Water and Power Associates Informing the Public about Critical Water and Energy Issues facing Los Angeles and California

The monumental completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913 secured the City of Los Angeles as an oasis for opportunity.  Over decades, growing populations demanded more water development to support the ever-expanding metropolis.  However, water in this arid region came with great costs, determination, contestation and labor, which sharply contrasted with the vision of prosperity it provided.  This database offers unique and diverse perspectives into the history of the municipal water system in Los Angeles during the 20th century.

The Duane L. Georgeson Papers document his professional career with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Metropolitan Water District. During his 53 years as an engineer, Georgeson influenced important water policies and procedures in Southern California, contributing to the political and economical water climate currently in place today. Featured are early reports collected by Georgeson regarding the LA Aqueduct, Owens Valley and the St. Francis Dam disaster, as well as documents from the 1980s and 1990s addressing future water demands, runoff and the declining ecology of Mono Lake due to the diversion of its water.*