The Van Norman dam was built in 1913 to create a reservoir higher than the san fernando valley floor. It was the then endpoint for the owens valley aqueduct.

The Upper Van Norman Dam initially was constructed with 42 feet of hydraulic fill in 1913. In 1922, the dam was raised 18 feet with rolled fill.
The Lower Van Norman Dam was constructed with hydraulic and rolled fill. Hydraulic fill height was about 102.4 feet (31.2 m), while rolled fill was added at least five times in the dam's history, each time increasing the dam's height, totaling 39.6 feet (12.1 m) rolled fill. The last addition was made in 1929.
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