Flood in the Desert
Explore the 1928 dam collapse, the second deadliest disaster in California history. A colossal engineering failure, the dam was built by William Mulholland, who had ensured the growth of Los Angeles by bringing water to the city via aqueduct.
Previews + Extras
Trailer | Flood in the Desert
S34 E3 - 1m 51s
Flood in the Desert explores the 1928 collapse of the St. Francis Dam and its aftermath, the second deadliest disaster in California history.
William Mulholland
S34 E3 - 52s
In 1922, to meet the growing water needs of Los Angeles, William Mulholland began building the St. Francis Dam to create a reservoir for the Los Angeles–Owens River aqueduct.
Chapter 1 | Flood in the Desert
S34 E3 - 10m 34s
Explore the 1928 dam collapse, the second deadliest disaster in California history.
Owens Valley Paiute
S34 E3 - 55s
The Native inhabitants—the Paiute people of the Owens Valley territory in what is now the State of California built sophisticated irrigation canals to channel water runoff from the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Big Dams of the American West
S34 E3 - 1m 48s
After the St. Francis Dam disaster of 1928, engineers applied lessons learned to expansive dam projects in the American West.
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