header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather
Santa Clarita CA
Clear
Clear
42°F
 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
March 30
1993 - Federal govt. declares coastal California gnatcatcher (bird) a threatened species [story]
Gnatcatcher


| Thursday, Feb 7, 2019
St. Francis Dam Disaster site, 1928.

 

U.S. Rep. Katie Hill, D-Agua Dulce, introduced her first piece of legislation into the 116th Congress on Wednesday – H.R. 1015 – a bill to commemorate the St. Francis Dam Disaster by establishing a National Memorial at the dam site in San Francisquito Canyon.

“The St. Francis Dam Disaster took place 10 miles north of what is now my hometown of Santa Clarita. In honor of the hundreds of lives lost, this Memorial will uplift the stories of the tragedy and serve as a constant reminder that our infrastructure is deeply important to our community safety and security,” Hill said. “I am thankful to my neighbor, Congresswoman Julia Brownley, for co-sponsoring this legislation and for our Senators Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein for their support in the Senate.”

U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Thousand Oaks, is an original co-sponsor of the legislation.

“The collapse of the Saint Francis Dam was one of the most catastrophic events in our state’s history, yet this tragedy has remained in obscurity for far too long. From the victims who sadly lost their lives, to the heroic telephone operators and California Highway Patrol officers who tried to warn residents of the rushing waters, this memorial will commemorate the stories of local residents for many generations to come and serve as a reminder of the importance of our infrastructure,” Congresswoman Brownley said. “I am pleased that Congresswoman Katie Hill is introducing this important bill, and I look forward to working with her, as well as Senators Feinstein and Harris, to get this bill to the President’s desk.”

Senators Kamala Harris (CA) and Dianne Feinstein have introduced the companion legislation in the Senate.

“I’m proud to partner with Representative Hill on this bill to establish a national memorial honoring the Californians whose lives were lost in the 1928 St. Francis Dam disaster,” said Senator Harris. “This monument will serve as a reminder for generations to come of the profound consequences of a failure of infrastructure,” said Senator Harris.

Dianne Erskine-Hellrigel, president of the Community Hiking Club, one of the nonprofit proponents of the legislation, couldn’t have been more thrilled.

“I’m so delighted that Katie Hill has taken the initiative to introduce the St. Francis Dam National Memorial Act,” Erskine-Hellrigel said Thursday. “I have great expectations for the bill this year, and I’m looking forward to the day when we can tell all of the survivors families that it’s done.”

The original St. Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial Act, HR 2156, was introduced in the House of Representatives in April 2017 by then-Rep. Steve Knight (R-Palmdale).

The St. Francis Dam Disaster was the second-deadliest in California and was the nation’s worst civil engineering failure of the 20th Century. An estimated 411 people perished in the Santa Clara River floodplain, and the failure caused millions of dollars in damage to the communities of Santa Clarita Valley, Rancho Camulos, Piru, Fillmore, Bardsdale, Santa Paula, Saticoy and Montalvo.

William Mulholland, head of the Los Angeles Bureau of Water Works and Water Supply, now known as the LADWP, oversaw construction of the dam. He resigned as a result of its failure.
St. Francis Dam Map

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

2 Comments

  1. Steven Van Booven says:

    This is a great bill that Congresswoman Katie Hill will try an get signed by the President.
    Thank you,
    Steven D. Van Booven

  2. Anita Pemstein says:

    Thank you so very working on this bill that hopefully the President will sign. All those lives lost will be remembered and bringing the attention to the importance of infrastructure that is so vital to all of us. Anita Pemstein

Leave a Comment


SCV NewsBreak
LOCAL NEWS HEADLINES
Thursday, Mar 30, 2023
April 20: Topgolf Fundraiser Benefiting The Painted Turtle
Get ready "fore" some Topgolf Thursday, April 20, at 6 p.m., benefiting the local nonprofit The Painted Turtle.
Thursday, Mar 30, 2023
Detectives Seek Help in Identifying Theft Suspects
Detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Fraud and Cyber Crimes Bureau are asking for the public's help identifying theft suspects.
Thursday, Mar 30, 2023
L.A. County Health Services Closing PCR Testing Centers
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services announced that the last day of operations for the COVID-19 PCR testing centers will be Friday, March 31.
Keep Up With Our Facebook

