Description

The Colorado River Aqueduct is of the three major aqueduct systems that make Los Angeles possible. The aqueduct carries water 242 miles, from Lake Havasu, on the Colorado River, to Lake Matthews in western Riverside County, at the edge of the Great City. Built by the Metropolitan District Water Commission (MWD), the aqueduct was under construction for eight years, and was finished in 1941. The aqueduct lifts the water 1,617 feet through five pumping plants. There are 92 miles of tunnels, 63 miles of concrete canals, 55 miles of concrete conduits, and 144 siphons totaling 29 miles. A large raised-relief map of the Mojave, built for the design of the aqueduct, is on display at the General Patton Museum, at Chiriaco Summit, off I-10 in the Mojave. (The map was also taken to Washington DC where it was displayed to congress to help pass the Boulder Canyon Act in 1928).

Visitation:

Visible at a number of places in the desert, including at roadway intersections and at the five pumping plants. A scenic viewing spot is on Highway 62, three miles west of the intersection of Highway 177.

http://web.ladwp.com/~wsoweb/Aqueduct/historyoflaa/coloradoriver.htm
http://www.cfwc.com/coloradoaq.html

--from the Center for Land Use Interpretation