Los Angeles Aqueduct Digital Platform

Yesterday UCLA launched the Los Angeles Aqueduct Digital Platform on the Aqueduct's centenary. I'm proud to say that the woman largely responsible for the conception and implementation of this project is my very dear friend and fellow archivist Jillian Cuellar.

Growing up in Southern California, drought warnings are issued consistently and water usage has always been a highly debated topic among the state's politicians and citizens. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit how little I know of the Aqueduct's history, and that most of what I do know likely came from watching Roman Polanski's movie Chinatown.

This project fills a large void in resources devoted to California's history. Ignoring the Aqueduct's influence on the development of Los Angeles would be like ignoring Robert Moses' role in the development of New York City. It'll be exciting to see how researchers take advantage of their new resources. It already looks promising.  

The Aqueduct fills with water for the first time on November 5, 1913. Image via

Mule team. Image via