Retracing the LA River: 1928-2018 Aerial Comparison

As the Los Angeles landscape transformed from scrub grasslands to open grazing, from fruit orchards to residential neighborhoods, the path and look of the LA River has changed with it.
Juxtaposing Google Earth imagery from 2018 with historical vertical aerial photography from 1928, this animation traces the 51-mile LA River revealing its past, present, and potential futures. Beginning at the confluence of Bell Creek and Arroyo Calabasas in the City of Los Angeles’ Canoga Park neighborhood, follow the river to Long Beach where it meets the Pacific Ocean.
Imagery Sources:
2018: Google Earth, Image Landsat / Copernicus
1928: UCSB Library Framefinder, Fairchild Aerial Surveys Flight C-300