The San Diego River

The unreliable river that shaped a modern city.

For nearly a century, the people of San Diego wrestled to control the mercurial San Diego River. Their efforts to keep the river from destroying their valuable harbor while providing water for a growing population led to decades of legal battles over river water rights. Likewise, the divisive question of where to dam the river consumed the town, pitting citizens and civic leaders against one another. The construction of El Capitan Dam temporarily solved the town's water dilemma but resulted in the removal of a native population.

Join author and historian John Martin as he chronicles the lives of those who shaped modern-day San Diego's water infrastructure.