Edward Hyatt, the son of Edward and Margaret (Gill) Hyatt, was born near San Jacinto, Calif., on July 21, 1888. He received degrees in civil engineering from Stanford University. He began his thirty-five year career in the service of his native state as an engineer for the California Highway Commission. In 1916 he transferred to the State Water Commission, an agency created to administer state laws pertaining to water rights. In 1921 the State Water Commission became part of the Division of Water Rights of the State Department of Public Works; Mr. Hyatt was appointed deputy chief and then chief of that division. In 1927 he was appointed State Engineer of California. Mr. Hyatt directed surveys which led to the development of the State Water Plan, the basis for the water conservation program in California, and of the Central Valley Project. He was a member of several governmental planning committees, technical associations, and honorary societies. He was a Past-President of the Sacramento Section of the Society. Mr. Hyatt died on June 17, 1954.

From: Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Volume 120 (1955), p. 1568-1569