Who Was the Vic Trace Reservoir Named After?
Curious about who the Vic Trace Reservoir was named after? Read below the history behind Victor “Vic” Trace, whose vision helped shape Santa Barbara’s water system over 100 years ago.
• Victor “Vic” Trace was a pivotal figure in the early development of Santa Barbara’s municipal water system in the early 20th century. Trace was born in Springfield, Missouri in 1872 and came to Santa Barbara as a young boy in 1883.
• Trace was appointed Water Superintendent in 1900 by Mayor Charles A. Storke and one of the City's first Water Commissioners, Eugene Sheffield.
• Under Trace’s leadership, Santa Barbara advanced major projects including the construction of Mission Tunnel through the Santa Ynez Mountains (1904-1911) and oversight of the Gibraltar Dam (1920) building the foundation for the City to develop and thrive for generations. To this day, it serves as the most reliable and affordable source of water for the City.
• His policy as superintendent was quoted in the Santa Barbara News Press in 1937 as, “to furnish the city and its residents with a plentiful supply of pure, clear water at a low cost.”
• Although Trace’s long tenure as an employee ended in 1935, Trace went on to serve as an advisor/consultant to the City until his death in 1937. His legacy lives on in the City’s Vic Trace Reservoir, built in his honor in the 1950s.
• Trace’s career marked the transformation of Santa Barbara from a small coastal town with limited water resources into a municipality with engineered water storage, tunnel and dam systems capable of supporting modern growth.
• Other interesting facts about Victor Trace:
-The City Mayor in the 1930s attempted to arrest him and the police chief refused
-From 1900-1930 City water revenue increased from $6,000/year to $250,000/year
-He lived on East Islay Street
Victor “Vic” Trace
Victor Trace with his brothers, sisters, and parents.
For more Vic Trace Reservoir Replacement Project information, please view: SantaBarbaraCA.gov/VicTrace