Contact Information
Access and Management
Access
Public access to library and archival materials is through submission of a California Public Records Act request. Please send inquiries to PRAAdministration@mwdh2o.com.
Management
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California manages a library and archival repository documenting the activities of the organization and resources of interest to the greater history of the Los Angeles region.
The library holds over 7,000 reports dating from the early 1900s to the present created internally and by contractors, member agencies, and various governmental and educational institutions. These reports chronical the history of water access in the Southern California region and include topics such as the construction and maintenance of the Colorado River Aqueduct, the daily activities of water agencies, and the environmental concerns facing the region. In addition to the reports, the library holds serials, general, and reference materials focused on engineering, regional construction codes, water rights, and water quality.
The archival collection comprises inactive institutional records of enduring value that document the mission-central functions, organizations, policies, projects, initiatives, and employees of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Donations from outside parties that supplement internal documentation of Metropolitan’s history are collected sparingly. Archival holdings are in analog and digital formats and primarily date from Metropolitan’s establishment in 1928 by the California State Legislature through the present. Select records predating 1928 created or compiled by Metropolitan associates or pertinent to its founding are also included. Record formats include correspondence, photographs, ephemera, maps, meeting minutes, audiovisual recordings, and other material.
The following represent the archives’ broad collecting categories:
- Administrative Records
- Collected Papers and Three-Dimensional Objects
- Employee Life and Culture
- Facilities and Infrastructure
- Publicity and Ephemera
Metropolitan Board of Directors meeting records dating from 1928 to June 30, 2021 are available through the Metropolitan Board Archive. Records from meetings dating July 1, 2021 to the present are available through Legistar.