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HISTORY OF WATER IN LOS ANGELES
When the El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles was founded in
1781, the main source of its water was the Los Angeles River-El
Río de la Porciuncula. The first settlers took immediate
action to use the waters of the river and constructed a crude
diversion system consisting of open zanjas (ditches) (pronounced
san-haz). By the 1880s there were 10 zanjas that covered
93 miles. The zanjas served the city until 1902, when
they were replaced with a system of underground pipes.
A portion of the Zanja Madre (mother ditch) serves
as the main feature of El Pueblo's "History of Water in Los Angeles"
exhibit. It was discovered during the construction of the Avila
Adobe Annex, which is adjacent to the oldest surviving home in
Los Angeles. This unexpected mirror into our city's past provides
and ideal setting to tell the story of water in Los Angeles.
This story begins with a crude system of open ditches used to
bring water to the pueblo. Additional sources of water and methods
of delivery were developed as Los Angeles grew in population and
in size. For example, in 1860, the privately-owned Los Angeles
Water Works Company constructed the city's first reservoir. Two
years later, the use of hollow wooden pipes inaugurated a modern
method of delivering water throughout the city.
As the population continued to increase, new sources of water
were sought. Fred Eaton, superintendent of the private water company,
conceived the idea of bringing water from the Eastern Sierra Nevada.
His vision became a
A zanjero of the early pueblo
(Courtesy the Department of Water and Power) reality when the new municipal Water Department,
under the leadership of William Mulholland, its first superintendent
began construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct. This five-year
project was completed in 1913. It was believed that this additional
source would provide the city with enough water to meet all future
needs.
Mulholland soon realized that this supply would not meet the
need of the ever-growing city. As a result of his pioneering efforts
which began in 1923, a new aqueduct, originating at the Colorado
River, was completed in 1941 to serve Los Angels and much of Southern
California. A year earlier, the Los Angeles Aqueduct was extended
105 miles northward to the Mono Basin. In 1970, the need of additional
water resulted in the building of a second, but smaller aqueduct
parallel to the original Los Angeles Aqueduct.
Today, the "History of Water in Los Angeles" is a permanent
exhibit located at the Avila Adobe Annex. The exhibit is a joint
effort by El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument and the
City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. It is designed
to be viewed during a guided tour so that visitors of all ages
can learn how water helped transform a small pueblo into a major
metropolis. And while Los Angeles' water supplies in the early
21st century are adequate, the city faces new challenges in preserving
and protecting its precious water resources. The assistance of
each citizen is needed to meet these challenges. One way to help
Los Angeles meet its water needs is through conservation.
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