History and Heritage
William Lawson, PE
History & Heritage Committee Chair
Retired
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Phone: 949.494.1229
The ASCE Orange County Branch's History and Heritage Committee has since about 1982 been actively seeking and reviewing important Civil Engineering projects that have been constructed in Orange County, California, and that are considered worthy of being nominated as Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks. Of these projects, twelve have been nominated and have subsequently been awarded Historic Civil Engineering Landmark status. All of these projects have been honored with the placement of a bronze plaque signifying their status as a Local, State or National ASCE Historic Civil Engineering Landmark; a few of these projects have received multiple recognition plaques due to the size of the project or due to the project having multiple historic points of interest. The following is a list of the projects that have been dedicated as of September 2011:
Project Description Year Built HCEL Designation Dedication Date
Santa Ana Valley Irrigation System 1877 Local 1982
Santa Ana Valley Irrigation System 1877 Local 1991
City of Anaheim Water System 1880 Local 1982
Mission San Juan Capistrano 1782 Local 1993
Tustin Blimp Hangars 1943 Local 1987
Tustin Blimp Hangars 1943 National 1994
Sanitation District of Orange County 1912 Local 1994
Sanitation District of Orange County 1912 Local 1994
Santa Ana Army Air Base 1942 Local 1995
Newport Harbor 1936 State 1996
Orange County Flood Control District 1927 State 2001
Anaheim Union Water Company 1857 Local 2007
Orange County Water District 1933 State 2006 / 2010
John Wayne Airport 1923 Local 2011
Irvine Ranch Irrigation System 1893 to 1959 Local 9/15/2011
Project Description Plaque Location
Santa Ana Valley Irrigation System Outlet at Eisenhower Regional Park, Orange, CA
Santa Ana Valley Irrigation System Inlet at Featherly Regional Park, Anaheim, CA
City of Anaheim Water System City of Anaheim West Public Utilities Office, Anaheim CA
Mission San Juan Capistrano Ortega Hwy. at Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA
Tustin Blimp Hangars (Local HCEL) Warner Avenue near Jamboree Road, Tustin, CA
Tustin Blimp Hangars (National HCEL) Warner Avenue near Jamboree Road, Tustin, CA
Sanitation District of Orange County Plant No. 1, Fountain Valley, CA
Sanitation District of Orange County Plant No. 2, Huntington Beach, CA
Santa Ana Army Air Base Orange County Fairgrounds, Costa Mesa, CA
Newport Harbor Newport Harbor, Newport Beach, CA
Orange County Flood Control District George Osborne Bldg., Santa Ana, CA
Anaheim Union Water Company Tri-City Park, Placentia, CA
Orange County Water District OCWD Headquarters, Fountain Valley, CA
John Wayne Airport Lower Level Terminal 'B', John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, CA
Irvine Ranch Irrigation System Peters Canyon Regional Park, Orange, CA
For additional information on these ASCE HCEL sites in Orange County, including a Google Map showing their approximate locations, please visit the Los Angeles Section History and Heritage Webpage at: http://74.54.153.80/disneyland/nomination/orange_county/orange_landmarks.htm
Santa Ana Valley Irrigation System
City of Anaheim Water System
Know the History and Heritage of Orange County.
A History of Water Resources Development on the Irvine Ranch, Orange County, California - By: Carl R. Nelson, P.E., Fellow, ASCE, 2009
Click HERE to download a copy of the ASCE Orange County Branch's document on the History of Water Resources Development on the Irvine Ranch, Orange County, California .
To view the Irvine Ranch Irrigation System HCEL Plaque Dedication information go to http://74.54.153.80/IrvineRanchIrrigationSystem/IRIS_Plaque_Location.htm
The plaque was dedicated on September 15th, 2011. Below is a video of the ceremony as well as some photos below that. Click HERE for a link to Supervisor Campbell's remarks. Click HERE to see pictures that he posted.
