van Nuys ; an 11-mile (17.7-km) stretch east of Griffith Park known as
9975-457: The advancement in urbanization, as various government bodies subdued the river by reducing its flow. Until the 1900s the river was known to supply enough water to incorporate a system of wells to be built in order to supply freshwater to the city. The Los Angeles Aqueduct was opened in 1913. The heavy flow of the Los Angeles River presented many issues, as it began to get exploited as a sewer system. Along with these uses, populations surrounding
10108-460: The annual summer moult. Upon hatching, the plumage of the duckling is yellow on the underside and face (with streaks by the eyes) and black on the back (with some yellow spots) all the way to the top and back of the head. Its legs and bill are also black. As it nears a month in age, the duckling's plumage starts becoming drab, looking more like the female, though more streaked, and its legs lose their dark grey colouring. Two months after hatching,
10241-535: The auditory basis for species identification in offspring, a process known as acoustic conspecific identification. In addition, females hiss if the nest or offspring are threatened or interfered with. When taking off, the wings of a mallard produce a characteristic faint whistling noise. The mallard is a rare example of both Allen's Rule and Bergmann's Rule in birds. Bergmann's Rule, which states that polar forms tend to be larger than related ones from warmer climates, has numerous examples in birds, as in case of
10374-408: The beginning and the end of the summer moulting period. The adulthood age for mallards is fourteen months, and the average life expectancy is three years, but they can live to twenty. Several species of duck have brown-plumaged females that can be confused with the female mallard. The female gadwall ( Mareca strepera ) has an orange-lined bill, white belly, black and white speculum that is seen as
10507-400: The breeding season, male birds were recorded to have eaten 37.6% animal matter and 62.4% plant matter, most notably the grass Echinochloa crus-galli , and nonlaying females ate 37.0% animal matter and 63.0% plant matter, while laying females ate 71.9% animal matter and only 28.1% plant matter. Plants generally make up the larger part of a bird's diet, especially during autumn migration and in
10640-455: The centre tail feather (drake feather) is curled, but in females, the centre tail feather is straight. During the final period of maturity leading up to adulthood (6–10 months of age), the plumage of female juveniles remains the same while the plumage of male juveniles gradually changes to its characteristic colours. This change in plumage also applies to adult mallard males when they transition in and out of their non-breeding eclipse plumage at
10773-417: The cleanup of invasive plants along part of the river. As a result, in 2018, Los Angeles and its LARiverWorks policy team had a project underway for "every mile of the river within city limits, aiming to improve connectivity, increase open space, and restore habitat. New bridges and trails will accommodate people on foot, bikes, or horseback." Plans to cleanup 11 miles of river north of downtown Los Angeles, in
10906-841: The clutch is almost complete. Incubation takes 27–28 days and fledging takes 50–60 days. The ducklings are precocial and fully capable of swimming as soon as they hatch. However, filial imprinting compels them to instinctively stay near the mother, not only for warmth and protection but also to learn about and remember their habitat as well as how and where to forage for food. Though adoptions are known to occur, female mallards typically do not tolerate stray ducklings near their broods, and will violently attack and drive away any unfamiliar young, sometimes going as far as to kill them. When ducklings mature into flight-capable juveniles, they learn about and remember their traditional migratory routes (unless they are born and raised in captivity). In New Zealand, where mallards are naturalised ,
11039-480: The ducks pose a threat to their offspring. Common loons ( Gavia inmer ) are similarly territorial and aggressive towards other birds in such disputes, and will frequently drive mallards away from their territory. However, in 2019, a pair of common loons in Wisconsin were observed raising a mallard duckling for several weeks, having seemingly adopted the bird after it had been abandoned by its parents. In summer,
11172-436: The extinction of many indigenous waterfowl. The mallard itself is the ancestor of most domestic ducks, and its naturally evolved wild gene pool gets genetically polluted in turn by the domestic and feral populations. Over time, a continuum of hybrids ranging between almost typical examples of either species develop; the speciation process is beginning to reverse itself. This has created conservation concerns for relatives of
11305-463: The extinction of many indigenous waterfowl. This species is the main ancestor of most breeds of domestic duck , and its naturally evolved wild gene pool has been genetically polluted by the domestic and feral mallard populations. The mallard was one of the many bird species originally described in the 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae by Carl Linnaeus . He gave it two binomial names : Anas platyrhynchos and Anas boschas . The latter
