Departures is KCET's hyper-local web documentary, community engagement tool and digital literacy program about the cultural history of Los Angeles' neighborhoods.
Browse the mural by clicking on a thumbnail above. Then, click on the Departures "D" in the mural to view its related content below.
flickr.com/kcetdepartures
departures@kcet.org
YouTube.com/Webstories From Compton Creek to Long Beach Mural
An 8.5-mile stretch of creek that used to free flow with the flood waters, Compton Creek has since been channelized into a tributary of the Los Angeles River by the Army Corps of Engineers. Once used as a kind of dumping ground, the creek and its wetlands used to be destroyed with waste and other rubbish from the area. Recently, however, a coalition of local politicians and area residents have claimed the creek back as their own, bringing the creek back to a greener time, reminiscent of what it once looked like when Compton and Vernon were zoned for agriculture.
Index
6 From Compton Creek to Long Beach:
There is a guarded optimism about the restoration of the Los Angeles River today. After decades of advocacy by some public officials, environmentalist, artists and citizens, in 2010 the Los Angeles River was finally recognized and redefined from a flood...
6 From Compton Creek to Long Beach:
Understanding the social ecology and connectivity of our cities and its watershed, organizations such as Heal the Bay, the Watershed Council, and the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy (to name a few) have began aggressive campaigns to restore our water ways....
6 From Compton Creek to Long Beach:
A short distance from the mouth of the river, the Golden Shore Marine Reserve is a small inlet where one may see Great Blue Herons, Sandpipers, Cormorants and Terns. The 6.4 acres is a small piece of what's left of...
6 From Compton Creek to Long Beach:
When Griffith D. Compton donated his land to incorporate and create the city of Compton in 1889, he stipulated that a certain acreage be zoned for agricultural purposes only, and Richland Farms was born.
6 From Compton Creek to Long Beach:
Surface runoff occurs when soil is fully saturated, and excess water from rain--or other sources--flows over the land instead of draining into it. Development and urbanization increase runoff in areas like Los Angeles, thanks to pavement and buildings, which reduce...
6 From Compton Creek to Long Beach:
The lush vegetation along Compton Creek today provides a glimpse into a time when the wetlands of Compton and Vernon were zoned for agriculture. Not long ago, however, city dwellers used the area as a dumping ground, throwing everything from...
6 From Compton Creek to Long Beach:
An authority on California bird identification and ecology, Dan Cooper is an ornithologist that often conducts biological and physical surveys around California and the Los Angeles River. Bird populations are often a key indicator of the ecological health of an...
Funders and Partners
Support for the Departures' Los Angeles River installment is provided through these funders and local community partners, as well as from viewers like you.
Click here to see all funders and community partners for Departures.
