ZANJA BRIDGE

The creek behind the Bird House is the Zanja, a 12-mile long irrigation canal built by local Serrano Indians in the 1800s to divert water from Mill Creek to Loma Linda to support agriculture. Locals affectionately call it "the Zankee." The word means "ditch" in the Serrano's native language.

The first all-wood bridge was built over the Zanja Creek at the same time the Bird House was being built in 1951. 

In 1968-69 there was a huge storm that filled the Zanja. So in 1970 the pledge project was to build a retaining wall to protect the fraternity house yard and a palm tree that were nearly lost in the big storm.  Brother Barry Rands, an engineering major designed the wall, complete with wire anchors deep in the ground within the yard in 1971. Brother John Taylor, whose family owned Taylor Lumber, helped with the design and discounts on materials. A lot of ten pound river rocks, donated by Rock Walk pledges, were used to reinforce the base of the wall. Years later, when the wood finally rotted out, it was replaced, but the design was the same, made completely of wood with concrete abutments.

In the Spring of 1984 it needed to be rebuilt. Patron Vern Stater gathered a team to handle the work.  Brothers Jon Rains, Dave Boerlin, Greg Horn, and others completely replaced the decaying wood bridge with new steel beams and fresh wood planks. They manhandled the steel into place, anchored it to the cement, and drilled holes in the planks. Wood spacers were added to prevent the steel beams from bowing.  The wood ΚΣΣ letters were the only items reused for the new Zanja Bridge.