11438-423: The female. Lebret (1961) calls this behaviour "Attempted Rape Flight", and Stanley Cramp and K.E.L. Simmons (1977) speak of "rape-intent flights". Male mallards also occasionally chase other male ducks of a different species, and even each other, in the same way. In one documented case of "homosexual necrophilia", a male mallard copulated with another male he was chasing after the chased male died upon flying into
11571-458: The first Europeans to see the river. On August 15, the party camped near the river, somewhere along the stretch just to the north of what is now the Interstate 10 crossing near downtown Los Angeles. Fray Juan Crespi , one of two Franciscan missionaries traveling with Portolá, named it el río de Nuestra Señora La Reina de Los Ángeles de Porciúncula . Crespi chose that name, because August 15
11704-414: The fledgling period has ended, and the duckling is now a juvenile. The duckling is able to fly 50–60 days after hatching. Its bill soon loses its dark grey colouring, and its sex can finally be distinguished visually by three factors: 1) the bill is yellow in males, but black and orange in females; 2) the breast feathers are reddish-brown in males, but brown in females; and 3) in males,
11837-408: The flock to begin fighting. It is possible that this behaviour allows the female to evaluate the strength of potential partners. The drakes that end up being left out after the others have paired off with mating partners sometimes target an isolated female duck, even one of a different species, and proceed to chase and peck at her until she weakens, at which point the males take turns copulating with
11970-527: The flood of 1825, which, by cutting a river way to tide water, drained the marsh land and caused the forests to disappear." The river was long joined by the San Gabriel River in present-day Long Beach , but in the Great Flood of 1862 , the San Gabriel carved out a new course 6 miles (9.7 km) to the east, and has discharged into Alamitos Bay ever since. The arrival of the railroad accelerated
12103-402: The genes of the domestic duck. While the keeping of domestic breeds is more popular, pure-bred mallards are sometimes kept for eggs and meat, although they may require wing clipping to restrict flying. Mallards are one of the most common species shot in waterfowl hunting due to their large population size. The ideal location for hunting mallards is considered to be where the water level
12236-411: The heart of an industrial corridor, stretching nearly unbroken from Lincoln Heights to Long Beach . In this area, the busy Long Beach Freeway ( I-710 ) and several high-voltage power lines run within a few hundred feet of the riverbed. Several rail yards are located along the river's banks in this stretch, as well. Just outside the industrial corridor lie some of the most densely populated cities in
12369-624: The highway, and receives from the left the Tujunga Wash , one of its largest tributaries, which flows southwest and south from the Angeles National Forest in the San Gabriel Mountains . The river then rounds a bend to the northeast, now in a concrete box culvert, and crosses under the Hollywood (170) Freeway and Highway 101, and receives Burbank Western Channel on the left bank, 39 miles (63 km) from
12502-782: The hopes of attracting steelhead trout , will cost $ 1.1 billion. In February 2019, the Los Angeles County Flood Control District was informing the federal government that it wanted to take control of about 40 miles of channels owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 2020, Los Angeles County released an updated LA River Master Plan detailing plans for the river over the next 25 years. The current plan addresses 9 goals related to flood risk, parks, ecosystems, access, arts and culture, housing, engagement and education, water supply, and water quality. The plan for decreasing flood risk consists of preserving and increasing flood risk capacity, reducing flow into
12635-420: The host mallard, but the hen may attempt to eject them or even abandon the nest if parasitism occurs during egg laying. In addition to human hunting, mallards of all ages (but especially young ones) and in all locations must contend with a wide diversity of predators including raptors and owls , mustelids , corvids , snakes , raccoons , opossums , skunks , turtles , large fish , felids , and canids ,
12768-507: The island of Niue , an atypical location for mallards. The mallard inhabits a wide range of habitats and climates, from the Arctic tundra to subtropical regions. It is found in both fresh- and salt-water wetlands, including parks, small ponds, rivers, lakes and estuaries , as well as shallow inlets and open sea within sight of the coastline. Water depths of less than 0.9 metres (3.0 ft) are preferred, with birds avoiding areas more than
12901-484: The largest river cleanup in the United States. The cleanup marked 30 years in 2019. By the summer of 2019, kayaking in Los Angeles in the river had become common. As of 2018, FoLAR has adopted a year-round cleanup model through partnerships with other environmental organizations like Heal the Bay, and through service opportunities for corporate groups and large organizations through River Makers program. In 2012, FoLAR raised
13034-472: The last two including domestic cats and dogs. The most prolific natural predators of adult mallards are red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ; which most often pick off brooding females) and the faster or larger birds of prey, (e.g. peregrine falcons , Aquila or Haliaeetus eagles). In North America, adult mallards face no fewer than 15 species of birds of prey, from northern harriers ( Circus hudsonius ) and short-eared owls ( Asio flammeus ) (both smaller than