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.
Message from County Health Services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly
The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency will hold an Engineering and Operations Committee meeting Thursday, April 6, at 5:30 p.m.
April 6: SCV Water Engineering, Operations Committee Meeting
Get ready "fore" some Topgolf Thursday, April 20, at 6 p.m., benefiting the local nonprofit The Painted Turtle.
April 20: Topgolf Fundraiser Benefiting The Painted Turtle
Detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Fraud and Cyber Crimes Bureau are asking for the public's help identifying theft suspects.
Detectives Seek Help in Identifying Theft Suspects
Los Angeles County Parks is hiring. This Spring, we are looking to employ our local L.A. County Youth with an excellent entry level job that pays more than minimum wage ($16.04) and allows them to work at their local L.A. County Park, including Val Verde Park.
L.A. County Parks Seeking ‘Our Youth at Work’ Employees
Since the passing of the proposal to add Girls Flag Football as a CIF-approved sport, there has been a flurry of activity taking place.
CIF-SS Commissioner Gives Update on Girls Flag Football
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services announced that the last day of operations for the COVID-19 PCR testing centers will be Friday, March 31.
L.A. County Health Services Closing PCR Testing Centers
Santa Clarita Valley residents once again came together during the 2022 holiday season to raise money and donate items to charity, as approximately 2,500 riders joined Santa Clarita Transit’s Holiday Light Tour.
Holiday Light Tour Donates Money, Canned Food to Local Nonprofits
Political activist and renowned scholar Dr. Angela Davis will speak at the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center Saturday, April 15, at 3 p.m.
‘An Afternoon with Dr. Angela Davis’ Coming to PAC
Deborah Anderson, Los Angeles County Library’s assistant director of Education and Engagement, has been selected to receive the prestigious 2023 Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators Supporting Services to Children.
L.A. County Library’s Deborah Anderson Wins Prestigious Sullivan Award
In alignment with both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will change to weekly reporting of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths data beginning April 6.
Thursday COVID Roundup for Hart District, State
1993 - Federal govt. declares coastal California gnatcatcher (bird) a threatened species [story]
Gnatcatcher
The CSUN men’s and women’s track and field teams head to the West Coast Relays this week.
CSUN Track and Field Travels to West Coast Relays
Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector, reminds property owners that the second installment of the 2022-23 Annual Secured Property Taxes becomes delinquent
County Treasurer Reminds Property Owners of Upcoming Delinquency Date
Castaic Union School District is now accepting applications for our Measure QS Citizens’ Oversight Committee.
Castaic Union School District is Seeking New Members for  Measure QS Citizens’ Oversight Committee
Sen. Scott Wilk’s (R-Santa Clarita) legislation to equip schools with life-saving trauma kits unanimously cleared the Senate Education Committee.
Wilk’s Measure to Equip Classrooms with Trauma Kits Clears First Hurdle
Children's Bureau is one of the largest private, non-profit adoption agencies in California and one of the few that is nationally accredited by the Child Welfare League of America.
April 20: Attend Children’s Bureau’s Virtual Online Orientation
With the lifting of county, state and federal COVID-19 emergency orders, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health  continues to ensure easy access to free vaccines, boosters, tests and therapeutics.
Los Angeles County Promotes Sensible Strategies to Reduce Dangers Associated with COVID-19
Due to the recent rainfall, Los Angeles County Health Officer, Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, is cautioning residents that bacteria, chemicals, debris, trash, and other public health hazards from city streets and mountain areas are likely to contaminate ocean waters around discharging storm drains, creeks, and rivers after the rainfall. Individuals who enter the water in these areas could become ill. 
Ocean Water Quality Rain Advisory Extended To Saturday
The Santa Clarita Economic Development Corporation has an interactive, online tool that provides themed virtual tours of the amazing features our community has to offer. 
SCVEDC Highlights Virtual Tours
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger hosted an intimate reception honoring several local artists affiliated with Tierra del Sol, a non-profit organization based in Sunland that helps individuals with developmental disabilities hone their skills in the arts and discover career opportunities.   
Supervisor Barger Honors Artists During Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
1928 - Little dam victim, thought unidentified & buried in SCV, actually ID'd & buried in Chatsworth [story]
Newhall Cowboys
In alignment with both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will change to weekly reporting of COVID-19 case, hospitalization and death data. The last day of daily reporting will be today, Tuesday, March 28. Starting the week of April 3, COVID-19 data will be reported weekly.
Tuesday COVID Roundup: Two New SCV Deaths Bring Total to 553
California State Senator Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) expressed frustration at the Senate Public Safety Committee’s failure to advance a bill he coauthored aimed at bringing accountability to the fentanyl crisis.
Wilk’s Co-Authored Fentanyl Bill Fails to Advance
SCVNews.com
%d bloggers like this: