On Oct. 2, 1954, the Water Authority celebrated the completion of the San Diego Aqueduct. A dedication ceremony was held with the S.A. Healy Company, contractor of the last section of the aqueduct. During the ceremony, Captain C.W. Porter, representing the Commandant of the Eleventh Naval District of the U.S. Navy, presented a letter to Board Chairman Fred A. Heilbron and General Manager and Chief Engineer Richard S. Holmgren, turning over control of the second “barrel” of the aqueduct to the Water Authority. The withdrawal of the last bulkhead in the aqueduct at the south portal of Oat Hills Tunnel (see photo) allowed water to flow uninterrupted for the first time through the entire length of the aqueduct.