Baldwin Hills Reservoir disaster

 United States > California > Los Angeles County > Los Angeles

---

View from the rim of the empty Baldwin Hills Reservoir looking at the spot where the dam burst in 1963. The Reservoir's bottom is now dotted with vegetation. Inlet lines have been removed but the outlet tower still stands. In the background, houses sit next to the Reservoir's rim. Photo dated Nov. 30, 1965. On December 14, 1963, the dam collapsed, spilling 300 million gallons of water into the hillsides that swept away houses and cars and left three dead. Most of Baldwin Village, including the historic Village Green community, was flooded as well. The crack in the dam was ultimately attributed to subsidence caused by overexploitation of the Inglewood oil field. The disaster caused the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power to phase out small local reservoirs, opting instead to store water in groundwater basins and behind the Hansen Dam in Lake View Terrace.