With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
Catherine Mulholland, granddaughter of LA's controversial water engineer, dies

The granddaughter of the engineer who delivered water from the Owens Valley to Los Angeles died today at her home in Camarillo. Mulholland offered a living link to William Mulholland, the controversial historical figure, who made the modern-day Los Angeles possible. She was 88.
Catherine was a young girl when she knew William Mulholland, an Irish self-taught engineer whose quest for water transformed Los Angeles and the places the water came from. She grew up after the St. Francis Dam failed on his watch, killing hundreds of people. That incident left her grandfather in the darkest place he would know after his engineering triumphs.
Nine years ago she told a crowd at UC Santa Barbara that making sense of his career drove her to write "William Mulholland and the Rise of Los Angeles," an acclaimed historical account:
"I felt that the water story had enough incoherence with 'Cadillac Desert,' 'Chinatown,' muckraking schools of the 1920s and 30s it deserved another look. And I think that's what historians must always do is take another look," she told the crowd.
Catherine grew up in the San Fernando Valley at the orchard established by her father, Perry, William's oldest son. She often loaned papers and artifacts to the L.A. Department of Water and Power for public exhibitions. Three years ago she donated the bulk of that collection — water-related books and family records, and jazz 78s and designer dresses and gowns from the 20s and 30s — to Cal State Northridge. That collection offers historians an opportunity to make their own judgment of the man who muckrakers claim stole water from the Owens River Valley.
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Department spokeswoman Mary Anne Pierson says she doesn't know the cause of death, according to the Associated Press.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

-
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.”
-
While working for the county, the DA’s office alleges that 13 employees fraudulently filed for unemployment, claiming to earn less than $600 a week.
-
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to declare immigration enforcement actions a local emergency.
-
Tens of thousands of workers across Southern California walk out over pay and staffing issues.
-
People in and around recent burn scars should be alert to the risk of debris flows. Typical October weather will be back later this week.
-
Jet Propulsion Laboratory leadership says the cuts amount to 11% of the workforce.