TO: Chair and Members of the Santiago Creek Commission
FROM: Jarad Hildenbrand, City Manager
1. Subject
title
Revisions to the Santiago Creek Strategic Plan
body
2. Summary
On January 28, 2026, the Santiago Creek Commission approved the Santiago Creek Strategic Plan. The Santiago Creek Strategic Plan was subsequently adopted by the Orange City Council on February 24, 2026. The City of Orange received comments expressing concerns about the plan’s brief historical section as well as Project No. 1.13. Staff have drafted revised language for the Santiago Creek Commission’s consideration.
3. Recommended Action
recommendation
1. Consider the potential revisions to the Santiago Creek Strategic Plan.
2. Approve or deny the proposed changes to the Santiago Creek Strategic Plan.
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4. Fiscal Impact
None.
5. Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 6: Ensure the Preservation of Historic Resources
6. Discussion and Background
On January 28, 2026, the Santiago Creek Commission (SCC) approved the Santiago Creek Strategic Plan (Plan). The City Council formerly adopted the Plan at its regular meeting held on February 24, 2026. Prior to the SCC adopting the Plan, the SCC held several meetings through 2024 and 2025 to establish the Plan’s framework and contents, including a section dedicated to the Santiago Creek’s history.
Referred to in the Plan as “A Brief History about the Santiago Creek,” (Brief History) this section is intended to provide a concise overview of the Santiago Creek’s development and connection to the surrounding community. In its current form, the Brief History does not mention the sand and gravel mining operations that occurred along the Creek. Staff are presenting a modified version that includes relevant language to capture this history. Lastly, in recognizing the impacts that mining operations have had on the Santiago Creek, it has been suggested that Project 1.13 be removed from the Plan. Both potential changes are presented below.
Proposed Change to the Brief History Section (Proposed text is bold, underlined, and italicized)
“The Santiago Creek (Creek) is the largest tributary to the Santa Ana River. With headwaters in the Santa Ana Mountains, the Creek flows northwestward through Santiago Canyon and then southwestward through the City of Orange. The Creek is a historically significant site that provided water and resources to the Acjachemen (Juaneño) and Tongva (Gabrielino) peoples, was chronicled in journals during the Portola Expedition, and supported Orange County’s transformation from an agricultural to largely urbanized region and was later significantly altered by extensive commercial sand and gravel mining operations along portions of its corridor from the 1930s through the 1990s.
As the population in central Orange County grew in the early 20th Century, critical infrastructure projects like the Santiago Dam (1931) were constructed to provide flood control, irrigation, and municipal water uses. However, the mid-20th century ushered in significant changes for the City and County of Orange. Suburban sprawl in the mid-20th century eventually eliminated nearly all agricultural uses and created conditions that made way for the downstream Villa Park Dam (1963), which continues to operate in conjunction with the Santiago Dam, holding back most of its flood releases to ensure the safety of downstream populations. Similarly, following the Orange County Flood Control Act of 1927, much of the lower Creek was channelized during the same time, solidifying central Orange County’s continued transformation to an urbanized region, laying the foundation for continued growth in the City of Orange and surrounding areas. During this period, major mining companies, including Sully-Miller, Blue Diamond, and Consolidated Rock Products, conducted large-scale sand and gravel extraction along the Santiago Creek. Although the mining industry contributed to the region’s economic history by providing employment opportunities to local residents, these activities significantly altered Creek flows. They created deep mined pits, and left behind areas later filled with household refuse, construction debris, or uncompacted silt. Some of these conditions persist today in locations such as the cemetery site south of Yorba Park, the roughly eight acre-site behind Chapman Global Medical Center, as well as the former Sully-Miller property.
In relying, in-part, on the Creek’s waters to support a heavily agricultural economy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Creek played a large role in shouldering Orange County’s continuous and prosperous growth until it transitioned to the urbanized region seen today. Although the Creek’s role has changed, its importance to the City of Orange and greater community remains. The Creek is a natural respite amid a heavily urbanized area that requires ongoing support and care to ensure its benefits are enjoyed and felt for generations to come.
Residents and community groups have long understood Santiago Creek’s importance, and in response, have committed significant time and resources to develop a series of comprehensive planning documents (as seen on page seven of this document). These documents set a vision for the Creek-one where natural and historic resources are preserved while recreational amenities are developed, giving our community and posterity the opportunity to experience this defining feature in the City of Orange. The intent of this living document is to coalesce this vision into one record, effectively organizing recommended projects for the Orange City Council’s consideration while acknowledging the full range of historic land uses that have shaped current site conditions and community expectations.”
Project No. 1.13 Review and Discussion
Project No. 1.13 was adopted as a part of the Plan on February 24, 2026 by the City Council and includes the following information. In recognizing the impacts that mining operations had on the Santiago Creek, it has been suggested that this project be removed. To that end, staff are presenting this project to the SCC for further consideration.
|
Project Number |
Recommended Project and (Priority) |
Project Description |
Possible Collaborations |
Funding Strategy |
Community Benefits |
|
1.13 |
Highlight Sully-Miller Construction Company’s contributions to Southern California (1) |
Digital documentation of Sully-Miller, as a company that provided jobs and careers for the El Modena and Cypress Street barrio communities during times of segregation |
Orange Barrio Historical Society and Orange Community Groups |
Private Donations, Volunteers, and Grants |
Historical/ Archeological Significance |
Next Steps
Should the SCC approve any changes, staff will incorporate the changes and submit the revised Plan to the City Council for approval. If the SCC opts not to incorporate these changes, then the current Brief History and Project No. 1.13 will remain the same.
7. ATTACHMENTS
• None