170-654: The Santa Ana River is the largest river entirely within Southern California in the United States. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows for most of its length through San Bernardino and Riverside counties, before cutting through the northern Santa Ana Mountains via Santa Ana Canyon and flowing southwest through urban Orange County to drain into the Pacific Ocean. The Santa Ana River
340-519: A Marian apparition known as Our Lady of Guadalupe . In 2012, a controversy erupted regarding the cross atop Mount Rubidoux, which was on city-owned land and maintained by the city. Due to constitutional issues regarding separation of church and state, the Riverside City Council sold the cross and the land under it (0.43 acres; 1740.15 sq m) to a private entity for $ 10,500. Riverside's economy consists largely of light-industry and generates
510-905: A semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification BSh ) bordering on an arid climate ( Köppen climate classification BWh ) with hot, dry summers and mild, relatively wet winters. Normal monthly mean temperatures range from 54.8 °F (12.7 °C) in December to 79.8 °F (26.6 °C) in August. On average, temperatures reach the freezing mark and 100 °F (37.8 °C) on 3.5 and 21.6 days annually, respectively. Record temperatures range from 18 °F (−7.8 °C) on January 15, 1911, up to 118 °F (47.8 °C) on July 17, 1925, June 16, 1917, and July 6, 2018. On average, Riverside receives 9.39 in (239 mm) of precipitation annually, with measurable precipitation occurring on 35 days, with almost all of it between November and April, with February
680-663: A California Gold Rush of a different kind: the establishment of the citrus industry, which is commemorated in the landscapes and exhibits of the California Citrus State Historic Park and the restored packing houses in the downtown's Marketplace district. By 1882, there were more than half a million citrus trees in California, almost half of which were in Riverside. The development of refrigerated railroad cars and innovative irrigation systems established Riverside as
850-566: A California earthquake forecast, which models earthquake occurrence in California. This is a partial list of earthquakes in Southern California. For a full list, see List of earthquakes in California . Note: Earthquakes with epicenters in the Los Angeles Metro Area are marked with the (#) symbol. Other earthquakes mentioned indicates shaking was felt in the region. As of the 2020 United States Census , Southern California has
1020-636: A M w 6.7 earthquake or greater, such as the San Andreas Fault , which can produce M w 8.0 or greater. The largest known earthquake in California was the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake that ruptured 200+ miles (320+ kilometers) of the San Andreas Fault from Parkfield to Wrightwood . With a recurrence interval of roughly 150 years, this part of the San Andreas fault is well within its window to produce another large earthquake. Along with
1190-550: A further pair of devastating floods that in part brought an end to the area's citrus industry. In the Los Angeles flood of 1938 , the Santa Ana again burst its banks and flooded Anaheim and Orange in up to 4 feet (1.2 m) of water, stripping away thousands of acres of rich topsoil and destroying many of the citrus groves. Almost 60 people were killed in the disaster and about 68,400 acres (277 km) of land were flooded, despite
1360-581: A higher population, with 23.76 million residents as of the 2020 census . The sparsely populated desert region of California occupies a significant portion (part of which has even been proposed to be split into a new county due to cultural, economic and geographic differences relative to the rest of the more urban region) of the area: the Colorado Desert , along with the Colorado River , is located on Southern California's eastern border with Arizona , and
1530-538: A much closer gold rush occurred in the San Bernardino Mountains when prospector William Holcomb discovered significant deposits, just over the northern drainage divide of the Santa Ana River. This discovery exploded into a full-scale gold mining operation in days. The Santa Ana River served as a conduit for miners traveling to the region and many of the forests in the upper basin experienced clearcutting as
1700-630: A personal friend, William Saunders , a horticulturist at the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. The trees came from Bahia, Brazil . The Bahia orange did not thrive in Florida , but its success in southern California was phenomenal. The three trees were planted on the Tibbets' property. One of them died after it was trampled by a cow during the first year it was planted. After
1870-606: A population of 23,762,904. Despite a reputation for high growth rates, Southern California's population has grown slower than the state average since the 2000s. This is due to California's growth becoming concentrated in the northern part of the state as result of a stronger, tech-oriented economy in the Bay Area and an emerging Greater Sacramento region. Southern California consists of one Combined Statistical Area , eight Metropolitan Statistical Areas , one international metropolitan area , and multiple metropolitan divisions. The region
