The Brief

William Mullholland is often hailed as the man who brought water to Los Angeles, but there’s an earlier group Angelenos owe flowers to: The original founders of L.A., and the Zanja Madre.

The system of zanjas — Spanish for trench or ditch — was the city’s first irrigation network that brought water from the L.A. River to people’s homes and fields.

How the ditches began

For the 44 pobladores who came from New Spain (modern Mexico) to settle in today’s downtown, every drop of water was liquid gold. Having quick access to water helped sustain life and raised crops for food.

When the pueblo of Los Angeles was founded in 1781, the town was purposely located near the L.A. River. One of the first things community members built in June of that year was a water system. They joined together to carve out the first sections of a crude dirt pipeline delivering L.A. River water, the Zanja Madre (Mother Ditch), about seven weeks after settling.

They finished it in October 1781, but once the United States seized power, more zanjas were dug out. That led to the earliest industrial use of the Zanja Madre by Eagle Flour Mills in 1855, according to archeologist Marc Beherec, and more heavy use followed.

Map showing the route of the Zanja Madre irrigation system in 1888.

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Security Pacific National Bank Collection

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Los Angeles Public Library

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But the zanja system was delicate. The dam intake had to be repaired after rain and the ditches had to be cleaned up often for the water to reach each customer.

The Zanjero, or “water overseer,” was responsible for maintaining the system alongside a group of deputies. The position got paid better than the mayor, signifying the price tag and commodification of water.

They ensured ditches worked properly, but there was another element that made the job a big deal — they wore police badges and had the authority to arrest anyone using the water without a permit.

The city created a zanja department, but the day-to-day was still rough. At one point, zanjeros missed a day of work because all the shovels broke. Then, floods in 1884 washed out the dirt ditches and made officials go back to the drawing board. The result, costing $125,000, was to turn some of the zanjas into closed brick conduits and improve others with concrete.

The zanjas reached their prime that decade, with an estimated 6,897 acres irrigated in city limits, including vineyards and citrus farms.

By 1902, the zanja system was made up of four separate areas connecting back to the L.A. River. At its height, L.A. had 52 miles of zanja.

An undated look at the interior of the Zanja Madre, which was uncovered during the wrecking of the first Department of Water and Power building.

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Historical Photo Collection of the LADWP

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Los Angeles Public Library

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Why the zanjas died off

There were public-use and safety concerns.

That’s because the zanja network was a bit haphazard. Some of it was still above ground or not upgraded with cement. For example, in 1898 an association petitioned the City Council to lay pipes down on Naomi Avenue in a bid to get a “very dangerous” open zanja closed off.

In 1901, a 7-year-old boy with epilepsy fell onto an open zanja on Date Street and died.

People would bathe in these zanjas, which at some points could be 12 feet wide. Residents would go for a summer swim, dump trash, and even wash their clothes in the water they’d drink and irrigate from.

A group of people wash clothes in the Zanja Madre, circa 1900.

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Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library

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But it was William Mulholland who may have sealed the zanjas’ fate.

As superintendent of the L.A. Water Department, he wrote in a 1903 report to the board of water commissioners that “the zanja system has made its usual poor showing for the year,” making sure to show how the upkeep expenses were outpacing income.

Then, after a rainless summer, Mulholland allocated the water to the domestic drinking supply only — stripping farmers of the much needed resource — to start shutting it down.

May 1904 was the last month the city zanja department sold water. The ditches were abandoned, but portions were repurposed for a stormwater system.

Where they’ve been found today

The Thomas Douglas Stimson house at 2421 South Figueroa Street near Adams Street, Los Angeles. It was built in Romanesque revival style in 1891. Next o it, is an open zanja.

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Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library

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After more than 240 years, the zanja system has been covered up, destroyed, and forgotten.

But every so often, parts of it come to light.

Eighteen archaeological encounters with the system have been documented as of 2022, though there have likely been more times people have come across the pipes.

But officially, crews have found it during things like Metro line work, street widenings, and building construction.

You can run into the zanja system, too. Olvera Street has a brick path extending from the fountain that represents the route of the Zanja Madre, and the Stimson House on Figueroa Street still has the above ground barriers up.

Contractors are expected to get the green light Monday from the Port of L.A. to start transforming 12 acres of densely industrial land next to the Wilmington waterfront into a green space called the Avalon Bridge Project and Gateway.

Residents say the project can’t be done soon enough.

“Right now, it's not safe to walk from downtown Wilmington all the way to the waterfront,” said Salvador Lara, who’s lived in Wilmington for 35 years and works for a nonprofit that does clean-ups in the neighborhood.

