San Buenaventura Mission Aqueduct

The San Buenaventura Mission Aqueduct is a water system made of stone and mortar built in the early 1800s that carried water from the Ventura River across the landscape. The structure used raised channels and arches to move water over hills toward the mission settlement.

The aqueduct was built between 1805 and 1815 when Mexican stonemasons and Chumash workers labored together on this ambitious water project. The system became crucial for supplying water to the growing mission settlement.

The aqueduct shows how Spanish missionaries, Mexican craftsmen, and Chumash Indians worked together to bring water to the mission. Their collaboration created a system that served the settlement for generations.

A section of the aqueduct roughly 100 feet long is visible at Canyada Canyon and protected by fencing to preserve the historic structure. This preserved section clearly shows the building technique and original height of the construction.

The aqueduct used a specialized siphon system that could push water uphill through underground pipes, a remarkably advanced technique for its era. This method allowed workers to overcome elevation changes that would otherwise have been impossible to manage.