Dark money, shady deals, secret discussions and intrigue... The latest spy thriller from Hollywood,
right? That is only half of the
story. The half that is Hollywood is the
1974 motion picture Chinatown. In the story private detective Jake Gittes
(Jack Nicholson) is hired by a woman who believes her husband is having an affair. But,
it turns out to be more than that as Jake soon discovers a strange web of
corruption surrounding of all things—water.
The part of the story that is non-fiction is the true tale of deceit and
corruption surrounding the monumental efforts to bring water to Los
Angeles. At the center of that story is
William Mulholland.
Mulholland, an engineer with no formal training in the
science was saddled with the job of getting water to LA. The city lacked a water infrastructure and water
was required if the town was to become one of the world’s most famous cities. When his work was completed Los Angeles had
one of the most complex water delivery networks on the globe. It began with the Los Angeles Aqueduct, a 233-mile
water mover that brought the life source out of the Owens Valley down into the
LA basin. The aqueduct was built with great
strife and some dirty deals, construction began in 1908.
Much of the acreage purchased for the aqueduct was farm and
orchard land and was bought at far less its true value. The farmers that sold were in essence
fleeced. The farmers grew increasingly
angry and as the aqueduct took shape the farmers took action sabotaging the
project wherever they could. This period
is now known as the California Water Wars.
As the water was diverted out of the Owens Valley the land and surrounding area
began to dry up. The farms closed and the
orchards died. By 1928 work was
completed and the Owens Valley was wiped off the map.
Mulholland also left the world scene in 1928 following the catastrophic
collapse of the St. Francis Dam. Located
10 miles north of Santa Clarita the dam held a storage reservoir that fed the
aqueduct. On March 12 the dam failed and
three towns downstream were wiped out with a total loss of life approaching 600. Poor
concrete set on a non-reinforced rock bed led to the collapse. It is to this day the worst engineering
disaster in American history. Mulholland
was blamed for a lack of oversight during the construction and for rushing
projects to completion.
California today is home to 36 of the largest reservoirs in
the United States and an equally impressive list of dams. Massachusetts is the unofficial dam capital
of the States as many of the Commonwealth’s rivers were dammed to help power a
milling industry that dates back to before the Colonial Period. A bike ride of California reservoirs offers
good climbs, fast descents and breathtaking views. The reservoir roads are service roads that are
well-maintained and less-traveled. Most reservoirs are state parks or
recreational areas offering a litany of services, most free of charge.
If you have an opportunity to ride the Golden State’s reservoirs
take a moment to reflect on the incredible history and the complex story
surrounding their construction. Please
visit our website for the Chinatown
trailer, www.stickybottleteam.net.
We are in the process of revamping the website. We will have new links and pages this week! Stay tuned...
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