Photos: Restoring the Santa Ana River

Jason Laird, 24, a ranger with the Wildlands Conservancy, paddles down a stretch of the Santa Ana River in Corona that would be managed as a recreational asset. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Oct. 27, 2014 7:06 AM PT

The Santa Ana River is one of the region’s most scenic rivers -- until it hits Orange County. Under recent legislation, long stretches of the banks along the river’s flood control channel will have trails and parks, and portions of the river itself will be cleared for kayaking and rafting.

Paul Melzer, 57, of the Wildlands Conservancy navigates the Santa Ana River in Corona. After cutting through a deep, lush canyon and flowing through the city of Riverside, the Santa Ana spills into riprap and the county’s dreary concrete flood control channel. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Jason Laird on the Santa Ana River in Corona. The Santa Ana, like other Southern California rivers, is a gritty anachronism, especially in a state that prides itself as an environmental leader. But now, joining a trend that began elsewhere four decades ago, the Santa Ana is catching up. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Workers with the Wildlands Conservancy make their way down the Santa Ana River in Corona. “People want their streams back -- all of them, including the Santa Ana,” said Stephen Mitchell, a science librarian and co-coordinator of the nonprofit UC Riverside Friends of the Santa Ana River. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

David Myers, left, executive director of the Wildlands Conservancy, and Patrick Mitchell, author of “The Santa Ana River Guide,” ply the waterway. “This place has great potential,” Myers said. “In five or six years, much of this river could be beautiful riparian forests with shady trails.” (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)