Out for a day of hiking and geocaching clearing the flurry of new caches that appeared in the south part of the park. I noticed that there are very few caches at this end of Coyote Lake and that had to be rectified. I was too tired to hike too much further so I placed an easy one.
Mr. Tibbetts was the chief engineer for the dam you're standing on and the chief architect and visionary of storing the valley's water in the underground aquifer instead of directly tapping the water from the reservoirs (which can be done also as needed).
In large part we owe the number and scope of the Santa Clara County parks to Mr. Tibbetts master plan for water reclamation. To him we owe our thanks else we wouldn't have as many beautiful areas for hiking and geocaching.
He's commemorated in the Silicon Valley Engineering Council - Hall of Fame
Fred H. Tibbetts was the first Chief Engineer for the Santa Clara Valley Water Conservation District, the predecessor to the Santa Clara Valley Water District. In the early years of the twentieth century, he was a leader in the development and implementation of a master plan for local surface and groundwater development that still serves Santa Clara County's growing population. His vision of a system of dams, reservoirs, canal and percolation facilities directly contributed to making available adequate water supplies and to the curtailment, in later years, of rapidly-advancing ground surface subsidence and saltwater intrusion.
Mr. Tibbetts was a practicing civil engineer who lived in Campbell, California and performed his engineering studies of Santa Clara Country water resources in the 1920s and 1930s. Water historians agree that Mr. Tibbetts' contributions to the development of Santa Clara County place him among the true visionary engineering leaders of his time. His ingenious blueprint for water conservation dramatically influenced the development of the Valley and has provided opportunities for generations of people and industries that have made Santa Clara Valley their home.
In 1976, the American Society of Civil Engineers recognized as a historic landmark the system of dams and reservoirs constructed in Santa Clara County under Mr. Tibbetts' guidance. The project was cited as "the first and only instance of a major water supply being developed in a single" groundwater basin involving the control of numerous independent tributaries to effectuate almost optimal conservation of practically all the resources of water flowing into the basin." Mr. Tibbetts' contributions are recorded in the book "Water in the Santa Clara Valley: a History" published in 1981 by the California History Center of De Anza College.
The
History of the Santa Clara Valley Water District can give some more background and context as to the need for this large engineering effort.
Coyote Lake - Harvey Bear Ranch County Park is a 4,595-acre park - featuring a 635-acre lake. There is camping, boat launch facilities, 15 miles of horse, bicycle and hiking trails, etc. It is located in the Diablo Range east of Gilroy. Dogs can be brought here on a 6 ft. leash.
Directions to the Coyote Lake entrance - From U.S. Highway 101 in Gilroy., take the Leavesley Road exit. Proceed east on Leavesley Road 2 miles to New Avenue. Proceed north on New Avenue .5 miles to Roop Road. Proceed east on Roop Road 3.5 miles into the foothills. Turn left into the park and proceed one mile north to the entrance station and visitor center. There's a $6 entrance fee and the park is opened only during the daylight hours from 8:00am to sunset.