Los Angeles Aqueduct, Mono Basin Extension - Lee Vining CA

City:: Lee Vining, CA
Site Type:: Infrastructure and Utilities, Water Supply
New Deal Agencies:: Public Works Funding, Public Works Administration (PWA)
Started:: 1933
Quality of Information:: Moderate
Site Survival:: Extant

Description

From the Water and Power Associates blog:

Conception of the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct

The original aqueduct system [built between 1908 and 1913] was operated at capacity when the Owens Valley runoff diversion was sufficient, and there were periods when more water was available than the system could transfer to the City. There were also several periods of drought when the aqueduct was not full. The Mono Basin Extension Project, initiated in 1930, was a new source of supply that assured full capacity operation of the aqueduct during drought periods. More importantly, water rights filings in the Mono Basin and the capacity of the Extension Project were greater than required for the existing aqueduct, making possible the consideration of a second Los Angeles Aqueduct.”

According to an Oct 1933 Illustrated Daily News article: “The city already has on file with the federal public works administration an application for $27,700,000 to be used in financing the work, as well as money from the $32,800,000 bond issue voted by the people in 1930.”

The Second Los Angeles Aqueduct was eventually constructed in 1965-1970.