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State prize goes to Arbor Terrace project

Fallbrook gained another feather in its cap November 17 when the California Landscape Contractor’s Association (CLCA) bestowed its Statewide First Place Beautification Award on Waterscape Creation’s work creating waterfalls at Arbor Terrace, the newest special event venue on the 30-acre Grand Tradition compound. Waterscape Creations is a Fallbrook-based family business owned by Bob and Centella Jorgensen.

The award was presented to the Jorgensens at the 50th annual CLCA awards event held at the Kauai Sheraton in Hawaii. When the announcement was made, the Jorgensens were surprised and honored.

“We love what we do and this is the largest

we’ve done to date,” Bob said.

The Jorgensens learned they had won first place in the commercial water feature category in the CLCA’s San Diego County Chapter competition during the summer but had no idea they would claim the overall state prize for water features – in both residential and commercial applications.

The Arbor Terrace project began as the vision of Scott McDougal – son of Don and Pat McDougal – who now serves as the general manager of the Grand Tradition. After enjoying 24 years of success with the Grand Tradition’s Victorian mansion, beautiful grounds and heart-shaped lake, the family decided it was time to embark on a second facility in October of 2005 and Scott took the lead.

“We wanted a second venue; it needed to be totally different yet equal to the Grand Tradition,” Scott said. “I looked at a lot of waterfalls, but I wanted this one bigger and better.” He then placed a call to Bob Jorgensen for a bid on the water feature. Bob said he felt privileged to have an opportunity to vie for the local project.

“I was very excited,” Bob said. “The prospect of using big equipment to move those big boulders sounded really fun and exciting.” Bob said his greatest joy in constructing water features is the art of boulder-setting.

“Boulder-setting determines the way you want the water to roll off the rocks,” he explained. With a lifetime interest in architecture, Bob said he loved going camping when he was growing up, especially because he could spend time observing water in motion – examining streams and waterfalls.

The boulders Bob was to use in the Arbor Terrace project originally came from Poet’s Square, a residential housing community built several years ago in Fallbrook. When Don McDougal saw truckloads of enormous boulders being hauled away from the construction project, he invited the truck drivers to drop them on the grounds of the Grand Tradition rather than haul them to a quarry in Riverside County – a win-win situation for the trucking company and for the McDougals.

“Moving the boulders was the most challenging part of the project,” Bob said. “They were basically piled in a field and were enormous.” He said the boulders were carefully sorted for size and appearance for the multiple waterfalls contained in the project.

Over 1,200 gallons of water flow per minute over the falls. The water flows through six-inch pipes powered by two pumps, each containing 7.5 horsepower. Complimenting the water features at Arbor Terrace are lush tropical trees and plants, winding pathways finished in colored, stamped concrete and some 450 lights.

“The lights are powered by 26 transformers,” said Mark McDougal, Scott’s brother. Mark was actively involved in the project as well, assisting with the electrical work and certain construction needs.

“We had very few hiccups occur during the project; overall, everything worked out really well,” Scott said.

The project was completed this March and gained immediate popularity with both local groups and wedding parties.

“We will have held over 50 events here by the time 2006 closes out,” Scott said. “That number far exceeds what we thought what we thought it would do.” For the Jorgensens, the large project has garnered them many accolades, but they say whether the water feature a client wants is a small residential one or a large commercial one, each individual job has unique aspects they enjoy.

Waterscape Creations was founded by the Jorgensens in 2000 after the couple owned both a swimming pool and spa construction business (1981-1991) and a pool/spa repair business (1991-2000). Currently they have seven full-time employees and one or two part-time employees, depending on seasonal business. They handle all phases of constructing water features on an in-house basis, including the plumbing and electrical.

“All members of our staff are legal and insured,” Bob Jorgensen said. “We want our customers to have every confidence in us.”

Waterscape Creations can be reached at (760) 731-5233.

 

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