La Quinta Stormwater Protective Works
DPR 523A (09/2013) *Required information
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
PRIMARY RECORD
Review Code Reviewer Date
Resource Name: La Quinta Stormwater Protective Works Bear Creek Channel
Page 1 of 5
Primary#: P-33-xxx
HRI#: None
Trinomial #: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S / 3CS / 5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 486
*P3b. Resource Attributes: HP20. Canal / Aqueduct
*P4. Resources Present: ¨ Building ý Structure o Object o Site o District o Element of District o Other
P5b. Description of Photo: La Quinta
Stormwater Protective Works_1: Representative
view facing northwest.
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and Source
ýHistoric: 1975; Desert Sun, May 11, 1974.
o Prehistoric
o Both
*P7. Owner and Address:
CVCWD
PO Box 1058,
Coachella, CA 92236
*P8. Recorded by:
Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC
www.urbanapreservation.com
*P9. Date Recorded: June-July 2022
*P10. Survey Type:
Citywide Survey; Intensive Level
*P3a. Description: The Bear Creek Channel is approximately 2.5 miles long. It is a soil cement-lined trapezoidal channel with 100-year
flood flow capacity, with four inlet channels on the western side that drain smaller canyons. From the channel, flows continue into the
Oleander Reservoir downstream, thence into the La Quinta Evacuation Channel, and ultimately discharge into the Coachella Valley
Stormwater Channel. The water control feature was constructed west of the La Quinta Cove neighborhood in order to provide flood
protection to the residential area.
P1. Other Identifier: N/A
*P2. Location: o Not for Publication ý Unrestricted
*a. County: Riverside
*b. USGS 7.5' Quad: La Quinta Date: 2021 T ; R ; ¼ of ¼ of Sec ; B.M. __
c. Address: N/A City: La Quinta Zip: 92253
d. UTM Zone: 11S, 563136.42 mE / 3725579.38 mN
e. Other Locational Data: N/A
Neighborhood: Not Associated with a Residential Neighborhood; APN: 773245001, 773201023, 773156001
*P11. Report Citation: Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC. La Quinta Citywide Historical Resources Survey and Context Statement,
2023.
*Attachments: o None ý Location Map ý Continuation Sheet ý Building, Structure, and Object Record
o Archaeological Record o District Record o Linear Feature Record o Milling Station Record o Rock Art
Record o Artifact Record o Photograph Record o Other:
DPR 523B (09/2013) *Required information
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
Resource Name: La Quinta Stormwater Protective Works Bear Creek Channel
Page 2 of 5
(This space reserved for official comments.)
Primary#:
HRI#:
Trinomial #:
CRHR Status Code: 3S / 3CS / 5S2
Other Listings:
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 486
B1. Historic Name: N/A
B2. Common Name: Bear Creek Channel
B3. Original Use: Water Control Feature B4. Present Use: Water Control Feature
*B5. Architectural Style: N/A
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: None Identified
*B12. References: Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC. La Quinta Citywide Historical
Resources Survey and Context Statement, 2023. See Continuation Sheet for additional
references.
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC | www.urbanapreservation.com
*Date of Evaluation: December 2022
The La Quinta Stormwater Protective Works were researched at the City of La Quinta, the La Quinta Historical Society, the La Quinta Public
Library, and via online archives including Coachella Valley Telephone Directories (1946-1957), City of La Quinta building permits, regional
newspapers within the UC Riverside California Digital Newspaper Collection, aerial imagery from ca. 1930s forward, and the Riverside County
Assessor's Office online property search. See Continuation Sheet for significance and integrity conclusions.
*B6. Construction History: The subject property was constructed circa 1975, west of the La Quinta Cove neighborhood. Firms
Environmental Assessment Engineers and Bechtel Engineering worked on the initial assessment development plans for the project.
According to available aerial imagery, the City of La Quinta have made no substantial alterations to the water control feature since the period
of initial construction.