13167-734: The main conservation risk they pose comes from the loss of genetic diversity among a region's traditional ducks once humans and mallards colonise an area. Mallards are very adaptable, being able to live and even thrive in urban areas which may have supported more localised, sensitive species of waterfowl before development. The release of feral mallards in areas where they are not native sometimes creates problems through interbreeding with indigenous waterfowl . These non-migratory mallards interbreed with indigenous wild ducks from local populations of closely related species through genetic pollution by producing fertile offspring. Complete hybridisation of various species of wild duck gene pools could result in
13300-447: The male is black, with white-bordered dark tail feathers. The bill of the male is a yellowish-orange tipped with black, with that of the female generally darker and ranging from black to mottled orange and brown. The female mallard is predominantly mottled, with each individual feather showing sharp contrast from buff to very dark brown, a coloration shared by most female dabbling ducks, and has buff cheeks, eyebrow, throat, and neck, with
13433-494: The mallard species. Ecological changes and hunting have also led to a decline of local species; for example, the New Zealand grey duck population declined drastically due to overhunting in the mid-20th century. Hybrid offspring of Hawaiian ducks seem to be less well adapted to native habitat, and using them in re-introduction projects apparently reduces success. In summary, the problems of mallards "hybridising away" relatives
13566-549: The mallard, such as the Hawaiian duck , the New Zealand grey duck ( A. s. superciliosa) subspecies of the Pacific black duck , the American black duck, the mottled duck , Meller's duck , the yellow-billed duck , and the Mexican duck , in the latter case even leading to a dispute as to whether these birds should be considered a species (and thus entitled to more conservation research and funding) or included in
13699-553: The most water banded together to form the Owens Valley Irrigation District in order to try to secure a better deal. When the Owens Valley Irrigation District did not succeed, they created three smaller groups in order to try to bargain. These groups were turbulent in their efforts; resorting to violence, trying to get the attention of state and national press, and calling for politician interference to support their demands for more compensation. This conflict
13832-478: The moulting period, which begins in June (in the Northern Hemisphere). During the brief time before this, however, the males are still sexually potent and some of them either remain on standby to sire replacement clutches (for female mallards that have lost or abandoned their previous clutch) or forcibly mate with females that appear to be isolated or unattached regardless of their species and whether or not they have
13965-624: The mouth. The river then begins to parallel the Ventura (134) Freeway as it winds through North Hollywood and the city of Burbank . It then crosses under the Golden State (5) Freeway and makes a sharp bend to the south-southeast as it curves around Griffith Park . It receives from the left Verdugo Wash , which drains much of La Cañada Flintridge and Glendale as it flows from the San Gabriel Mountains south through
14098-444: The nesting season has been found to be longer, eggs and clutches are larger and nest survival is generally greater compared with mallards in their native range. In cases where a nest or brood fails, some mallards may mate for a second time in an attempt to raise a second clutch, typically around early-to-mid summer. In addition, mallards may occasionally breed during the autumn in cases of unseasonably warm weather; one such instance of
14231-485: The nuclear genome displays a notable lack of genetic structure. Haplotypes typical of American mallard relatives and eastern spot-billed ducks can be found in mallards around the Bering Sea . The Aleutian Islands hold a population of mallards that appear to be evolving towards becoming a subspecies , as gene flow with other populations is very limited. Also, the paucity of morphological differences between
14364-510: The other half sleeps, was first demonstrated in mallards, although it is believed to be widespread among birds in general. Since 1998, the mallard has been rated as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species . This is because it has a large range–more than 20,000,000 km (7,700,000 mi ) and because its population is increasing, rather than declining by 30% over ten years or three generations and thus
14497-525: The point of visiting water features in human courtyards . Mallards have had a long relationship with humans. Almost all domestic duck breeds derive from the mallard, with the exception of a few Muscovy breeds, and are listed under the trinomial name A. p. domesticus . Mallards are generally monogamous while domestic ducks are mostly polygamous . Domestic ducks have no territorial behaviour and are less aggressive than mallards. Domestic ducks are mostly kept for meat; their eggs are also eaten, and have
14630-413: The public for unrestricted recreational use between Memorial Day and Labor Day in 2013. In May 2014 it was announced that two sections of the river would again be open for recreational use during the summer. The Los Angeles City Council formed an ad hoc committee in 2002 to focus on accessing and revitalizing the river that was chaired by Councilmember Ed Reyes. The California Coastal Conservancy ,
