The Colorado River Aqueduct is a 242-mi (392 km) diversion canal in southern California in the United States. The aqueduct diverts water from the Colorado River along the California-Arizona west across the Mojave and Colorado deserts to the east side of the Santa Ana Mountains . The aqueduct is operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) as one of the primary sources of drinking water in southern California.
The aqueduct was constructed between 1933-1941 by the MWD to ensure a steady supply of drinking water to Los Angeles and surrounding communities. Designed by Chief Enginner Frank E. Weymouth of the MWD, it was the largest public works product in southern California during the Great Depression. The project employed 30,000 people over an eight-year period and as many as 10,000 at one time.
The construction of the aqueduct is widely credited as being a principal reason for the industrial growth of the region during World War II and the following decades. In 1992, the aqueduct was recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) as one of the seven "wonders" of the American engineering world.