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#17328452697292040-445: A population of 303,871. The population density was 3,731.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,440.5/km ). The racial makeup of Riverside was 41.8% of Riverside's population was of Mexican descent, 1.1% Guatemalan, 1.0% Salvadoran, 0.7% Puerto Rican, 0.3% Cuban, 0.2% Nicaraguan, and 0.2% Colombian origin. Non-Hispanic Whites were 34.0% of the population in 2010, down from 82.1% in 1970. The Census reported that 292,322 people (96.2% of
2210-410: A population of approximately 4 million, Los Angeles is the most populous city in California and the second most populous in the United States. South of Los Angeles and with a population of approximately 1.4 million is San Diego, the second most populous city in the state and the eighth most populous in the nation. The counties of Los Angeles , San Diego , Orange , Riverside , and San Bernardino are
2380-662: A range of products including aircraft components, automotive parts, gas cylinders, electronic equipment, food products, and medical devices. Supporting the manufacturing sector are several industrial parks, including those in the Hunter Industrial Park, Sycamore Canyon Industrial Park and Airport Industrial Areas. As the county seat of Riverside County and the most populous city in the Inland Empire, Riverside also houses several legal, accounting, engineering, and banking firms. Citrus production and packing houses still exist within
2550-474: A result of the high resource demands of the boom. Gold was also discovered in Lytle Creek in that same year. Following the gold rush, the cultivation of citrus became the mainstay of the economy of the lower Santa Ana River area. Through the late 19th century, citrus fields covered much of the coastal plain and led to the naming of Orange County. Notwithstanding the increased prosperity in the 1860s, this decade
2720-556: A staple food of many of the inland valley people. People closer to the ocean often fished and hunted small animals, often from tide pools and coastal stream areas, for food. Several major premodern Native American groups eventually gained control of lands along the river: the Yuhaviatam or Yuharetum people in the upper basin, the Payomkowishum in the southeastern basin, the Cahuilla in
2890-446: A stone marker placed with the last tree. That tree still stands to this day inside a protective fence abutting what is now a major intersection. The trees thrived in the southern California climate and the navel orange industry grew rapidly. Many growers purchased bud wood and then grafted the cuttings to root stock. Within a few years, the successful cultivation of many thousands of the newly discovered Brazilian navel orange trees led to
3060-754: A whole enacted the Alquist Priolo Special Studies Zone Act in the wake of the 1971 San Fernando earthquake . The act prohibits new construction of residential buildings closer than 50 feet (15 m) from a surface rupturing active fault zone. In addition, the act improved safety by requiring new structures (both residential and commercial) to be seismically retrofitted. It also required existing infrastructure to comply. Since 1972, numerous large magnitude earthquakes have struck Southern California with little widespread damage in part due to act. However, exceptions can be noted for epicenters that lie directly on top of densely populated regions such as
3230-405: A wide region, many large ranchos developed along the river and one of its major tributaries, Santiago Creek . After the area became part of the United States, the economy transitioned to agriculture, before urbanizing in the 20th century. Many cities established during this time including Santa Ana , Riverside and Anaheim derived their names from the river. In order to protect urban areas from
3400-459: Is 96 miles (154 km) long, and its drainage basin is 2,650 square miles (6,900 km) in size. The Santa Ana drainage basin has a diversity of terrain, ranging from high peaks of inland mountains in the north and east, to the hot, dry interior and semidesert basins of the Inland Empire , to the flat coastal plain of Orange County. Although it includes areas of alpine and highland forest,
3570-676: Is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California . It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area (the second most populous urban agglomeration in the United States ) as well as the Inland Empire (another large metropolitan area). The region generally contains ten of California's 58 counties: Los Angeles , San Diego , Orange , Riverside , San Bernardino , Kern , Ventura , Santa Barbara , San Luis Obispo , and Imperial counties. Although geographically smaller than Northern California in land area, Southern California has
