logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2020
37m 4s

California Water Wars - Building the Dre...

Wondery
About this episode

By 1907, the city of Los Angeles had found a solution to its water problem. Two hundred miles north in the Owens River Valley was a never-ending source of water. Los Angeles Water Department superintendent William Mulholland set about constructing one of the largest public works projects the state of California has ever seen. But first, he would have to convince the voters of Los Angeles to approve the project. And then, he would have to build it himself. 

For five years construction crews filed into the desert, building a massive aqueduct system that would ferry the water all the way to the thirsty city. Along the way, Mulholland would encounter problems with bureaucrats, bad food, and dynamite. With the project hurtling towards completion, serious doubts would be raised about graft and self-interest. Was the Los Angeles aqueduct really just about water? Or was it set to make a handful of rich men even richer?


Support us by supporting our sponsors!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Aug 22
FAN FAVORITE: California Gold Rush | The Forty Niners | 2
In early 1849, thousands of gold-hungry Americans began pouring into California from the eastern United States. But most of the so-called 49ers were wildly unprepared for the perilous journey west. Once they reached California, they found unexpected obstacles and fierce competiti ... Show More
37m 46s
Aug 20
FAN FAVORITE: The Insurrection of Aaron Burr | The Severance of the Union | 3
In August 1806, Aaron Burr began the final preparations for his mysterious expedition to the western frontier. As he traveled, rumors that he was plotting a dangerous conspiracy followed in his wake.Newspapers reported that Burr was planning to invade Mexico and start a secession ... Show More
40m 51s
Aug 20
FAN FAVORITE: California Gold Rush | The First Strike | 1
After the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848, hundreds of thousands of prospectors poured into California, hoping to strike it rich. In the early days, rather than coming from within the U.S., most miners arrived from places like China, Hawaii, Chile, and Australia. But w ... Show More
37m 17s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2021
LA Steals Its Water | The Biggest Problem | 1
William Mulholland climbs to the top of the water department. But once he's there, he learns that Los Angeles has a terrible secret, one that could destroy the city.Want to listen to the remaining episodes of LA Steals Its Water? Episodes 2-4 are available exclusively and ad-free ... Show More
43m 28s
Feb 2024
Johnstown Flood | The Dam | 1
It’s May, 30th 1889, and the South Fork Dam in Western Pennsylvania is in danger. After nearly a month of hard rain, eight inches have fallen in one day, filling the lake behind the dam to capacity. And the dam’s owners, the South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club, have cut corners i ... Show More
47m 2s
Feb 2024
Johnstown Flood | Overflow | 2
Engineer John Parke and a team of workers furiously shovel dirt, trying to shore up the South Fork Dam as it threatens to overflow, amid torrential rains. Parke knows these efforts are their only chance of preventing a terrible flood. He decides he has to warn the towns in the ri ... Show More
41m 10s
Feb 2024
Johnstown Flood | Fire on the Water | 4
After the flood leaves many Johnstown residents trapped by debris and fighting for their lives, several oil slicks from leaking industrial equipment catch fire, igniting a deadly inferno. Sixteen-year-old Victor Heiser must rescue a young woman whose leg is pinned by rubble as th ... Show More
48m 18s
May 2022
Let's blame someone for California's drought
It’s barely spring in 2022 and California has already broken record heat and drought levels never before seen in 1,200 years. Major reservoirs across the American West are at record lows. Groundwater is drying up. It’s projected to get even worse in the upcoming summer months. Co ... Show More
23m 2s
Aug 2023
Hurricane Katrina | Stranded | 2
Officials learn that the storm surge from Katrina has breached New Orleans’s levees, allowing water to pour into the city. Soon, 80 percent of New Orleans is underwater. Many residents become trapped in their homes, and are forced to climb into their attics and onto rooftops, as ... Show More
44m 28s