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Zanja Madre

18th century in Los Angeles19th century in Los AngelesAqueducts in CaliforniaHistory of Los AngelesIrrigation canals
Irrigation in the United StatesLandmarks in Los AngelesLos Angeles RiverPueblo de Los ÁngelesTransportation buildings and structures in Los Angeles County, CaliforniaUse mdy dates from September 2020
LA waterwheel 1863
LA waterwheel 1863

The Zanja Madre (Spanish: [ˈsaŋxa ˈmaðɾe], "Mother Trench") is the original aqueduct that brought water to the Pueblo de Los Angeles from the Río Porciúncula (Los Angeles River). The original open, earthen ditch was completed by community laborers within a month of founding the pueblo. This water system was used for both domestic uses and irrigation to fields west of town. This availability of water was essential to the survival and growth of the community founded here. Brick conduits 3 to 3.5 feet (0.91 to 1.07 m) in diameter were built to improve the system after 1884. Eventually the system did not supply enough water to keep pace with population growth and irrigation demand. The system was abandoned by 1904 though portions were still used for storm water purposes. It was maintained by the Zanjero of Los Angeles.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Zanja Madre (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Zanja Madre
North Broadway, Los Angeles Chinatown

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Latitude Longitude
N 34.068555555556 ° E -118.23333333333 °
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Broadway & Bishops

North Broadway
90086 Los Angeles, Chinatown
California, United States
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LA waterwheel 1863
LA waterwheel 1863
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Figueroa Street Tunnels
Figueroa Street Tunnels

The Figueroa Street Tunnels are a set of four four-lane tunnels that carry northbound traffic on State Route 110 (the Arroyo Seco Parkway) through Elysian Park in Los Angeles, California, United States. From south to north, the four tunnels measure 755, 461, 130, and 405 feet (230, 141, 40, and 123 m) in length, 46.5 feet (14 m) in width, and 28.3 ft (8.6 m) in height.The north three tunnels opened in 1931 as a bypass to a section of North Broadway; the southernmost (and longest) opened in 1935, connecting to Figueroa Street downtown. In 1943, the Figueroa Street Viaduct was built to the north of the tunnels. This dedicated the tunnels to 4 lanes of eastward traffic, and the viaduct to 4 lanes of westward traffic. Several connections have been added to the street, most notably in 1940 to the Arroyo Seco Parkway and in 1953 to the Four Level Interchange. The tunnels were designed by engineer Merrill Butler, who was responsible for many iconic Los Angeles River bridges - notably the Sixth Street Viaduct and the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge. The tunnels featured Art Deco patterns, ornamental street lamps, reflective tiling (similar to the 2nd Street Tunnel), and above all eight openings, a stylized Seal of Los Angeles.Traffic through the tunnels is heavy at almost all times of day. At the north end of the tunnels is an interchange with Interstate 5 (Golden State Freeway), in which the leftmost lane makes a hard turn onto the offramp. There are also sharp exit and entrance ramps, on the right lane, at Solano Avenue after the first tunnel. Since the tunnels' incorporation into Arroyo Seco Parkway (now SR 110), Figueroa Street has been discontinuous. It merges into SR 110 at Alpine Street in Chinatown, south of the tunnels, and splits in Highland Park, north of the Figueroa Street Viaduct over the Los Angeles River.