Completed in 1952, the Upper Stone Canyon 6-044 Dam stands as an important piece of Los Angeles’ water infrastructure. Here at the Upper Stone Canyon 6-044 Dam, we’re not just looking at a dam. We are looking at a vital component of the Stone Canyon Reservoir system. The Stone Canyon Reservoir is composed of two reservoirs. There is the larger Lower Stone Canyon Reservoir and the Upper Stone Canyon Reservoir.
These reservoirs are nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains. They lie in the Bel Air neighborhood. They sit south of Mulholland Drive and west of North Beverly Glen Boulevard. The Upper Stone Canyon 6-044 Dam and its reservoirs play a crucial role. They supply the Westside water subsystem. This includes service to about 400,000 people. These people reside in Pacific Palisades, the Santa Monica Mountains, and West Los Angeles.
Originally, both the Lower and Upper Stone Canyon Reservoirs stored treated drinking water. However, this design allowed surface runoff to flow into the reservoirs. This resulted in contamination.
The Upper Stone Canyon Reservoir has a capacity to store 138 million US gallons of water. It was built with safeguards against surface runoff. These safeguards are boundary channels. The Lower Stone Canyon Reservoir lacks these features.
The reservoirs sometimes face flash floods. During these times, they are temporarily taken out of service. In the event of a 100-year storm rainfall, the Upper Stone Canyon Reservoir will spill into the lower reservoir. The water is then filtered. After the filtration, the water will be supplied to customers.
You might be interested to know about future plans for the Upper Stone Canyon 6-044 Dam. There is a proposal to replace the existing Upper Stone Canyon Reservoir. The plan involves constructing three underground reservoirs beneath the current one. These underground reservoirs would store 81 million US gallons of water.
The underground structures would be covered with soil. Local vegetation would then be planted on top. The area would also feature hiking trails. This would provide a recreational space for canyon trekking. This project aims to meet federal laws regarding uncovered reservoirs.
The Lower Stone Canyon Reservoir has already been decommissioned for regular use. However, it remains available for emergency situations. A small water treatment plant can handle such emergencies. In case of a fire emergency, the Lower Stone Canyon Reservoir can provide water for firefighting. The Stone Canyon Water Quality Improvement Project also enhances the security of the water supply.
The Stone Canyon Reservoir has also made its mark in Hollywood. It was used as a filming location for the 1974 movie Chinatown. It also appears in novels such as Irving Wallace’s The Fan Club and Robert Crais’ Sunset Express.