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#17328452697293740-607: Is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California , United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River . It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire and in Riverside County, and is about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles . It is also part of the Greater Los Angeles area. Riverside is the 61st-most-populous city in
3910-502: Is also home to a large surf and skateboard culture. Companies such as Vans , Volcom , Quiksilver , No Fear , Stüssy , RVCA , and Body Glove are all headquartered there. Skateboarder Tony Hawk ; surfers Rob Machado , Timmy Curran , Bobby Martinez , Pat O'Connell , Dane Reynolds , and Chris Ward live in Southern California. Some of the most famous surf locations are in Southern California as well, including Trestles , Rincon , The Wedge , Huntington Beach , and Malibu . Some of
4080-658: Is also home to the Inland Empire Atheists and Agnostics organization. The city has a large population of Seventh-day Adventists , due to the presence of La Sierra University and proximity to Loma Linda near San Bernardino . There is also a large Mormon population, as well as in the San Bernardino area, as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has missions in Riverside and Redlands near their temple . Several religious celebrations take place on top of
4250-505: Is also known for its mountain resort communities, such as Big Bear Lake , Lake Arrowhead , and Wrightwood , and their ski resorts, like Bear Mountain , Snow Summit , Snow Valley Mountain Resort , and Mountain High . The inland desert city of Palm Springs is also popular. Southern California is generally considered the area of California south of the latitude 35°45', approximately one-third of
4420-670: Is an important government, arts and entertainment, and retail district. Downtown San Diego is the CBD of San Diego, though the city is filled with business districts. These include Carmel Valley , Del Mar Heights , Mission Valley , Rancho Bernardo , Sorrento Mesa , and University City . Most of these districts are located in Northern San Diego and some within North County regions. Los Angeles Orange County Riverside & San Bernardino San Diego Southern California
4590-833: Is close to Orange County and Los Angeles County. Riverside is home to the historic Mission Inn , the Beaux-Arts style Riverside County Historic Courthouse (based on the Petit Palais in Paris, France), and the Riverside Fox Theater , where the first showing of the 1939 film Gone with the Wind took place. The theater was purchased by the city and refurbished as part of the Riverside Renaissance Initiative. The Fox Theater underwent extensive renovation and restoration, which
4760-400: Is considered an endangered species, as is the southwestern willow flycatcher , whose habitat is often shared with the other bird. The saltcedar is another invasive large weed that also, like the giant reed, uses large amounts of water. Unlike giant reed, the saltcedar has deeper roots, not only making it more difficult to remove but allowing it to access and use up deep groundwater . However,
4930-469: Is determined by wildfires and droughts, and depends on the semi-arid climate of the region. Perennial and seasonal streams often are lined with live oak and sycamore , which transition into the riparian zones of the main stem Santa Ana River. The largest unbroken riparian corridor is the 20-mile (32 km) stretch between Riverside and Prado Dam, where the river has been largely left in its natural state despite pollution from urban runoff. In addition,
5100-529: Is dominated by a hot, dry desert climate that supports sparse wildlife, while the climate and vegetation of the San Jacinto River and Temescal Creek watershed is similar to that of the southern Central Valley . Downstream of the desert was once the coastal sage scrub and dry grassland community of the Orange County coastal plain, but that region has been almost entirely lost to urbanization. Rimming
5270-417: Is exposed. This rock originally formed at the bottom of the ancestral Pacific Ocean and was uplifted to the highest peaks of the mountains by tectonic action. Even during the ice ages , Southern California mountains were not subjected to extensive glaciation , so the rock has remained for tens of millions of years without significant erosion. Diverse and complex faulting and geologic instability have shaped
Santa Ana River - Misplaced Pages Continue
5440-410: Is home to Los Angeles International Airport , the second-busiest airport in the United States by passenger volume (see World's busiest airports by passenger traffic ) and the third-busiest by international passenger volume (see Busiest airports in the United States by international passenger traffic ); San Diego International Airport , the busiest single-runway airport in the world; Van Nuys Airport ,
