What is that waterfall off the I-5 and 14?

Answer: Los Angeles Aqueduct Cascades

Every seen that weird man-made architecture off the I-5 freeway. I have driven by it a dozen times and finally decided I needed to do some investigations.

So I did some heavy researching. What are we looking at? It is actually two aqueducts, the first aqueduct opened in the 1913 (green on your left). The second was built 1970 (shown in yellow). This is actually a small portion of the Los Angeles aqueduct since the actual aqueduct spans roughly 300 miles. This portion is know as the "Cascades".

Some times the water is running, sometimes it stays dry. I believe one of the reasons is due to the fact that Mono Lake was being drained dry back in the 1990s. The new rules stipulate that the water level of the lake must reach elevation 6392 ft before Los Angeles can use it water.

So why the cascades? This portion of the aqueduct is made of cement blocks and stones. The way it is configured means it is for aeration and to absorb energy as the water comes crashing down.

Is that all? No, the Cascades plays an important role through a function of copper sulfate aeration. Copper sulfate kills the bacteria/algae in the water. It was supposedly used as part of the water treatment during transport. But as it arrives to Los Angeles, the water is in poor health and needs a higher oxygen level, thus the aeration process of having it pour down the cascades.