Born in Los Angeles, California, July 1892. Died in October 1976.

Educated at Los Angeles Polytechnic High School (1907-1911) and the University of California at Los Angeles (1911-1915) with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. Harry French Blaney, a water conservation engineer, made significant contributions to irrigation research not only in his native California, but also throughout the world. In 1915, Mr. Blaney received a B.S. degree in civil engineering from the University of California; and upon graduation, he worked two years for the Southern California Gas Company. He began a career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in May 1917 that continued until his retirement in 1962. From that time until 1973, he was a research associate at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Mr. Blaney was awarded the John Deere Medal from the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, the Superior Service Award and Silver Medal from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Royce Tipton Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers. He is probably best known for his work in the development of the Blaney-Criddle Formula, a method for calculating water loss from plants by evapotranspiration.

In 1969, his oral history, Harry F. Blaney: Water Conservation Engineer, was published by Oral History Program, University of California, Los Angeles (G4702/J9-5).

September 1915 - April 1917

Engineer - Southern California Gas Company, Los Angeles

May 1917 - May 1918

Agent - U.S. Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Silt Studies, Colorado

May 1918 - December 1918

Master Gunner - Non-commission Staff Officer, U.S. Army

January 1919 - January 1962

Irrigation Engineer - U.S. Department of Agriculture, in California and other areas as follows:

1919 - In charge of Denver Irrigation Field Laboratory, evaporation and evapotranspiration studies.

1919-1927 - Studies of sedimentation in Imperial Valley and Colorado River; cost of irrigation water; evapotranspiration.

1927-1934 - Consumptive use of water by irrigated crops and native vegetation and rainfall disposal.

1934-1935 - Water conservation engineer, developing water for drought areas, New Mexico.

1935-1936 - Water utilization studies, Mojave River, and irrigation, California.

1936-1937 - In charge of consumptive-use studies, Upper Rio Grande, for National Resources Committee, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.

1937-1939 - Water utilization studies, Beaumont and San Jacinto Basins and San Fernando Valley, California.

1939-1941 - In charge, consumptive water requirements, Pecos River Joint Investigations, New Mexico and Texas.

1941 - Member of technical mission to Cuba to investigate rehabilitation of agriculture, 12 dam sites, soils, and water supply for rice irrigation.

1941-1942 - Water utilization studies, San Luis Rey Valley.

1942-1943 - In charge, irrigation surveys on quantity, quality and cost of water in southwestern states of Guayule Rubber Project, Forest Service.

1943-1951 - Project supervisor, consumptive irrigation requirement studies in Arizona, Colorado River Basin, and Pacific Southwest; drainage studies in Imperial Valley, California.

1951-1954 - State research supervisor, in charge of cooperative irrigation studies with the State Engineer of California and U.S. Soil Conservation Service.

1954-1962 - Principal irrigation engineer, U.S. Agriculture Research Service in Pacific Southwest.

1959 - Irrigation engineer consultant in Israel for U.S. Department of State, International Cooperation Administration.

January 1962 - July 1965

Research Associate - University of California at Los Angeles, Department of Irrigation and Soil Sciences

July 1965 - March 1973

Research Associate - University of California at Los Angeles, Department of Engineering and Water Resources Center

1956-1968

Consultant for the following:

1956-1958 - For the State of California and other agencies on litigation of the use of water from the Colorado River

January 1962 - For International Boundary and Water Commission, U.S. Department of State, on salinity in lower Colorado River

1963-1965 - For 20 farms, Gila River Basin, New Mexico

January-November 1968 - For State of Arizona on water use in Central Valley Project (January-February 1966) and consumptive use on farms in Colorado