Orange County's Navigable River

[Taboma]

Knowing that there's more than a handful of RDP members that have or continue to hail from Orange County and in particular the Huntington Beach/Fountain Valley areas. This story will surprise many of you as it did me, despite living and working nearby for the first 30 years of my life.
It's also going to explain why many of you can find water not far below the surface of your back yards.
I spent the first wonderful years of my life when the OC was mostly orange groves as a Tustinite. This before migrating to San Diego for the past 45, yet I still have a keen interest in Orange County History.
One such source I truly enjoy is a blog run by the Orange County Historian Chris Jepson, as he continues this legacy started by the late great Jim Sleeper.

The story I'm going to share a tickler of can be found in it's entirety, along with many other entertaining historical stories of Orange County can be found here: ----

O.C. History Roundup

Information and photos for people interested in the history of Orange County, California.

ochistorical.blogspot.com

This story is about the once navigable Freeman River that was short, but highly valued by area farmers, but also the uber-wealthy, and that meant WAR.

OK, then this -----

Gun Club Hires an enforcer to protect their dam and fences from the damage being caused by the locals wanting their river back ----
Which leads to this one of several armed standoffs.

O.C. History Roundup

Information and photos for people interested in the history of Orange County, California.

ochistorical.blogspot.com

If you're interested, this article is quite informative and I found it worth a few minutes.
I'm bummed that San Diego County doesn't have anything even remotely similar. The Reader used to carry some fun stories, but now it's nothing but advertising for Pot Dispensaries.

 

[Moabifam5]

Very interesting, thank you! Grew up in Westminster and used to fish in a pond just south of Edinger off Goldenwest. Very rural past Edinger most of the way to the cliffs in HB back in the day.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

I once read an article in OC Register that the Corp of Army Engineers actually re routed the Santa Ana River to fill back bay and create Newport Harbor. It originally was just sea grass and shallow.... then the islands were constructed by dredging silt and home tracts were established for sale ultimately.

Correct me if I'm not remembering that correctly... been a while.

 

[stephenkatsea]

As a young boy I recall going to the beach at Huntington Beach with my parents. Remnants of Tin Can Beach were still there. Recall my dad telling me those structures, across the way, adjacent to the marsh were once a duck hunting club. Believe all of the now very prestigeous Bay Island in Newport Harbor was also once a hunting club for the wealthy.

Interesting article. Thanks for posting.

 

[Taboma]

I once read an article in OC Register that the Corp of Army Engineers actually re routed the Santa Ana River to fill back bay and create Newport Harbor. It originally was just sea grass and shallow.... then the islands were constructed by dredging silt and home tracts were established for sale ultimately.

Correct me if I'm not remembering that correctly... been a while.

It seems that historically, prior to 1920, it emptied into Newport Bay ---- Perhaps it's the other way around.
From a very interesting story done by PBS on the Santa Ana River ----

The Santa Ana River: How It Shaped Orange County

Southern Californians have long maintained a complicated relationship with the Santa Ana River, accepting its life-giving water but fearing its wrath.

www.pbssocal.org

"The Santa Ana River once emptied into the Newport Bay. The 1920 construction of Bitter Point Dam rerouted the river so that it bypassed the bay and emptied directly into the ocean."

I think this Topographical map from 1901 shows it best. As you can see, the Santa Ana River did empty into Newport Bay, but not into Back Bay. The riverbed and wetlands that fed into Back Bay, was the watershed from the Santa Ana and adjacent mountains. In fact even with I was wiring apartments in the area inland of the UCI Campus/Irvine, after work we used to trailer and ride our dirt bikes in that wetlands riverbed, in fact I tried to jump across a pond (Tried being the key word) and discovered when I came up short, it was about 7' deep.
My old Ducati had shitty electrical before, from then on it really sucked.
Here ya go.

 

[stephenkatsea]

Offshore in the area there is a substantial undersea canyon off of the Newport or Balboa pier. Can’t recall which. Perhaps that played a role many thousands of years ago.

 

[Taboma]

Offshore in the area there is a substantial undersea canyon off of the Newport or Balboa pier. Can’t recall which. Perhaps that played a role many thousands of years ago.

Google earth shows a couple canyons right off Newport that could have been carved long ago by the SA river.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Good stuff... yes, I think you're right... it was the other way around on creation of harbor. Without the harbor there's no Newport as we know it.