Until 2024, most Wilmington residents had little reason to walk to the waterfront. That year, officials unveiled the Wilmington Waterfront Promenade, a 9-acre open space with picnic areas, grass and a public dock.

Now, residents go there to enjoy the park and trails, as well as free events such as wellness fairs and Dia de los Reyes celebrations. But access remains a problem.

Lucia Moreno-Linares, a Wilmington resident and former L.A. Harbor Commissioner, points to last year’s Shakespeare-by-the-sea event as a good example of the challenge.

“Most people used their car to get there, especially because it was in the evening,” she said. Yet for many residents, it would not have been a long walk, if there was a way to get through the industrial area safely."

She expects the bridge project will make a big difference.

“When the bridge is finished, I think we'll have a better turnout for that event,” she said.

Public officials broke ground in February on the Avalon Bridge Project and Gateway.

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Courtesy Port of L.A.

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The 380-foot bridge will give pedestrians and bicyclists a way to safely cross over working rail lines and avoid port traffic to get to the promenade. The concrete bridge will feature a cable-stayed arch structure.

The Avalon Bridge Project is expected to be completed in 2028. It's part of the Port of L.A.'s decade-old Public Access Investment Plan that's set aside $400 million for waterfront and education projects, including the promenade, the bridge project and San Pedro Town Square. One construction will be a massive sundial.

A rendering of the Avalong Bridge Project and Gateway. It's meant to help people avoid train tracks and truck traffic to walk to a watefront park.

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Courtesy Port of L.A.

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A rendering shows what part of the Avalon Bridge Project is expected to look like when finished in 2028.

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Courtesy Port of L.A.

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The access problems residents hope the bridge project will fix

Just north of the promenade and the future gateway project lie the dense residential and business districts whose roots go back to the mid-19th century.

But the harbor grew massively in the 20th century, with railroad tracks and heavy container truck traffic popping up between those residents and the water.

Now that the waterfront promenade includes places for people to walk, ride their bikes and grass on which to lay a picnic blanket, the industrial area acts as a barrier.

The Avalon Bridge Project gives pedestrians a way to safely skip over those hurdles. It's designed to improve the quality of life of residents, who for generations have sacrificed a lot for being on the doorstep of the massive Port of L.A.

“What makes this project special is that it's all about more than just building infrastructure,” said Port of L.A. executive director Gene Seroka at a recent briefing. “It's about giving Wilmington residents direct access to their own waterfront and creating spaces where the community can gather and connect.”

I went to get my hair cut last week, and when I pulled into the driveway of the salon, I saw the biggest lizard I've ever seen in Southern California — and this was in West Adams, nowhere near a hiking trail! Turns out I’m not alone. As Jacob Margolis reported last week, alligator lizards and other scaly friends are having a field day with this weather. And while I was sufficiently freaked out by my sighting in our urban jungle, the real risk of the early warm weather is to them, not us.

Sing your lizard heart out this week with Licorice Pizza’s music calendar. On Monday, K-pop girl group Hearts2Hearts will be at the Grammy Museum as part of the museum’s Global Spin Live program, while Lady Blackbird, aka the “Grace Jones of jazz,” is at the Blue Note.

On Tuesday, there’s a very special show at the El Rey with the Dirty Three, featuring Warren Ellis of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, while country-pop troubadour Lindsay Ell is at the Troubadour.

On Wednesday, L.A. garage band ALEXSUCKS plays the El Rey, misleadingly named folk singer Skullcrusher plays the Lodge Room and there will be a rebirth of slick with alternative hip-hop legend Digable Planets at the Blue Note (they’re also there on Thursday). Also on Thursday, metal band Bad Omens plays the Forum, and veteran indie band Voxtrot is at cool new Chinatown venue Pacific Electric.

Elsewhere on LAist, you can learn about how the Iranian community in L.A. is celebrating Nowruz in wartime, head to North Hills for a late-night Filipino grocery store rave (yes, you read that right) and get a ticket for Kai Ryssdal’s special Marketplace Live event on March 29.

Events

Silent film screening with music: The Cruise of the Jasper B and The Yankee Clipper

Monday, March 23, 7:30 p.m.
Hollywood Heritage Museum 
2100 N Highland Ave., Hollywood
COST: $10; MORE INFO

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Courtesy Hollywood Heritage

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Catch a double feature of silent films — The Cruise of the Jasper B (1926) and The Yankee Clipper (1927) — projected from 16mm Kodascope prints, with live accompaniment by Jon Mirsalis. The two films are both part of a celebration of the DeMille Pictures Corporation (as in Cecil B.); the first is a comedy starring Rod LaRocque and Mildred Harris; the second is not about Joe DiMaggio, but is an adventure about the U.S. and Great Britain’s seafaring rivalry.

