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Canal Bringing Groundwater from Well to Los Angeles Aqueduct

 
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Title
Canal Bringing Groundwater from Well to Los Angeles Aqueduct
Creator
Black, J. D. (John David), 1893-1960
Date
1930
Description
One of the canals that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power operated in Owens Valley to bring groundwater pumped from wells to the Los Angeles Aqueduct. In left background are power lines or telephone lines. In right background are the mountain ranges, either the Sierra Nevada or the Inyo, that parallel the Owens Valley. Title supplied by cataloger.
Names
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Format Extent
1 photograph : b&w ; 6 x 11 cm
Subject
Water rights--California--Owens Valley; Water rights--California--Los Angeles; Land use, Rural--California--History; Wells--California--Owens Valley; Groundwater--California--Owens Valley; Canals--California--Owens Valley; Wellheads--California--Owens Valley
Note
To meet the need for water of its growing population, the City of Los Angeles began buying land and corresponding water rights in the Owens Valley in 1905. In 1913, the great Los Angeles Aqueduct was completed to bring Owens Valley water to the city. Perhaps the pivotal figure in the Owens Valley Water Controversy, William Mulholland, chief engineer and manager of the City of Los Angeles' Bureau of Water Works and Supply, was responsible for the 233 mile aqueduct, an engineering marvel still in use today. Wells such as this operated by the Los Department of Water and Power were a major grievance for Owens Valley ranchers and farmers, for the City of Los Angeles' pumping of groundwater lowered the watertable, hampering use of water for agriculture by locals. A resident of Big Pine and leader of resistance against Los Angeles, J. D. Black (1893-1960) used this photograph to document the water management practices of the City of Los Angeles in the Owens Valley.
Collection
J. D. Black Papers, CSLA-15, Series 3: Photographs, Subseries B: Abandoned Properties, Owens Valley, Box 17, Sleeve 31
Type
Language
eng
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