5610-656: Is home to the one surviving Parent Navel Orange Tree, from which all American West Coast navel orange trees are descended. There are three hospitals in Riverside. Riverside is also home to the Riverside Public Library system. Branches include: Arlanza, Arlington, La Sierra, Marcy, Main, Orange Terrace, Eastside Cybrary, and Casa Blanca. Convention facilities are available at several locations. The Riverside Convention Center , remodeled in 2014, offers 66,000 sq ft (6,100 m ) indoors and 14,000 sq ft (1,300 m ) of outdoor space. Also available
5780-545: Is home to two extended metropolitan areas that exceed five million in population. These are the Greater Los Angeles Area at 17,786,419, and San Diego–Tijuana at 5,105,768. Of these metropolitan areas, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metropolitan area , Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area , and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura metropolitan area form Greater Los Angeles; while
5950-401: Is low to moderate depending on the area. Rain is infrequent, but is often heavy when it does occur, making flash floods an aspect of living in Southern California. This climatic pattern was alluded to in the hit song " It Never Rains (In Southern California) ". While snow is very rare in lower elevations, mountains above 5,000 feet (1,500 m) receive plentiful snowfall in the winter. Since
6120-471: Is next to the Santa Ana River and one of the most noticeable landmarks in the downtown area. This foothill is the dividing line between the town of Rubidoux and the city of Riverside. March Joint Air Reserve Base borders Riverside on the east serving as a divider between the city and Moreno Valley . March ARB, founded in 1918, is the oldest operating Air Force base west of the Mississippi River. At
6290-462: Is on Iowa Street just north of Palmyrita, in front of what was once the Dixie Corporation's manufacturing plant (now closed down). Three notable hills are in Riverside's scenic landscape: Box Springs Mountain , Evans (Jurupa) Hill and Tecolote Hill; all of which are preserved open spaces. South of Riverside is Lake Mathews . There is also the well-known landmark/foothill Mount Rubidoux , which
6460-433: Is rapidly urbanizing. In Orange County, nearly all the valley lands are urbanized. Some major bodies of water in the watershed include Irvine Lake , Lake Mathews , Lake Perris , Diamond Valley Lake , Lake Skinner , and Big Bear Lake . All of these are water supply reservoirs constructed by county or state water agencies, and with the exception of Big Bear, much of the water is imported from other parts of California due to
6630-477: Is the brown-headed cowbird , which feeds off parasites and insects identified with cattle , which were brought to Southern California during the Spanish Rancho period. The brown-headed cowbird is a "brood parasite", or a bird that lays its eggs in another bird's nest. One of the most afflicted birds is the least Bell's vireo , whose population also suffers from the loss of riparian habitat. The least Bell's vireo
6800-560: Is the Lake Hills/Victoria Grove area, which would extend the city's southwestern borders to Lake Mathews. Riverside is home to the University of California, Riverside . The UCR Botanical Gardens contains 40 acres (16 ha) of unusual plants, with four miles (6.4 km) of walking trails. The city prides itself on its historic connection to the navel orange, which was introduced to North America from Brazil in 1874. Riverside
6970-616: Is the Riverside Marriott with 14,000 sq ft (1,300 m ) indoors, and the Mission Inn with 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m ) indoors and 5,000 sq ft (460 m ) outdoors. All three facilities are located within walking distance of one another in downtown Riverside. Meetings with an academic focus are also held at the University of California, Riverside. Cemeteries in Riverside include: Riverside experiences
Santa Ana River - Misplaced Pages Continue
7140-557: Is the originally named "Eastside". which grew out of a colonia inhabited by Mexican immigrant workers in the orange groves, other orchards and produce fields. The area these people lived in was originally a settlement called La Placita that predated the city, being founded in 1843. Mexican communities were also formed in the barrio of Casa Blanca during the early 20th century. The city council has proposed many annexations of nearby unincorporated communities that would increase Riverside's population and land area significantly. Most notable
7310-542: Is usually dry or a small trickle. At Orange it receives Santiago Creek from the east before entering Santa Ana . After crossing under Interstate 5 it passes through the River View Golf Course, one of its few non-concreted sections within Orange County, and then becomes a concrete channel again through most of Santa Ana and Fountain Valley to a point below the 405 Freeway, where the river bed becomes natural (though
