Lake Spafford

Lake Spafford occupies a segment of the original main channel of Putah Creek. The creek, named after a settlement of the local Patwin Indians, was once part of an extensive network of streams and rivers in California's Central Valley. The rich alluvial soil deposited by periodic flooding supported lush woodlands and thickets that were home to many waterfowl and birds, as well as grizzly bear, deer, antelope, elk, and other mammals., Seasonal flooding of Putah creek so plagued the early inhabitants of Davisville that around 1870 they began dredging a more southern watercourse on lower land with the intent of diverting the creek. These early efforts were partially successful, and in the 1940s the Army Corps of Engineers sealed off the original north fork of Putah Creek to form the Arboretum waterway. In 1968, as part of a major Arboretum development project, the creekbed was widened to form the lagoon we call Lake Spafford., The Arboretum waterway is now fed only by seasonal rains and campus runoff. This situation mimics the natural cycle of Central Valley riparian (streamside) topography where meandering rivers form oxbow bends that are isolated as ponds when floodwaters overflow their banks in winter and recede in summer. These isolated ponds expertence the same low oxygen levels and algae bloom that affect the water quality in the Arboretum. In fact, many native amphibians, fish and invertcbrates are adapted to these conditions. The Arboretum waterway supports populations of turtles, frogs, crayfish, carp, sunfish, and bluegill., (sidebar text:), F. Edwin Spafford made many lasting contributions to the University of California and the Davis campus over the thirty-three year period between 1954 and 1987. A UC alumnus, Mr. Spafford received his B.S. and M.Ed. degrees from Davis. His career with the Davis campus included service as Assistant to the Provost, Executive Assistant, and Special Assistant to the Chancellor, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Physical Construction and Maintenance, and Coordinator for Governmental Relations., During his distinguished career, Mr. Spafford represented the interests of the University and the campus to civic and political leaders, alumni, and the general community. His dedication, loyalty, sensitivity, and appreciation of campus history and purposes enriched the campus and the University throughout his many years of service, For these accomplishments, the UC Board of Regents bestowed upon F. Edwin Spafford the honorary title of Assistant Vice Chancellor Emeritus.