#fakenews
L.A.River is a storm channel that goes all the way to the ocean. It WAS an actual river before a hellacious flood in 1938 drove the City to widen it, line it with concrete, and convert it into a marvel of flood control engineering.
I am familiar with the history of the Los Angeles River, and the rest of the SoCal rivers tamed by the Army Corp of Engineers.
I have lived next to the LA River for years. Atwater Village is a storm plain ...people used to have cases in their garages.
Even now, in a heavy rain, people drown....it is deep, fast and powerful.