1939 photo of Donal Hord's Guardian of Water Fountain being installed by crane at the County Administration Building. Hord spent two years forming the Guardian from a 22-ton granite block from a Lakeside quarry. The combined statue and base rise 22 feet, 3 inches, with the statue itself reaching a height of 13 feet, 3 inches. The Guardian of Water was dedicated on June 10, 1939. It symbolizes San Diego's guardianship over one of its most precious resources - water.