In the early 1900s, the city of Los Angeles needed a larger and more reliable water source. This led William Mulholland, the Water Bureau’s superintendent and chief engineer, to begin searching for suitable locations to build a dam. Mulholland chose a location in the San Francisquito Canyon. The land was surveyed in December 1922. By July 1, 1924, the preliminary work was in place, and the dam was officially completed on May 4, 1926. Almost immediately, there were problems. Cracks started appearing in the concrete. Water seeped through some of the seams. Then the leaks began. Despite the problems, the structure was considered safe and doing well considering its size and the amount of water it was holding. On March 12, 1928, a new leak was discovered. It was so large that the operators of the dam called Mulholland and asked him to come and take another look. For two hours, Mulholland and his assistant examined ...
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