Oral Histories

Interview of Gerald W. Jones

Assistant chief engineer of waterworks for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
Subtitle:
Water for Los Angeles: Gerald W. Jones
Series:
Water for Los Angeles
Topic:
Urban Planning and Land Use
Water Resources
Biographical Note:
Assistant chief engineer of waterworks for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
Interviewer:
Basiago, Andrew D.
Interviewee:
Jones, Gerald W.
Supporting Documents:
Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.
Interviewer Background and Preparation:
The interview was conducted by Andrew D. Basiago, UCLA Oral History Program; B.A., History, UCLA.
Length:
6 hrs.
Language:
English
Copyright:
Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.
Series Statement:
This series made possible by a grant from the Division of Water, Los Angeles City Department of Water and Power, complements the earlier University of California series “Oral History of California Water Resources Development."
Abstract:
Early life; works drilling wells; William Mulholland; early years of the Los Angeles City Department of Water and Power (DWP); disaster planning; the 1971 Sylmar earthquake; California water systems sign mutual aid pact for disasters; water for San Fernando during 1971 earthquake; sabotage prevention; Joseph Barlow Lippincott; driving Lippincott and Albert Chandler to Pirtle Cut; escorting Lippincott and Lucius K. Chase down the Colorado River; Harvey A. Van Norman; recycling wastewater; water rights litigation between Los Angeles and cities in the San Fernando Valley; Mono Lake; Mulholland and the Antelope Valley Siphon; infiltration galleries; D. Arnold Lane and the development of groundwater storage; backfilling pipes save repair costs; providing water for fire fighting; Los Angeles city charter stipulation that public employee salaries be equal to those of private-sector employees; DWP's relative autonomy; relationship with the Los Angeles City Council; Mayor Fletcher Bowron's initial suspicion of DWP; Mayor Samuel W. Yorty; Mayor Thomas Bradley; obtaining water during a major disaster; water conservation measures that do not impair the quality of life; the riverbed cases; structural changes in pipelines to minimize earthquake damage; DWP leaders' land ownership in the San Fernando Valley; members of the California Club; vision and accomplishments of early DWP leaders; Mulholland names the Caterpillar tractor; Lippincott and Mulholland advise against further development of water resources; the Peripheral Canal; opposition to DWP projects; Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the level of the Salton Sea.