Category Archives: Image

Featured Image – 12/11/2018

Original paving in Grapevine Canyon

This is a section of abandoned roadway, paved in 1919, within Grapevine Canyon, near PM 8.0 on the east side of the canyon. This section was bypassed in 1933 by a newer alignment of US 99.

Featured Image – March 12 and 13, 2018

Photo of the St. Francis Dam just before it collapsed.

Side view of the dam. Note the lack of any real spillways in the dam. Water was about one foot below the rim of the dam the day of the collapse.

This featured image covers two dates for a reason. The St. Francis Dam, a former dam in San Francisquito Canyon above Santa Clarita, California, collapsed at 11:57:30 pm on March 12, 1928. The ensuing flood caused a great deal of damage along the canyon and the Santa Clara River Valley. Over 500 lives were lost that night in, even in 2018, the second largest disaster by loss of life in California. The even had repercussions throughout the world. Following that event, dams, as well as other large projects, no longer were approved by engineers. Geologists had the final say, not engineers. Both geologists and engineers also had to be certified by their state government to work as professionals.

The head engineer on the project, William Mulholland, was a great engineer. He oversaw and helped design the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which was the largest and longest project of its time. It is still an engineering marvel today, more than 100 years later. The disaster ruined his career and during the investigation, he not only took full responsibility for the event, but also was said to have “envied the dead”. The collapse took a big toll on the “Chief” and he died a few years later.

This post is in memory of both those that died that fateful night in 1928 and to William Mulholland. A man that went from the “Savior of the City” to a pariah in just a few years.

Featured Image – 2/27/2018

Irrigation canal offset by the Imperial Fault on Chick Road just west of Barbara Worth Road in the Imperial Valley.

Featured Image – 12/4/2017

Springs and a marshy area long the Northern Death Valley Fault Zone near the Grapevine Ranger Station in Death Valley, CA.

Featured Image – 11/30/2017

Section of single-slab concrete bypassed in the early 1930’s just north of Cannon Road in Carlsbad, CA.