Michael Orland’s Broadway Sing-Along

Wednesday, March 25, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. 
Three Clubs 
1123 Vine Street, Hollywood
COST: $28; MORE INFO

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Jonathan Sadowski

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Eventbrite

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A Broadway singalong with American Idol’s in-house pianist? Say no more. I’m prepping my best rendition of “Defying Gravity” as we speak. Sign up to sing with pianist Michael Orland, or just sing along with other Broadway fanatics.

Dolores: Group exhibition

Through Sunday, April 12
Plaza de la Raza Boathouse Gallery
3540 N. Mission Road, Lincoln Heights
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

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Barbara Carrasco

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Plaza de la Raza

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This group exhibit honoring Dolores Huerta, a trailblazer, survivor and farmworkers’ rights activist, could not be better timed. While the news about César Chávez's history of abuse is harrowing, this show is a chance to honor Huerta and her work for the greater good of farmworkers and California writ large — and view the farmworkers’ movement through the eyes of artists of all stripes.

Sister Dreamer

Through September 2027
Wednesdays to Sundays 
1810 W. 76th Street, South Central L.A. 
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

Lauren Halsey, who's from South Central, had a vision to create a sculpture park in her home neighborhood for years, and it’s finally a reality. Sister Dreamer, the artist’s “architectural ode to tha surge n splurge of south central los angeles,” is a new monument, attraction, gathering spot and homage to innovation to be enjoyed by all.

Dragon Mama

Through Sunday, April 12
Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Ave., Westwood 
COST: FROM $39; MORE INFO

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Jeff Lorch

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Geffen Playhouse

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The second installment of the popular Dragon Cycle series about a Filipina woman’s relationship with her mother, her culture, her queerness and her love life recently opened at the Geffen Playhouse to rave reviews. The one-woman show Dragon Mama follows last year’s Dragon Lady, and is written and performed by Sara Porkalob. It’s peppered with ghosts, Filipino gangsters and a '90s R&B soundtrack.

Secret Walls: Wet Paint LA

Through Saturday, April 4
2272 Venice Blvd., Harvard Heights
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

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Secret Walls

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Eventbrite

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Graffiti as a movement and as an art takes center stage at Secret Walls' first Wet Paint show in Los Angeles. It features graffiti artists including CAN2, MERLOT, JOSE MERTZ, JOSHUA VIDES, YES2 and many more.

A Celebration of Ralph Steadman: A Live Show 

Wednesday, March 25, 8 p.m. 
Actors’ Gang
9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City 
COST: $58; MORE INFO

Exhibit through Saturday, May 9 
Ralph Steadman
Torrance Art Museum
3320 Civic Center Drive, Torrance
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

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Ralph Steadman

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Courtesy Torrance Art Museum

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The writings and illustrations of Ralph Steadman (most famous for his illustrations of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson’s work) is the focus of an evening on stage at the Actors’ Gang in Culver City. It will feature readings by Josh Brolin, Michael C. Mahon and Pat Healey; singing by Kim Chase; and an introduction by Steadman’s youngest daughter, Sadie Williams. Can’t make the stage show? Head to Torrance Art Museum through May 9 for an exhibit that features more than 140 drawings and other works of Steadman’s, including illustrations for Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Plus, check out the Gonzo Art Trail around the L.A. area that the museum has created, which challenges users to a scavenger hunt for Steadman’s SoCal inspirations, and includes events like the Actors’ Gang show throughout the exhibition’s lifecycle.

Regarding Her reception and cooking classes

Monday, March 23, 5:30 p.m.
Maydan Market 
4301 W. Jefferson Blvd., West Adams
COST: $108; MORE INFO

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Ashley Randall Photography

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Rose Previte, the founder of new West Adams hotspot Maydan Market, joins women’s culinary organization Regarding Her for a cooking class and networking evening at the hip space. Several other big-name L.A. female chefs will join Previte for the event, which invites foodies to participate in an array of intimate cooking classes. You can make Guerrerense tamales with Heidie Irra from Maléna; indigenous Oaxacan chocolate and atole with Odilia Romero and chef Evelyn Gregorio from Lugya’h; market fruit hand pies with Anastashia Chavez from Inglewood’s Cadoro Bakery; Korean pork mandu with Deborah Pak from legendary Koreatown institution Soban; and gnocchetti sardi with Victoria Bermudez from Leona, a micro-batch pasta shop in Los Feliz.