7480-404: Is water. The elevation of downtown Riverside is 860 feet (260 m). Hills within the city limits include Mount Rubidoux , a city landmark and tourist attraction. Riverside is surrounded by small and large mountains, some of which get a dusting of winter snow. Many residents also enjoy the many beaches of Southern California. Riverside is about a 47-mile (76 km) drive to the Pacific Ocean and
7650-673: The Bear Flag Revolt , a Mexican military force set out northwards to attack a smaller American force in the Los Angeles area. However, the Santa Ana River flooded, preventing the Mexicans from crossing the river to attack the Americans. When the river's flow finally subsided, the American forces had been reinforced enough to drive the Mexicans out of the region. When the California Republic
7820-583: The El Centro metropolitan area and San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos metropolitan area form the Southern Border Region . North of Greater Los Angeles are the Santa Barbara , San Luis Obispo , and Bakersfield metropolitan areas. Los Angeles (with a population of approximately 3.9 million people) and San Diego (at nearly 1.4 million people) are the two largest cities in all of California, and are among
7990-811: The Galleria at Tyler mall. The Main Street Pedestrian Mall in downtown is the site of several unique shops. Several festivals occur throughout the year in Riverside, many focused on the downtown area. Each year in February The Riverside Dickens Festival is held to "enhance a sense of community among citizens of Riverside County and Southern California by creating a series of literary events and to provide educational, family-oriented, literary entertainment and activities such as plays, musical performances, pageants, living history presentations, workshops, lectures, classroom study, exhibits and
8160-637: The Los Angeles metropolitan area ( Los Angeles and Orange counties, with 13.3 million people), the Inland Empire ( Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including the Coachella Valley cities, with 4.3 million people), and the Oxnard–Thousand Oaks–Ventura metropolitan area (0.8 million people). In addition, Southern California contains the San Diego metropolitan area with 3.3 million people, Bakersfield metro area with 0.9 million, and
8330-454: The Lytle Creek confluence. Historically, the Santa Ana was named "the best stream in Southern California [for steelhead trout habitat]". The steelhead is an anadromous fish , similar to salmon , that migrates up rivers and streams to spawn. Unlike salmon, which usually only reproduce once, steelhead may reproduce multiple times and have a much longer life span. Steelhead was once found along
8500-687: The Mojave Desert shares a border with Nevada to the northeast. Southern California's southern border with Baja California is part of the Mexico–United States border . Southern California encompasses eight metropolitan areas (MSAs), three of which together form the Greater Los Angeles Combined Statistical Area (CSA) with over 18 million people, the second-biggest CSA after the New York CSA . These three MSAs are
8670-734: The Newport–Inglewood-Rose Canyon Fault (located adjacent to SoFi Stadium and responsible for Signal Hill ), the Elsinore Fault (created Lake Elsinore ), the Garlock Fault (which marks boundary between of the Sierra Nevada and the Mojave Desert ), and the Hollywood fault (which is within feet of Capitol Records and is roughly parallel to Hollywood Boulevard ). The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has released
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#17328452697298840-759: The San Diego Creek , Aliso Creek , and San Juan Creek watersheds border the Santa Ana watershed on the south. Further south, in San Diego County, the watershed is bordered by those of San Mateo Creek , the Santa Margarita River , and the San Luis Rey River . On the east the watershed shares borders with those of the Whitewater River and the Coachella Valley , flowing into the Salton Sea , and on
9010-683: The San Diego metropolitan area as they do with the Inland Empire . To the east, the United States Census Bureau considers the San Bernardino and Riverside County areas, Riverside-San Bernardino area as a separate metropolitan area from Los Angeles County. Newly developed exurbs formed in the Antelope Valley , north of Los Angeles, the Victor Valley , and the Coachella Valley with the Imperial Valley . Also, population growth
9180-422: The San Fernando Valley . The area of Santa Monica and Venice (and perhaps some of Culver City) is informally referred to as "Silicon Beach" because of the concentration of financial and marketing technology-centric firms located in the region. The San Bernardino-Riverside Area maintains the business districts of Downtown San Bernardino , Hospitality Business/Financial Centre , University District which are in
9350-426: The Santa Barbara , San Luis Obispo , and El Centro (Imperial County) metropolitan areas. The Southern California Megaregion (or megalopolis ) is larger still, extending northeast into Las Vegas , Nevada and south across the Mexican border into Tijuana . Within Southern California are two major cities, Los Angeles and San Diego , as well as three of the country's largest metropolitan areas . With
