RIVER MILD: Paris has the Seine, London...

RIVER MILD: Paris has the Seine, London has the Thames and the San Fernando Valley has 16 miles of concrete gutter, the L.A. River. The headwaters, such as they are, are behind Canoga Park High School. From there it flows east through Reseda and Studio City. Though a major natural feature, “sometimes it’s just invisible,” admits landscape architect Esther Margulies.

Concrete Feat: But the river’s imprisoned state is not to be mourned, says architect Michael Lehrer (above). He and Margulies took part in a design session last month aimed at making the river “a celebration of nature and a celebration of infrastructure.” How to make people see the beauty of concrete? A dash of yellow paint here, a few midstream fountains there, and a riverside cafe or two, says Lehrer.

Signs of Life: And for those who think the river wild is no more, think again. Ornithologist Kimball Garrett of the county Natural History Museum has counted 125 bird species in the Glendale section of the river near Griffith Park--peregrine falcons and ospreys among them.

What’s Current: Of course, real change will take real dollars: Last fall, voters passed a parks measure that included $10 million for river improvements in the Valley. Private money might also come into play. Dreamworks’ new Glendale development, for example, may include riverside park areas, says a city parks official.