Just before midnight on March 7, 1928, a catastrophic collapse of the St Francis Dam located about 80km (50 miles) inland of Los Angeles unleashed a torrential flood of water down the San Francisquito Canyon. The towering 56-metre-tall dam collapsed simultaneously, causing a 43-metre (141ft) high wave that inundated everything in its path.
The devastating flow of water, amounting to 12.4 billion gallons, wiped out multiple towns along the way and led to the loss of at least 431 lives. Despite the lack of witnesses due to the absence of survivors, investigators later determined that the collapse was caused by “defective foundations”. The incident stands as the largest American civil engineering disaster of the century, deeply intertwined with the struggle known as the California Water Wars.
The St Francis Dam’s hydroelectric power facility stood tall as a significant structure, but its construction was marred by cracks and leaks since its reservoir began filling in 1926. The builders dismissed these issues as inconsequential, as the water it contained was crucial to address the growing demand of Los Angeles’s rapidly increasing population. This water was sourced from Owens Valley, a fertile area in a desert region between the Sierra Nevada and White Mountains, 320km (200 miles) away.
In the months leading up to its collapse, new cracks appeared around the dam’s abutments, and water leakage became more evident. Concerns of local farmers were dismissed by William Mulholland, the dam’s chief engineer, who declared the issues to be normal. Just hours before the calamitous event, Mulholland and his team conducted a thorough inspection of the dam, concluding that it was safe but in need of repairs. The dam ultimately succumbed to its weaknesses, leading to its catastrophic failure.
This monumental event exemplifies the aftermath of western expansion and the California Water Wars – a century-long battle over the state’s most coveted resource. The history of California’s quest for water intertwines the development of the modern metropolis of Los Angeles with the ambitions and machinations of influential figures like William Mul
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/3/7/california-water-wars-a-century-of-wrangling-over-los-angeless-water?traffic_source=rss
