In this post you will find updates as to the condition of the Water Wheel at Hart Park, general information, and pictures.

February 22, 2010
After all these years, the Wheel House still stands, and remains attractive to picnickers, hikers, photo hobbyist, and abandoned cats.

I’m confident the Parks and Recreation Department will continue to allow it to remain in its restful state for us to enjoy. I visited the site this morning and was pleased to see the wheel house intact.

The chain link and wood fence around the perimeter of the Wheel House keeps the public out and away from the structure and makes the location safe for visitors.

Wheel House decay continues, as has been the case for many years. El-Nino, with the associate heavy rains, accelerate decay.

The recent rain has caused more collapse, especially the upper outside quarter of the wheel and the east entrance to the generator house.

General Information

The Water Wheel at Hart Park provides photo opportunities for park visitors.

This artifact is safely fenced off from public access.

The abandoned house cats find temporary protection in the Wheel House from native coyotes, bobcats, snakes, and people. I wish people who love cats would adopt them. The house cats would be much happier then having to live in a foreign environment living in constant terror.

The wheel was built in the early thirties to supply limited hydro-wheel electricity to the park before the dam in Isabella (1950’s) was built. After the dam was built, the wheels useful life as a reliable source of electricity ended.

Restoration
The Water Wheel will never be restored to its former practical glory. The is no water to drive it.

The ideas heard from various people in our community to “restore” the Water Wheel have nothing actionable attached to their ideas. Without anything actionable, the water wheel will certainly disappear, perhaps after the next El-Nino

The Future

Efforts are underway to raise funds to create a Water Wheel Play Area, something we could all enjoy, especially our children. This effort would transform the Water Wheel into a center piece of a world class playground.

Overall, the “Water Wheel Structure” would be a Water Wheel “Look Alike” to serve as the traditional “Jungle Jim” as seen at most play grounds.

Cursory Water Wheel Play Area Construction Steps
1. Architect/Engineer captures current Water Wheel design
2. Tear down existing Water Wheel
3. Build Water Wheel look-alike Play Structure. Use material from exiting Water Wheel in new look-alike Play Structure where possible.
4. Install Water Wheel Play Structure
5. Install other complimentary play ground items keeping with the Water Wheel Theme.