14763-524: The resources of the river. Before the river's channelization the river supported a variety of mammals which included the California golden bear (removed 1897), grey wolf (removed 1890s), coyote , mule deer , and North American beaver . There is indirect evidence that North American beaver ( Castor canadensis ) were native to the river, as the Beñemé ( Mojave ) and Jeniguechi ( San Jacinto branch of
14896-487: The rest of the northern part of the republic of Mexico, was wrested by the United States in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). California became a state in 1850, and the Los Angeles area began to boom the following year. Generations of settlers and city managers drained, rerouted, polluted and overpopulated the river and its watershed. The river was originally an alluvial river that ran freely across
15029-400: The river along with the construction of highways in the 1950s and 1960s displaced hundreds of thousands of individuals. These implications lead to poor air quality and increased exposure to diseases that inhibit good health. Sepulveda Basin is a flood-control basin to manage floodwater runoff. Except for infrequent but dramatic flood episodes, this dry-land flood control basin, most of which
15162-515: The river as an economic asset to nearby communities. The eighth goal in the master plan is to improve water supply through diverting and treating stormwater and dry weather flows before they flow into the river, supporting efficient water usage, creating better operations, maintenance, and measures. The final goal is to improve water quality by developing water quality projects, working with watershed management groups, raising public awareness, and improving facility operations and maintenance. Friends of
15295-484: The river by the end of the decade. The path is envisioned to be the central focus of a linear recreational park as well as providing an alternative transportation path through Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Times first reported in 2015 that the renowned architect Frank Gehry was collaborating with the LARRC (whose name was changed to River LA). In 2017, Gehry Partners and River LA produced an informational database on
15428-556: The river flows east through a concrete flood control channel and very soon receives Browns Canyon Wash , which flows south from the Santa Susana Mountains . The river then bends slightly south and receives Aliso Canyon Wash , whose watershed adjoins that of Browns Canyon. The river then flows through the district of Winnetka , then Reseda and enters the Sepulveda Basin, a flood-control reservoir formed by
15561-535: The river often tossed feces and waste into the river, along with dead dogs and horses (and the occasional dead human), in hopes that they would get washed down stream and released to the open ocean waters. In the early 1920s, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (led by the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners) negotiated and gradually purchased almost all of Owens Valley farms and their corresponding water rights. The farmers with
15694-426: The river running dry, there has been constant flow of the river every month since recording of stream flow began in 1929. This is helped by the concrete channel, which limits absorption of water into the earth. Flow, while generally low in volume, can be extremely brisk even in summer. The Los Angeles River's official beginning is at the confluence of two channelized streams – Bell Creek and Arroyo Calabasas – in
15827-419: The river to adapt and construct further away from the river in order to prevent loss from flooding. In the early 19th century, the river turned southwest after leaving the Glendale Narrows , where it joined Ballona Creek and discharged into Santa Monica Bay in present Marina del Rey. However, this account is challenged by Col. J. J. Warner, in his Historical Sketch of Los Angeles County : "...until 1825 it
15960-579: The river's path. There were at least 45 Tongva villages near the Los Angeles River, concentrated in the San Fernando Valley and the Elysian Valley, in what is present-day Glendale. After the Spanish established Mission San Gabriel in 1771, they referred to the Tongva living in that mission's vicinity as Gabrieleño . In 1769, members of the Portolá expedition to explore Alta California were
16093-470: The river, incorporating climate change research, and increasing emergency planning, public awareness, and management practices. In order to create inclusive, open areas, LA county's actions include making 51 continuous miles of open space, finishing the LA River Trail, providing amenities, implementing multi-use functionality, and promoting public safety. The third goal of the 2020 LA River Master Plan
16226-459: The river. Before complete concrete channelization of the LA River above and below the Glendale Narrows, it was home to native populations of steelhead trout . Among the fish and crustaceans found in the area are introduced species such as common carp , largemouth bass , tilapia , green sunfish , black bullhead , catfish , fathead minnow , mosquito fish , and crawfish . Currently fishing
16359-658: The second time, 2 miles (3.2 km) from the mouth, it draws close to the Dominguez Channel to the west and flows due south to its outlet in Long Beach , under Interstate 710, past the RMS Queen Mary , and into the Port of Long Beach . Until the opening of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, the Los Angeles River was the main water source for the Los Angeles Basin . The river ran dry during
