Visitors to here in L.A. often ask why the blazes is there a big art deco dam in the middle of the San Fernando Valley right next to the Ventura Freeway? Used in innumerable movies and TV shows (to name just two, "Buckaroo Banzai", "Escape from New York"), it seems utterly incongruous.

It was built for times like later today and tonight.

After terrible flooding events, Los Angeles embarked on a massive flood control network project starting early in the 20th century, including channelization of the L.A. River (which some people still bemoan, but was absolutely necessary), and the Sepulveda Dam with its basin (normally used for recreation) are integral parts of this massive flood control system.

Most of the time it just sits quietly doing little, and the city dutifully keeps it cleaned out and maintained.

But as the old song goes, "It never rains in Southern California -- but it pours." And when that happens. that dam and the rest of the L.A. flood control system save lives and property big time.