A TOUR OF SANTA BARBARA'S WATER HISTORY

Field Tour by Hugo A. Loáiciga

Department of Geography, University of California
Santa Barbara, California 93106 USA
Tel./fax: 805 893 8053/3146
E-mail: hugo@geog.ucsb.edu

Prepared for the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers Conference
Santa Barbara, California, September 12-15, 2001  

Santa Ynez River, © image copyright Richard E. Ellis, http://www.fnet.net/~ellis/photo/

DESCRIPTION: Santa Barbara has a rich water history, dating back to the ancient
inhabitants of this land, the Chumash Indians. Colonial water use started in 1782
with the settlement of the City of Santa Barbara, which was accelerated with the
establishment of the Santa Barbara Mission in 1786 by the Spanish
conquistadores. Ever since, Santa Barbarans have searched for reliable fresh-water
supplies, with mixed results. This tour, and its companion article ("History of
Water in Santa Barbara, California", by H.A. Loáiciga 1,248 Kb pdf) will give participants an
insight of water history and development in Santa Barbara from pre-colonial times
until present, and beyond. We shall visit key reference points to highlight with
staggering views the important structural and historical landmarks of Santa
Barbara's waterscape. You will enjoy breathtaking views of Santa Barbara from
the top of the Santa Ynez Mountains, the scented chaparral hills and creeks, and
Spanish-colonial architectural landmarks and botanical treasures. The tour will be
led by one of the foremost authorities of water resources in the Western United
States in general, and Santa Barbara in particular, Dr. Hugo A. Loáiciga, a UCSB
hydrologist and water consultant, who has published extensively on the subject
matter of this tour, and has served in local advisory citizens groups. Ready your
questions, because they will be answered, one way or another!

TOUR ORGANIZATION AND SCHEDULE:

SIZE: The tour will be limited to a maximum of 25 attendants, including the tour
leader and one additional driver. UCSB will provide transportation in the form of
two 15-seat vans. The cost is $25.00 which includes a box lunch, transportation,
and fees for Old Mission Santa Barbara and the Botanic Garden.

ITINERARY:
Depart from the UCSB Corwin Pavilion (conference center) in the vans at 9:00.
We recommend that attendants download a copy of the companion article ("History of
Water in Santa Barbara, California", by H.A. Loáiciga, 2001--1,248 Kb pdf) from the
Conference's web-site prior to the tour and read it. The stopping points are red-
flagged in Figure 1 (968 Kb).

Viewpoint 1. The first stopping point will be Viewpoint 1, at the crest of the Santa
Ynez Mountains, altitude of 3600 feet (1097 meters). Arrival time at Viewpoint 1
will be approximately 10:00. There, you will relax while the tour leader presents a
summary of many of the water milestones and other natural resources in the area.
If weather helps out, we shall have a commanding 360 degree view of the Santa
Ynez River watershed, Gibraltar Reservoir, and the entire City of Santa Barbara, as
well as the Pacific Ocean, and the Channel Islands. Binoculars are particularly
helpful at this juncture, so bring them with you! With good luck, it will be sunny,
so, sun-protecting gear is recommended. It may easily be windy and cool, just as it
could be calm and warm, very warm. Who knows, the weather changes a lot here.
Layered clothing is a good bet, so that you can adjust it to possibly changing
temperatures likely to be encountered as we move from place to place throughout
the day. Departure time: approximately 10:30.

Barker adit. We will then drive down to Cold Springs Creek in Montecito. Upon
arrival at 11:00, the vans will be parked and the group will hike uphill and hop for
about 15 minutes through the Cold Springs trail to a rustic and primitive site of
historical importance: the Barker adit. Here you will get first-hand evidence of
what it was like to get water in Santa Barbara 110 years ago, and how nice we have
it now by comparison. We may even measure the flow rate from fractured
sandstones! The setting here will be one of the nicest creeks in the Santa Barbara
south coast and its native vegetation of oaks, alders, and sycamores. We will then
return to the vans and head off to our next adventure at 11:45. Good quality hiking
boots are recommended for this hike, which is, from a physical standpoint,
moderately demanding.

Botanic garden: this is a botanical treasure with lots of California and local plants.
Arrival time will be about 12:00. This is a fee item, which is included in the tour
fee. One could spend the entire day here, but we are not going to. We are going to
show you the remnants of an old dam built in Mission Creek in the late 1700s to
provide water to the Mission and Presidio, along the way, we shall be seeing
California redwoods and several species of oaks (coast live oak, island oak, black
oak, and Engelman oak), plus several other intriguing plants. We are also going to
take time for lunch, because you'll be hungry by now! Bring a camera. Collecting
plants or their parts is not allowed here. Departure time: 13:30.

Cater Drinking Water Plant and Lauro Reservoir. Arrival time, about 14:00.
We shall see the treatment plant where most of Santa Barbara water is brought to
California drinking standards. Lauro reservoir collects water from Mission Tunnel
as well as from the South Coast Conduit. This is central nerve of Santa Barbara's
water system. You'll learn about environmental problems concerning the treatment
and disposal of water in this region. Departure time: 14:30.

Santa Barbara Mission and Presidio. Arrival time 15:00. Another fee item
included in the tour fee. This is where it all started. Begun in 1786 and finished in
1820, the Mission is Santa Barbara. You'll see the ancient water reservoirs used by
the Fathers and other Mission workers. Departure time: 15:45. From here we will
drive downtown and visit the Presidio, another founding landmark of Santa
Barbara. The Presidio was the jail and military garrison set up by the
Conquistadores, and they also used water! Departure time: 16:45.

Conference center: 17:00. we'll leave your where we started at 9:00. Have a nice
journey!, and thanks for coming along.

ITEMS TO BRING AND CLOTHING: We'll be in the City as well as in the
wilderness. Bring layered clothing to adjust your body to possibly changing
temperature from place to place and from to time to time along the way. Hat,
hiking boots, and backpack with a water bottle are a must, binoculars, camera, pen
and notebook are useful extras. Cash may come handy at the Mission and Presidio
if you want to purchase souvenirs or other travel-related items. Box lunches will
be provided by the Conference organizers.

Figure 1. Santa Barbara and the tour visitation places. 968 Kb .gif image