Letters: History calling

Re “The ‘Mother Ditch,’” April 22

The Times’ informative article on the discovery and proposed removal of a portion of the historic “Mother Ditch” leaves one key question unasked: Should this important piece of Los Angeles history, which provided the 19th century town with water from the Los Angeles River, be moved?

Although relocating portions of the brick pipe to other sites is certainly better than destroying it, the right solution is to leave it where it is, preserved and visible as witness to embryonic Los Angeles and its always fragile relationship with its vital water supply.

If the site’s developers knew from the start that the pipe was there, why didn’t they design their project to preserve, protect and celebrate this artifact rather than planning on its elimination? And as future projects uncover more sections of the city’s first crucial support system — still undisturbed only a few feet below ground — will we continue to watch as our “mother” is chopped up and scattered? Or will we finally enact legislation, which was started but stalled years ago, to ensure her protection, where she lies, as we should?

As Mother’s Day approaches, let’s treat this “mother of us all” with the respect she deserves.

Alexander Ward

Santa Monica

The writer is a board member at Friends of the Los Angeles River.

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