Modern Water Towers
Built in 1957, Domestic Water Tower No. 1 remains the tallest and largest of the modern water towers on campus, which was originally a three-tower system. University Archives Photographs, AR-013
Arboretum tower presided over rapid campus growth in the 1960s, including Mrak Hall under construction here. University Archives Photographs, AR-013
Sometimes called “Touchdown Tower” for its proximity to UC Davis Health Stadium, Utility Tower No. 1 also hovers over the dairy facilities. Robert Laben Collection, D-246
“UCD” replaced the Block “CA” logo on the Arboretum water tower in 1977 to the disappointment of many students and alumni. The rebranding, for some, highlighted a tension between the university’s unique, agricultural roots, and its arrival as a general research campus in the larger UC system. Strategic Communications Records, AR-031
Article in the California Aggie by American Studies professors on the symbolism of the two water towers on campus, representing our heritage and our future. Click on the image to read the full article.
A view up into the weblike underbelly of Utility Tower No. 1. Strategic Communications Records, AR-031
Photographer: Gabriel Unda. Strategic Communications Records, AR-031
Over the years, the water towers have required various upgrades, such as seismic retrofitting and a plan to deal with corroding lead-based paint. Neil Michel Axiom Photography Collection, AR-195
The third water tower in the modern water system for campus was Domestic Water Tower No. 2, which stood near the Sheep Barn west of Highway 113. In 2002, campus determined that it would be cheaper to build a new ground-level water tank than to refurbish the existing water tower, so the tower was pulled down and dismantled. Photographer: Stan Oklobdzija. California Aggie Photographs, AR-200
Neil Michel Axiom Photography Collection, AR-195
The cap at the top of the fallen Sheep Barn water tower reveals evidence of student daredevil activity across three decades. Photographer: Krysten Kellum. California Aggie Photographs, AR-200
The Arboretum water tower has had its current branding since 1995. Neil Michel Axiom Photography Collection, AR-095
UC Davis photographer Wayne Tilcock captured this image in an 8 second exposure as Comet NEOWISE “passed by” Touchdown Tower on its 6,800-year orbit around the sun. University of California, Davis Web Archives
The water tower–sometimes the Arboretum tower, sometimes Touchdown Tower–has become a visual shorthand for UC Davis, instantly evocative of the Davis campus. It tends to pop up everywhere, including posters, buttons, refrigerator magnets, water bottles, and even Picnic Day floats, such as this one by Alpha Gamma Rho. Strategic Communications Records, AR-031
The counterculture-inspired poster for the 40th annual Whole Earth Festival at UC Davis featured Touchdown Tower in a surreal view of campus. Whole Earth Festival Records, AR-118
The familiar silhouettes of both UC Davis water towers at sunrise. Strategic Communications Records, AR-031