California Aqueduct

The California Aqueduct is a concrete-lined canal running through Kern County in California, built to move water over long distances with the help of pumping stations. The canal flows through flat farmland and climbs over mountain ranges to deliver water where rainfall is scarce.

California launched a large water project in the early 1960s to supply the dry southern part of the state with water from the north. Over the following decades, engineers built a system of canals, pumps and reservoirs to move water across hundreds of miles.

The California Department of Water Resources maintains this system that supplies water to 27 million residents and irrigates 750,000 acres of agricultural land.

Visitors driving along the canal see long straight stretches of concrete flowing through open farmland, with occasional bridges and control buildings nearby. Access is limited in most areas, but some sections can be viewed from public roads alongside the channel.

One of the pumping plants lifts water nearly 2000 feet (about 600 meters) over a mountain range, a height that requires multiple pumps working in series. This engineering allows the system to reach dry regions on the other side of the mountains.