9520-498: The Santiago Creek tributary of the Santa Ana River and genetic analysis has shown them to be of native and not hatchery stocks. Invasive species—those that are not native to the region—have caused problems in the watershed for many years. One of the most troublesome invasive species is the giant reed , which plagues many coastal Southern California waterways. The giant reed is similar to a tall grass or thin bamboo , but grows quickly and can take over native stands of vegetation, block
9690-423: The Seven Oaks Dam , and reaches the arid Inland Empire lowland covering large parts of San Bernardino County and Riverside County . It receives Mill Creek from the south and passes to the south of San Bernardino , then receives City Creek from the north and San Timoteo Creek from the south. Due to water diversions for groundwater recharge , the river bed is usually dry in this stretch between Mill Creek and
9860-488: The Shoshone and Uto-Aztecan people of the northwestern United States. Eventually, the human population of the watershed reached a peak of about 15,000. About 8,000 years ago, the climate experienced a change becoming more arid and the originally nomadic tribes began to stay in individual places longer, becoming semi-nomadic. However, they did not establish agriculture , nor did they raise animals or live in villages. Like many Native American tribes in California, acorns were
10030-468: The Transverse and Peninsular Ranges with their peaks, and into the large and small interior valleys, to the vast deserts of California . Note: Plate boundary faults are indicated with a (#) symbol. Each year, Southern California has about 10,000 earthquakes. Nearly all of them are too small to be felt. Only several hundred have been greater than magnitude (M w ) 3.0, and only about 15–20 have been greater than M w 4.0. California as
10200-403: The entertainment industry . Other industries include software, automotive, aerospace, finance, biomedical, ports and regional logistics. The region was a leader in the housing bubble from 2001 to 2007, and has been heavily impacted by the housing crash. Since the 1920s, motion pictures, petroleum, and aircraft manufacturing have been major industries. In one of the richest agricultural regions in
10370-427: The riparian zones and remnant wetlands along the Santa Ana River. Humans have lived on the Santa Ana River for at least 9,000 years. The villages of Lupukngna , Genga , Pajbenga , Totpavit , and Hutuknga were located along the river. The river was first seen by Europeans in 1769, when it received its name from members of the Spanish Portola expedition . Because it was one of the only reliable sources of water in
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#173284526972910540-431: The 1950s, significant numbers of steelhead trout still migrated in from the ocean. Because of pollution and modifications to the river, very few steelhead still use the river. There is a population of wild stream resident coastal rainbow trout upstream of Seven Oaks Dam and in the upper reaches of a few tributaries. Despite the rarity of steelhead, in recent years fin samples from 13 trout were collected from Harding Canyon in
10710-432: The American Lung Association rated Riverside County one of the nation's worst counties for smog. Most of Riverside's smog problems are the result of the prevailing wind patterns that blow the smog from the Los Angeles Basin and particulates generated by southern California's multitude of vehicles, and the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach into the Inland Empire . The 2010 census reported that Riverside had
10880-685: The EPA, it was rejected. As a result, little work has been done to repair the ecological damage that has been caused by urbanization along the river. Other projects include the Santa Ana Watershed Planning Advisory Committee, and the Santa Ana River Watershed Alliance (SARWA). There are many recreational opportunities along the Santa Ana River. The Santa Ana River watershed includes parts of the Cleveland National Forest , San Bernardino National Forest , Angeles National Forest , Mount San Jacinto State Wilderness Area , Chino Hills State Park , and Lake Perris State Recreation Area. Big Bear Lake , Lake Elsinore , and Lake Irvine are popular recreational lakes in
11050-445: The Hidden Valley Wildlife Area also has 25 miles (40 km) of recreational paths. Some entities have been opting for a Santa Ana River Park, which would encompass a strip of land on either side of the river for its entire course. The city of Redlands would like to develop riverside green space near the historic downtown district. The Santa Ana River Lakes, located near Anaheim, are a popular recreational fish farm fed with water from
