[Ventura, Aug. 2] – The Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to support the creation of a National Memorial and Monument to honor the victims of the St. Francis Dam collapse in 1928. Reps. Steve Knight and Julia Brownley introduced the bill to establish the memorial and monument in May 2016.
The House of Representatives passed H.R. 5244 on July 5. The legislation has been referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for further consideration. Supervisor Kathy Long, whose district includes the Santa Clara Valley, requested the Board action in support of the bill.
“The death and destruction left by the collapse of the St. Francis Dam continues to scar the hearts of the residents, and has forever altered the landscape, in the Santa Clara Valley and beyond,” said Long. “I am proud to support the efforts of Congressional Members Julia Brownley and Steve Knight as they seek to honor the memories of the lives lost, and the stories of heroism, by establishing a permanent National Memorial and Monument.”
The St. Francis Dam was constructed in San Francisquito Canyon near the present-day city of Santa Clarita in 1928. It was designed to create a reservoir for water from the Owens River brought to Southern California by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The dam failed catastrophically just before midnight on March 12, 1928, sending a massive wall of water down the canyon and into the Santa Clara River Valley.
In just five hours, the water flowed from the dam all the way to the Pacific Ocean, leaving behind it a path of death and destruction. More than 400 people were killed in the torrent and hundreds of houses, farm buildings, bridges and other structures were destroyed.
“I am so pleased that the House passed the ‘Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial Act,'” said Brownley. “It will commemorate and remember the Ventura County residents who were killed, injured or displaced due to the disaster, which was among the worst civil engineering disasters in our history.”
The only remaining traces of the dam are large pieces of broken concrete and some rusted handrails. The site is frequently vandalized and historic artifacts are stolen, despite the fact that the site is registered as a California Historical Landmark. There has been no federal recognition of the disaster or the lives lost due to the event. The federal legislation would correct that oversight.
“This legislation is long overdue,” said Knight. “The victims of the St. Francis Dam Disaster deserve to be memorialized, and that’s exactly why we are here today. I am very pleased that the Ventura County Board of Supervisors is joining me in this effort and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure that the monument becomes a reality.”
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6 Comments
I believe there is more to this then is stated. When I see phrases like “and for other purposes” it makes me wonder why not just spell it out what it is you want to use it for? Most telling though is when reading this bill, it becomes clear who really wants this—-“In developing and implementing the management plan, the Secretary shall, with respect to methods of protecting and providing access to the Monument, consider the recommendations of the Saint Francis Disaster National Memorial Foundation, the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society, and the Community Hiking Club of Santa Clarita.” …..the Community Hiking Club of Santa Clarita? Why? And why only the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society? Something seems way out of sorts.
Thanks for asking. Very simple. It’s their bill. The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society, along with one of its partner organizations (the Community Hiking Club, which organizes the historical hiking tours for the Society), are the ones who came up with the idea for the legislation and pitched it to Reps. McKeon and Knight, both of whom carried different versions of the bill on their behalf. As you know, the former (McKeon) bill was expansive and included other goals of the CHC; the Knight bill is narrowly focused only on the Dam Memorial/Monument.
Thank you although, you did not answer the question of “and for other purposes.” But the map of the proposed 440 acre monument that will encompass the St. Francis Dam memorial does I believe.
SCVHS and the CHC, in essence, want the canyon and everything in it from PP#2 and north for about 2 miles! On the east, they want the hill sides up to the 2000 foot above sea level too? And it’s says, “The boundaries of the memorial were designated in consultation with interest groups in the community.” When did this take place, I would have been interested as would many, many others I’m sure. This list keeps adding on. Who there are “interest groups” involved?
I’m sorry but this just looks like the bill before. Not a “Dam Memorial/Monument as much as it is a land grab and the area in question is National Forest land. That land is for all of us to use freely and not to be under the control of private groups, “interest groups” or those who suddenly come up with these “Memorial” plans. The idea is great and long overdue but it’s the wrong way to memorialize those involved i the disaster.
“… and for other purposes” is boilerplate language that you will find in any piece of legislation.
I might add that in addition, not all of this land is US Forest land. There are a number of private property owners in the “2 mile” area north of PP2, specifically in the Bee Canyon area.
Moreover, much of this area is still in active use by LADWP – aqueduct conduits, power plants, high-voltage tower lines, access roads and other utility equipment and access points exist in this area. The utility’s rights-of-way cannot be superseded by this legislation.
The final map can include only Forest Service land.