16492-406: The speculum. In captivity, domestic ducks come in wild-type plumages, white, and other colours. Most of these colour variants are also known in domestic mallards not bred as livestock, but kept as pets, aviary birds, etc., where they are rare but increasing in availability. A noisy species, the female has the deep quack stereotypically associated with ducks. The female will often call with
16625-677: The state of California, such as the cities of Bell , Bell Gardens , Cudahy , Maywood and South Gate ; most of these cities are in the river's flood plain and experienced significant flooding prior to channelization . List of parks, trails and bike paths adjacent to the L.A. River and tributaries: Historically, the native species of fish in the Los Angeles River included rainbow/steelhead trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ), river shrimp , Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ), Sacramento pikeminnow ( Ptychocheilus grandis ), Pacific lamprey , three-spined stickleback , and Santa Ana sucker . In 1877 Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria published
16758-420: The summers and flooded during winter months. Indigenous communities adapted to the climate surrounding the river, maximizing agricultural yields by rerouting the natural flow of the river and constructing water wheels along the river. The river provided water and food to the Tongva people , hunters and gatherers who lived primarily off fish , small mammals , and the acorns from the abundant oak trees along
16891-487: The winter. The mallard usually feeds by dabbling for plant food or grazing; there are reports of it eating frogs , other amphibians , and fish , including carcasses . However, in 2017 a flock of mallards in Romania were observed hunting small migratory birds, including grey wagtails and black redstarts , the first documented occasion they had been seen attacking and consuming large vertebrates. It usually nests on
17024-503: Was creating a public-private partnership to create the first pedestrian, bike and equestrian bridge across the river. Developer Mort La Kretz provided the seed financing for the bridge, which was built next to the 5 freeway in the Elysian Valley by the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering and completed in 2020. On July 23, 2013, the LARRC announced a goal of completing a continuous 51-mile (82 km) greenway and bike path along
17157-523: Was generally preferred until 1906 when Einar Lönnberg established that A. platyrhynchos had priority, as it appeared on an earlier page in the text. The scientific name comes from Latin Anas , "duck" and Ancient Greek πλατυρυγχος, platyrhynchus , "broad-billed" (from πλατύς, platys , "broad" and ρυγχός, rhunkhos , "bill"). The genome of Anas platyrhynchos was sequenced in 2013. The name mallard originally referred to any wild drake, and it
17290-857: Was once thought gone since the channelization, has made small appearances throughout parts of the Los Angeles River, Most recent being in the area of Balboa Lake/Anthony C. Beilenson Park in the surrounding channels such as Bull Creek, Woodley Creek and around the creeks and main body of the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve. There is also a large variety of bird species in the Los Angeles River which include snowy egret , great egret , black-necked stilt , great blue heron , green heron , mallard , cinnamon teal , American coot , Muscovy duck , white pelican , Canada goose , osprey , California high desert mourning dove , black-chinned hummingbird , barn owl , and red tailed hawk . All of these species either nest or live off of
17423-412: Was seldom, if in any year, that the river discharged even during the rainy season its waters into the sea. Instead of having a river way to the sea, the waters spread over the country, filling the depressions in the surface and forming lakes, ponds and marshes. The river water, if any, that reached the ocean drained off from the land at so many places, and in such small volumes, that no channel existed until
17556-512: Was so highly disputed that the national press referred to it as "California's Little Civil War." The St. Francis Dam was built starting in 1924 (and through 1926), leading to the creation of a large reservoir in San Francisquito Canyon , and provided water for Los Angeles. The dam collapsed in 1928. The 1930s in particular saw rapid urban development in areas prone to river flooding. Despite smaller mitigation efforts than
17689-774: Was the first lighted bike path in Los Angeles. "As you ride, you can take the scenery which includes views of the San Gabriel Mountains . You'll undoubtedly spot wildlife and birds like ducks, geese, hawks, and herons. You'll probably also see kayakers floating along and people fishing from the banks." Riparian zone flora is allowed establish in the only non-concrete bottom section of the channelized Los Angeles River. Native plants include: Arroyo Willows ( Salix lasiolepsis ) , Cattails ( Typha dominguinsis ), Swamp sedge ( Carex senta ), Soft rush ( Juncus effusus ) , Toad rush ( Juncus bufonius ) , California endemic Wrinkled rush ( Juncus rugulosus ) , and Watercress ( Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum ) . The Glendale Narrows area supports
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