11220-401: The Inland Empire. The dam was designed to withstand a 350-year flood. Today, the river lies mainly between levees and concrete channels, and especially in its lower course, functions only as a flood drainage channel. As with many Southern California rivers, the Santa Ana is heavily polluted and used. The main stem above Seven Oaks Dam is free-flowing, as are many of its upper tributaries. Once
11390-419: The Los Angeles Area are the major business districts of Downtown Pasadena , Downtown Burbank , Downtown Santa Monica , Downtown Glendale and Downtown Long Beach . Los Angeles proper has many business districts, such as Downtown LA and those lining Wilshire Boulevard , including Mid-Wilshire , the Miracle Mile , Downtown Beverly Hills , and Westwood ; others include Century City and Warner Center in
11560-399: The M w 6.7 1994 Northridge Earthquake and, to a lesser extent, the smaller M w 5.5 2008 Chino Hills earthquake . The Northridge earthquake occurred on a blind-thrust fault directly underneath the San Fernando Valley , which until the earthquake was previously undiscovered. Seismic retrofitting of existing and new construction is aimed to prevent damage and save lives in
11730-484: The Pacific, one of which even extended as far north as the San Gabriel River. The original mouth of the river was located at Newport Bay , which drained into the Pacific Ocean, at what is today the entrance to Newport Harbor . Based on a U.S. Coastal Survey from 1878, Newport Bay was predominantly a river estuary with few open channels. The river flowed into the bay bringing with it heavy silt and making boating difficult. To eventually create Newport Harbor, sand deposited by
11900-443: The Peninsular Range and the coastal mesas around Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. Hundreds of species of animals and plants characterize the Santa Ana River's diversity of climates and vegetation zones. There are over ten of these vegetation zones in the watershed—including the sparsely vegetated alpine and subalpine zones in the mountains, mid-elevation forests of pine , lodgepole and oak , chaparral , coastal sage scrub ,
12070-440: The Peninsular Ranges is attributed to the wetter Southern California climate during the Wisconsinian Glaciation and earlier ice ages, during which rivers in Southern California were substantially bigger in volume. The Santa Ana River, which existed prior to the creation of the Peninsular Ranges, maintained its course as an antecedent stream due to its increased erosive power. The canyon was eroded through bedrock that today divides
12240-614: The Santa Ana Mountains, Puente Hills, East Orange Hills, Chino Hills, Loma Ridge, and the other mountain ranges and ridges that run northwest–southeast across the lower section of the watershed – the coastal Peninsular Ranges . While the Transverse Ranges rise above 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in many places, the highest peaks of the Peninsular Ranges reach less than half that elevation. The cutting of Santa Ana Canyon across
12410-566: The Santa Ana Mountains. They were also the larger of the two groups, controlling all the coastal lands from the San Gabriel Mountains in the north to Aliso Creek in the south, including all of the Los Angeles Basin . These peoples established villages, some of which were multiethnic and multilingual, including Lupukngna , Genga , Pajbenga , Totpavit , and Hutuknga . When Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sailed along
12580-530: The Santa Ana River area. A second one is the Santa Ana River Dischargers Association. Both have conducted studies as to what beneficial uses the Santa Ana River would have aside from water supply and flood control, as well as the removal of some of the concreted sections of the lower river. This set of studies is known as the "Use-Attainability Analysis", which was submitted to the state Congress, which approved it. However, upon submission to
12750-424: The Santa Ana River as Lytle Creek Wash. From there, the river turns southwest, and after passing through western Riverside , it discharges into the normally dry flood control reservoir formed by Prado Dam . Two major tributaries of the river join in the reservoir area: Chino Creek from the north, and Temescal Creek from the south. Temescal Creek drains the largest area of all the tributaries, because it provides
12920-487: The Santa Ana River basin increased dramatically, but brought with it the threat of greater damage from floods, somewhat compromising the protection afforded by Prado Dam. Because housing and urban areas encroached on the river's historic floodplain —an area once occupied by farms—and the river became confined to a narrow channel—a flood similar to the ones surrounding the turn of the 20th century would cause much more damage. The construction of roads and buildings also heightened
