There aren't enough synonyms for the word "byzantine" to aptly describe our heavily populated and frequently dry region's relationship to water.
Tomes of the weightiest sort have been written on the tangled topic. William Mulholland's role in our city's first heavy-duty water procurement has been microscoped numerous times. And modern documentaries frequently revisit how our early aqueducts laid the hydro-powerful groundwork for turning Southern California into a boom-opolis.
Subjects all worthy of our consideration, especially in this time of drought, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power want to deepen the broader knowledge with a day spent at the Aqueduct Cascades in Sylmar.
Make that days, rather. In honor of the aqueduct's 101st anniversary, the LADWP is opening the historic site to the public on Saturday, Nov. 8 and Sunday, Nov. 9. There's no admission to attend, and department staffers will be on hand to talk about how the engineering marvel works, its history, its significance, its future as LA continues to grow, and any other questions people might arrive with.
And water questions? All up-to-speed SoCalers tend to have a few.
The water from the Eastern Sierra "accounts for 20-50% of the Los Angeles water supply," reads the site, "depending on snowpack." And this year? You guessed it: "Los Angeles will receive the lowest amount in its history."
Best bone up on the role the aqueduct plays in delivering the H20 and how it shaped the region a century ago. The hours both days are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
