Edgar L. Kanouse; Former General Manager, Chief Engineer of DWP
Edgar L. Kanouse, who was general manager and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power from 1967 to 1972, has died. He was 80.
Kanouse, of Los Angeles, died Friday after a short hospitalization, department officials said Saturday.
During Kanouse’s tenure in the city’s top-paying job, the department completed the aqueduct that transports water from the Owens River-Mono Lake Basin area to Los Angeles. Also completed under his direction was the Pacific Intertie, a network of transmission lines that brings hydroelectric power from the Pacific Northwest to Southern California.
A native of Amarillo, Tex., Kanouse earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at the University of Oklahoma, his master’s degree at Caltech and doctorate at Stanford University.
Kanouse spent his entire 35-year engineering career with the DWP. He also served on several state and national power boards, including the Colorado River Board.
Survivors include his wife, Betty, and two sons, David and Kent.
Contributions in Kanouse’s name may be made to Immanuel Presbyterian Church or the Optimist Boys’ Home and Ranch, both in Los Angeles.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
