Los Santos River Map is a creative custom map modification that transforms the underutilized storm drain system in GTA V into a fully-fledged river environment complete with parks, pathways, a functional dam, and scenic areas. This free map asset breathes new life into one of Los Santos’ most overlooked areas, turning the concrete storm drains into a natural river that flows through the city.

If you’re looking to add unique geography to your FiveM server without replacing existing landmarks, this map is perfect. It enhances immersion by creating realistic water features, adds new exploration areas for players, and provides fresh locations for roleplay scenarios, events, and photoshoots. Best of all, it’s completely free and works with both single-player GTA V and FiveM servers.

What’s Included

This map modification completely reimagines the Los Santos storm drain network. Instead of bare concrete channels, you’ll find a flowing river system with multiple distinct areas:

Natural River System – Flowing water replaces the storm drain with realistic river textures and water physics
Riverside Parks – Green spaces with vegetation, benches, and walking paths along the riverbanks
Functional Dam – A detailed dam structure that adds realism to the water flow system
Walking Paths – Paved pathways along the river for pedestrians and cyclists
Bridges & Crossings – Multiple crossing points connecting both sides of the river
Scenic Viewpoints – Perfect spots for photography and roleplay scenes

Key Features

Complete Storm Drain Transformation – Converts the entire storm drain network into a natural river system
High-Quality Textures – Professional water and terrain textures that blend seamlessly with GTA V’s aesthetic
Multiple Recreation Areas – Parks, walking paths, and green spaces for civilian roleplay
Realistic Water Flow – Proper water physics and flow direction from the dam through the city
Performance Optimized – Well-optimized map with minimal FPS impact on most systems
No Conflicts – Doesn’t replace major landmarks, only enhances the storm drain area
Easy Installation – Simple drag-and-drop installation for both SP and FiveM
Free & Open – Completely free to download and use on your server

Perfect For

Roleplay Servers – Adds new civilian locations like parks and riverside walks for casual RP
Photography & Content Creation – Beautiful scenic locations for screenshots and videos
Racing Servers – Riverside paths create unique race track opportunities
Exploration Servers – Gives players new areas to discover and explore
Event Locations – Perfect for hosting riverside events, festivals, or meetups
Realistic City Enhancement – Makes Los Santos feel more like a real city with proper water features

Framework Compatibility

✅ FiveM – Works on any FiveM server (ESX, QBCore, QBOX, Standalone)
✅ Single Player – Can be installed for GTA V single-player mode
✅ Framework Independent – No specific framework required, it’s a map asset
✅ MLO Compatible – Works alongside other map modifications and MLOs

Installation Guide – FiveM

Download the Los Santos River Map from the link below and unzip the folder
Locate the river folder inside the extracted files
Copy the river folder to your server’s resources/[maps]/ directory (create [maps] folder if it doesn’t exist)
Open your server.cfg file in a text editor
Add this line to your server.cfg: ensure river
Save the server.cfg file and restart your server
Join your server and head to the storm drain area to see the new river system

Installation Guide – Single Player

Download and unzip the Los Santos River Map files
Locate your GTA V installation folder
Navigate to mods/update/x64/dlcpacks (create the folders if they don’t exist)
Copy the river folder into the dlcpacks directory
Open mods/update/update.rpf/common/data/dlclist.xml using OpenIV
Add this line after the last entry: <Item>dlcpacks:/river/</Item>
Save the file and launch GTA V

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue: River doesn’t appear in-game

Solution: Make sure you added the ensure river line to your server.cfg and restarted the server completely (not just refresh). Also verify that the folder name is exactly ‘river’ with no extra characters or spaces. Check your server console for any errors related to the resource.

Issue: FPS drops near the river area

Solution: This map is optimized, but water features can be demanding. Lower your water quality settings in GTA V graphics options. If running a server, ensure your streaming distance isn’t set too high. Most modern PCs handle this map fine, but older systems may need reduced graphics settings.

Issue: Textures look broken or missing

Solution: This usually means the resource didn’t load properly. Check that all files from the download are present in the river folder. Make sure you didn’t accidentally extract only part of the archive. Delete the folder and reinstall from a fresh download.

Issue: Conflicts with other map mods

Solution: While this map is designed to be compatible, some other storm drain or river mods may conflict. If you have other mods that modify the same area, you’ll need to choose one or the other. Check your server console for conflict warnings.

FAQ

Q: Can players swim in the river?

A: Yes! The river uses GTA V’s water system, so players can swim, dive, and use boats just like any other water in the game. It’s fully functional water, not just a visual effect.

Q: Does this replace any existing map areas?

A: It only modifies the storm drain area, which is largely unused in vanilla GTA V. It doesn’t remove or replace any major landmarks, businesses, or important locations. It’s purely an enhancement to an underutilized area.

Q: Will this work with my existing MLOs?

A: Yes, this map is compatible with most MLOs since it focuses on the storm drain/river area. However, if you have MLOs specifically in or near the storm drain, there may be placement conflicts that need manual adjustment.

Q: Can I edit or customize this map?

A: That depends on the creator’s permissions included in the download. Many free maps allow editing for personal use. Check the readme file or original upload page for specific permissions and credits requirements.

Q: How much server resources does this use?

A: Map resources use virtually no server resources since they’re client-side assets. The server just streams the files to clients. It won’t impact your server performance, though individual client FPS may vary based on their graphics settings.

Q: Does this work on console versions of FiveM?

A: FiveM is PC-only. This map works on FiveM servers accessed from Windows PCs. It’s not compatible with console versions of GTA V.

Q: Can I use this on a paid/monetized server?

A: Generally yes, free maps can be used on monetized servers, but always check the creator’s terms in the download. Most free resources allow commercial use as long as you don’t resell the map itself.

Los Santos River Map – Custom FiveM Map Asset

Description