There's a river in Los Angeles?

Jack Johnson is set to perform at UCLA in order to raise awareness for the L.A. River. And while I'm not a particular fan of Johnson's, I think this summer's an opportune time to bring back the River into the L.A. spotlight. LA Weekly ran a feature this week on a group of performance artists called the Mud People who kayak down the river's modern-day flood channels in order to disprove the common notion that the River is not navigable. The Daily News ran a similar article on the L.A. River Expedition 2008 Kayak Team last month.

There will always be debate regarding whether or not the River can be salvaged. Historically transformed into a concrete flood channel following a devastating flood in the 1930s, the River has since undergone constant efforts for revitalization and eco-restoration. Los Angeles City Councilman Ed Reyes has championed the River's natural defense.

If the River were to be saved, that'd be a huge relief for L.A. both aesthetically and and economically - currently, L.A. spends about $1 billion a year importing water from outside sources like the Colorado River. But it will take more than idealism to revitalize the River from its current state into a key resource for our city's standard of living.

Perhaps Johnson can provide some relief.