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The Los Angeles Basin had rain the week before this paint out. The wetland vegetation on the 'soft' river bottom was flattened in the aftermath of rushing water. A passing neighbor stopped to chat and mentioned how high the water was during the big rain. It was a busy bike path this day, so I was set up straddling the ditch and the asphalt apron, in the shade. Being a popular bike path, the composition required a cyclist.

Marsh Park is part of the Glendale Narrows area of the LA River, the longest soft-bottom stretch.

I wondered where all the constant water comes from. Joe Linton's book, "Down By the Los Angeles River", informs us that "water travels underground through the San Fernando Valley and is pinched by the Santa Monica Mountains and the Verdugo Hills, forcing the underground water to the surface. Throughout the Glendale Narrows in winter and spring, especially soon after rainfall, you will see small springs where underground water is bubbling up into the river." (page 69). That explains it.

Marsh Park, September 22, 2015