*Edited on October 3, 2023 to correct errors in the original article
On September 21st, 2023, four large maroon metal sheets were installed on the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) old stream gauging tower in Eaton Canyon located just north of the bridge. The station was once part of a large network of stream gauging stations through the country used to monitor water levels in natural waterways. These gauging stations serve a vast array of needs including irrigation, drought monitoring, and reservoir capacity monitoring. They are an integral part of this nation’s ability to produce food, support major cities, and generate clean electricity, especially in the west.
This structure was used in the past by the USGS to help understand just how much water was flowing down Eaton Canyon for farmers to purchase. Once the area became developed and agriculture moved to other parts of the state, the gauging station was no longer needed.
These metal sheets cover all entrances to this tower and are bolted shut, effectively closing the tower to explorers. The tower was likely closed due to constant vandalism, tagging, littering, and safety concerns. Other bunkers and mines further up the canyon were not closed.
Despite the general lack of it within the canyon, Eaton Canyon’s history has always been centered around water. Eaton Creek was used by native American tribes, Spanish settlers, Pasadena’s legendary orange groves, and today as a tourist attraction. More on the canyon’s history can be found here.
The gauging tower and other infrastructure was built when Eaton Canyon supplied irrigation to local farms in Altadena and Pasadena. As recently as 1969, but not after 1980, a metal catwalk existed along the western side of the canyon when passing this particular service tower. It is possible the catwalk was ripped out by either the 1969 or 1980 floods as recognizable debris exists scattered throughout the wash today. This photo courtesy of Robert D. Oventile taken just after the notorious 1969 flood shows the catwalk at the same height as the top door to the tower, and a second white door between the bottom of the tower and the concrete steps.
