Image of future centennial garden.

Councilmember LaBonge, LADWP Officials Mark the Start of Construction

of the Los Angeles Aqueduct Centennial Garden

LOS ANGELES (Press Release) — Los Angeles City Councilmember Tom LaBonge of the 4th District, James McDaniel, Senior Assistant General Manager, Water System at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), and community members convened on Friday at the recently-renovated Mulholland Memorial Fountain in Los Feliz to break ground on the new Los Angeles Aqueduct Centennial Garden. They ceremoniously marked the start of construction on enhancements to the grounds surrounding the Los Feliz landmark that will feature elements marking the rich water history of the city and the upcoming Centennial of the Los Angeles Aqueduct.

The new garden will have California Friendly landscaping and plants, walking paths, park benches and educational signage to complement the recent renovations made to the Mulholland Fountain. The space will also include a decomposed granite path that depicts the Aqueduct’s 233 mile alignment from the Eastern Sierras to Los Angeles, as well as a 10-foot diameter riveted steel section of the original Aqueduct pipe. The garden will be an interactive display and monument to William Mulholland, Los Angeles’s rich water history, and the L.A. Aqueduct Centennial. To see a rendering of the completed garden, click here.

“Water is Los Angeles’s past, present, and future,” said Councilmember Tom LaBonge. “This space, with the restored Mulholland Fountain and the new Los Angeles Aqueduct Centennial Garden, is a great living memorial to a remarkable man who influenced so much of our collective history and helped build a world-class city.”

James McDaniel, Senior Assistant General Manager added, “When we complete this project in late October, the new garden will celebrate the engineering marvel and serve as a showcase for the many possibilities of California Friendly, water-wise landscaping that we encourage our residential and commercial customers to install in their own yards and workplaces.”

The L.A. Aqueduct Centennial Garden is being built by all-LADWP construction crews. Click here to see an aerial sketch, and a plant palette.

The groundbreaking event is the first of several activities planned to celebrate the centennial of the L.A. Aqueduct. Event photos are available on LADWP’s Flickr page here. For more information about the Los Angeles Aqueduct Centennial, visit www.LAAqueduct100.com. For a list of upcoming events planned to celebrate the L.A. Aqueduct Centennial, click here.