*B7. Moved? ý No o Yes o Unknown Date: N/A Original Location: N/A
*B8. Related Features: None
B9a. Architect: Not Identified b. Builder: Not Identified
*B10. Significance:
Theme: Residential Development, 1934 – 1970s Area: City of La Quinta
Period of Significance: 1975-1970s Property Type: Infrastructure Applicable Criteria: NRHP / CRHR / Local eligible
(A/1/B(events) and C/3/C)
DPR 523J (09/2013) *Required Information
*Map Name: La Quinta *Scale: 1:24,000 *Map Date: 2021
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
LOCATION MAP
Primary#: None
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3D / 3CD / 5D2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 486
Resource Name: La Quinta Stormwater Protective Works
Page 3 of 5
La Quinta
Stormwater
Protective
Works
DPR 523L (09/2013)
Primary Record Information Continued:
La Quinta Stormwater Protective Works_2: Representative view facing northwest.
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary#: P-33-xxx
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code:3D / 3CD / 5D2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 486 Resource Name: La Quinta Stormwater Protective Works
Bear Creek Channel
Page 4 of 5
DPR 523L (09/2013)
Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
B10. Statement of Significance Continued:
The La Quinta Stormwater Protective Works were not evaluated in prior La Quinta surveys. The main feature is the Bear Creek Stormwater System
which includes the Upper Bear Creek Training Dike, Upper Bear Creek Detention Basin, Bear Creek, as well as Bear Creek Channel and Levee and four
associated side inlet channels and a downstream drop structure. The system serves to protect and control runoff from the Santa Rosa Mountains
which flow into the Upper Bear Creek System, which is located along the southerly and westerly margins of the Cove. The system controls
floodwaters in the Cove area and allows for protection of residential development.
The La Quinta Stormwater Protective Works are associated with the theme of Residential Development (1934-1970s), being an important
improvement project for residents within the Cove during the height of development in the area. Therefore, the improvements possess individual
documented significance in relation to this theme. For their association with the residential development of La Quinta and its intact design, the La
Quinta Stormwater Protective Works are assigned the 3S, 3SC, and 5S2 status codes: appears eligible for NR individually through survey evaluation,
appears eligible for CR individually through survey evaluation, and individually eligible for local listing or designation.
The Protective Works are individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR/Local Criterion A/1/B, as they have been associated with the development and
maintenance of La Quinta residential development. The Protective Works are not individually eligible under Criterion B/2/B, as they have not been
identified as having an association with an important person. The Protective Works are individually eligible under Criterion C/3/C, as they exemplify
the defining characteristics of the mid-20th century engineered water control features. The Protective Works are not individually eligible under
Criterion D/4/D, as further study of the improvements would not appear to yield information which could be considered important in local, regional,
state, or national history. The Protective Works are not individually eligible under Local Register Criterion A, as they were not found to exemplify a
special element of the City of La Quinta. Additionally, the Protective Works are not individually eligible under Local Register Criterion E, as the
Protective Works are considered a singular improvement and not a collection of separate sites, buildings, structures, improvements, or objects. The
Protective Works have not ben substantially altered since their 1975 construction and they maintain integrity from the historic period.
B10. References Continued:
Riverside County Assessor Records; City of La Quinta Building Permit Records; La Quinta Historical Society Research Collection; Coachella Valley
Telephone Directories (1946-1957); California Digital Newspaper Collection, University of California Riverside; Digital Newspaper Collection,
Genealogybank.com; Digital Newspaper Collection, Newspapers.com; Digital Collection, Ancestry.com; Online Historic Aerial Photographs, Historic
Aerials.com; University California Santa Barbara Online Historic Aerial Collection; U.S. Department of the Interior Earth Explorer Historic Aerial
Collection; La Quinta Design and Development Department, City of La Quinta Historic Context Statement, 2011; and La Quinta Historical Society,
Images of America: La Quinta, 2020.
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary#: P-33-xxx
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 486 Resource Name: La Quinta Stormwater Protective Works
Bear Creek Channel
Page 5 of 5