The Journey from Semi-Desert to Lemon Grove

Something most visitors to Lemon Grove and San Diego do not realize is that a good portion of our county is semi-desert. We are one big irrigated landscaping project, creating the most beautiful of mirages.

Originally on our land there was not much vegetation, other than chaparral and some small scrub oak trees in the canyons. Everything around here has been planted (including every single palm tree), and needs to be doused with H2O we do not possess.

The first farmers in the Grove had to find a water well on their property or there would not be much farming. That was true until 1889, when a wooden flume was built to carry precious water down from the Cuyamaca mountains. We would have never grown a lemon without it. Today, that flume has morphed into the Helix Water District.

Here is a little history of the flume from Helix’s Public Affairs Manager Kate Breece:

“The San Diego Flume Company was formed in 1885 by a group of entrepreneurial businessmen who believed in Theodore Strong Van Dyke’s proposal to bring water from Lake Cuyamaca to La Mesa and then into the City of San Diego. Van Dyke, writer, artist, and recent immigrant from Minnesota with no formal training in engineering, drew the plans for the 33.21-mile redwood flume, persuaded investors to give him funding, and oversaw the flume’s construction. The flume used 9 million board feet of old-growth redwood, and it opened on February 22, 1889, with great fanfare. Guests included Governor Waterman and many local dignitaries.”

The flume was wide and deep enough for a small boat, and Gov. Waterman (I am not making this up!) inaugurated it by floating down from Lake Cuyamaca to the Diverting Dam some 18 miles away. This may have been Southern California’s first waterpark-style ride—it sounds really fun and thrilling. I have to note that a short time after that, the governor fell into poor health, decided not to run for re-election, and died two years later.

The flume has a history full of intrigue involving some of San Diego’s most colorful characters, including Ed Fletcher, James Murray, and John D. Spreckels. When the flume line was acquired by the La Mesa- Lemon Grove-Spring Valley Irrigation District in 1926, the decision was made to replace the wooden structure with concrete and pipes. By 1937, the last bit of the original flume was gone.

Here are some interesting facts about the flume provided by Breece:

• Built by the San Diego Flume Company between 1886–1888
• Measured 6-feet wide by 18-inches deep
• Included 8 tunnels and 315 trestles
• Los Coches trestle measured over 1,774 feet in length and 65 feet high
• Building crews included Chinese, Mexican, African-American, and Caucasian workers.

So, what happened to all that old-growth redwood that was torn down? Urban legend says it can be found in many East County houses that were built in the 1930s.

Today we still receive about 18 percent of our water from the Cuyamaca Reservoir. Always remember that water is a game-changer in these parts. Don’t waste a drop!