Azusa Conduit

LSA conducted a historic resources assessment of the Azusa Conduit, which is owned by the City of Pasadena and located in the Angeles National Forest north of the City of Azusa. The 5.83-mile long conduit is situated on the east and south sides of the San Gabriel River, which is a “navigable water of the United States” and falls under the jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). As such, the undertaking, which involved the repair/reconstruction of an approximately 40-foot segment of the conduit, required issuance of a Section 404 Permit from the USACE and compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. The conduit was constructed between 1892 and 1898 for the purpose of providing water to a hydroelectric generating station, which provided electricity to Los Angeles and Pasadena followed by several other communities. Aside from short-term maintenance and repair, the conduit has been in continuous use for 112 years; it is associated with hydroelectric pioneers William G. Kerckhoff, Henry O’Melveny, and Allan C. Balch. The success these three men and their associates had with construction of the Azusa Conduit and the related Azusa Hydropower Plant was the first step in their extremely successful development of hydroelectric power throughout Southern California and led to the formation of various companies, including the well-known Pacific Light and Power Company and the Southern California Gas Company. As a result of this study, the Azusa Conduit as a whole was determined to meet Criteria A and B at the regional level for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. This determination was concurred with by the State Historic Preservation Officer in September 2010.

Client: City of Pasadena

Location: Angeles National Forest, Los Angeles County, California