Grand Prix Association of Long Beach president and CEO Jim Michaelian died on Saturday, just four weeks before the street race was scheduled to roar again along the city’s shoreline, association officials said. It was to be the last race he would oversee before passing the reins to incoming CEO Jim Liaw.

Michaelian was 83. His cause of death was not released.

Michaelian wore increasingly larger hats during the past 51 years of the annual race, serving first as the Grand Prix Association’s controller, chief operating officer and then being named president and CEO in December 2001.

“Jim didn’t just lead the Grand Prix — he lived it,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement. ”His passion, warmth and dedication turned an event into a tradition, and a tradition into a source of pride for generations of Long Beach residents. Under his leadership, the Grand Prix became a global event and a defining part of Long Beach’s identity.”

Michaelian graduated from UCLA with a BS in Physics and an MBA. He was a competitive sports car racer for more than 25 years and competed in endurance events at tracks including Le Mans, Daytona, Nürburgring, Dubai and Sebring.

Penske Entertainment acquired the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach in November 2024.

Penske Corporation chairman Roger Penske reflected on Michaelian’s contributions.

“Jim was a leader of a small, passionate group who believed in the concept of bringing elite open-wheel competition to Long Beach in the 1970s, worked tirelessly to make it happen despite steep odds and then helped nurture the Grand Prix of Long Beach into becoming America’s premier street race,” Penske said. “His vision and energy surrounding this great event remained boundless for 50 years, as no task was too small for Jim, even while he served in numerous leadership roles.”

Michaelian is survived by his wife, Mary, and sons Bob and Mike.

“A loving and devoted husband, nothing meant more to Jim than his family,” the Grand Prix Association said in a statement. “He especially treasured the time he spent with his two boys, creating memories that will be carried forever.”

The Major League Baseball season kicks off this Wednesday, with the New York Yankees going up against the San Francisco Giants.

For our reigning world champs Dodgers, their home opener is on Thursday, when they play the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chavez Ravine.

This year, the Dodgers are looking to make history for the franchise with their pursuit of a back-to-back-to-back win. So, how are their chances? We take these questions to LAist's resident sports expert, Matt Dangelantonio.

How are the Dodgers looking this year?

In a word? Great. Almost the entire 2025 World Series team is returning, with a couple of major additions in the outfield and bullpen. The Dodgers are Vegas' favorites to win it all at +230, far ahead of the next team up — the New York Yankees at +1000. The Dodgers remain the team to beat in the National League West, and really in all of baseball. They are a blueprint for what can go right when you have a lot of money to spend and invest right.

The team's biggest assets?

Biggest assets are the names you already know: Ohtani, Freeman, Betts, Muncy, Teoscar, Yoshi ... the list goes on. There are also two new names folks will want to watch. One is slugging outfielder Kyle Tucker, to whom the Dodgers gave a four-year deal worth a whopping $240 million. He's a four-time All-Star who can hit 30 home runs, and is a strong defensive outfielder with a Gold Glove (2022) under his belt. One thing the Dodgers lacked last year was a de facto closer, though rookie Roki Sasaki took on that role during the postseason. Now, the Dodgers have a true closer in Edwin Diaz, a former New York Met with a proven track record of locking things down in the ninth inning — if he can stay healthy. The bullpen will also benefit from the return of past mainstays like Brusdar Graterol, Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia, who missed the World Series after the death of his newborn daughter.

The biggest concerns?

Age and health, pretty much the same as usual. Offensive woes caught up to some of the team's elder statesmen — like Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Max Muncy — in the World Series, though Muncy did redeem himself with the clutch 7th-inning homer in Game 7 of the World Series to make it 3-2 and set the table for Miggy Ro's 9th-inning, game-tying homer. But those guys aren't getting any younger. Health was also an issue for the pitching staff in particular last year. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow both missed big chunks of time with injuries.

The archrivals?

In the NL West, it's the Padres as usual. They have a solid combination of veteran experience and youth in their lineup, a strong pitching rotation and arguably one of the best bullpens in baseball. The Mets and Phillies are likely to be the biggest potential threats to the Dodgers' reign, though both clubs have bad track records of winning when it matters. And then league-wide, the Yankees, Mariners and Blue Jays should all be very good and are each good bets to be on the opposite side should the Dodgers make it back to the World Series.

So, three-peat?

Nothing is certain in baseball, but what I'll say is ... it's their World Series to lose. I think in the eyes of owner Mark Walter and GM Andrew Friedman, anything short of a World Series win would be considered a failure, given how much money they've spent on their roster. They have absolutely no excuse not to make it back to the World Series this year if they stay healthy. They are in a unique position before the year even starts to be on cruise control through the regular season and really play their best baseball in October.