13090-642: The Santa Ana River had to be constantly dredged away. In 1920, the Bitter Point Dam was built to divert the river away from the bay and on its current course to the ocean at Huntington Beach. Stone jetties were built to form the new river mouth. All of the Islands in Newport Harbor are the product of dredging and man made forming from the sands and silt deposited over time by the Santa Ana River. Ancient igneous , metamorphic and sedimentary rock underlie and form
13260-536: The Santa Ana River watershed. The San Andreas Fault runs across the northern section of the watershed and is responsible for the formation of the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains, part of the Transverse Ranges of Southern California. The Elsinore – Whittier Fault Zone crosses the Santa Ana River further downstream, near the Orange/Riverside County line. Tectonic action along this fault created
13430-634: The Secularization Act was to provide the Native Americans with their own land and property, most of the provisions made by the act never actually happened. Spanish settlers continued to press into the remaining tribal lands, and eventually, the tribes were forced into the surrounding desert lands or into the high mountains. Following the Mission Period came the Rancho Period . This occurred when
13600-517: The Southern California Colony Association to promote the area's development. In March 1870, North distributed posters announcing the formation of a colony in California. North, a staunch temperance-minded abolitionist from New York State , had formerly founded Northfield, Minnesota . Riverside was temperance -minded, and Republican . There were four saloons in Riverside when it was founded. The license fees were raised until
13770-498: The Southern California coast on his voyage of 1542, he passed the mouth of the Santa Ana River without noting it. Neither did any of the subsequent Spanish sea-borne explorers leave any written notice of the river mouth. It was not until 1769 that Gaspar de Portolà led the first overland expedition northwards through coastal Southern California—still a largely unexplored part of the Alta California province of New Spain —and gave
13940-451: The Southern California desert system. Because of the barrier formed by the Tehachapi and Sierra Nevada ranges, cartographer George Wheeler observed in 1876 that Northern California was better connected to Oregon and Nevada than it was to Southern California. Following the acquisition of the territory of California by the United States, several pro-slavery politicians attempted to arrange
14110-485: The U.S., cattle and citrus were major industries until farmlands were turned into suburbs. Although military spending cutbacks have had an impact, aerospace continues to be a major factor. Southern California is home to many major business districts. Central business districts (CBD) include Downtown Los Angeles , Downtown Riverside , Downtown San Bernardino , downtown San Diego , and the South Coast Metro . Within
14280-486: The United States and the 12th-most-populous city in California. As of the 2020 census , it had a population of 314,998. Along with San Bernardino , Riverside is a principal city in the nation's 13th-largest Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA); the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (pop. 4,599,839) ranks in population just below San Francisco (4,749,008) and above Detroit (4,392,041). Riverside
14450-432: The aftermath of a major quake, but it cannot guarantee that buildings will be unscathed if the epicenter is relatively close by. The 1994 Northridge earthquake was particularly destructive, causing a substantial number of deaths, injuries, and structural collapses. The quake caused the most property damage of any earthquake in U.S. history at an estimated $ 20 billion. Many Southern California faults are able to produce
14620-406: The age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.54. In the city, 30.1% of the population was under
14790-459: The age of 18, 12.9% was from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 41,646, and the median income for a family was $ 47,254. Males had a median income of $ 36,920 versus $ 28,328 for females. The per capita income for
14960-627: The aquifer, which can hold 500,000 acre feet. Combined with water imported from Northern California and the Colorado River, the OCWD maintains that the aquifer could serve the water needs of all its clients for a year. A number of organizations have been formed to try to gain public interest in restoring the river. One of the most prominent is the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA), formed by five municipal water districts in
15130-470: The arid Inland Empire lowland on the north and east. The Santa Ana Mountains and Chino Hills divide the Inland Empire from the Orange County coastal plain; the Santa Ana Canyon is the only natural break in the range between the two lowlands. The southern part of the watershed, drained by the San Jacinto River into Lake Elsinore and via Temescal Creek into the Santa Ana River, constitutes some 45% of
15300-517: The arid local climate. Diamond Valley Lake, with a storage capacity of 800,000 acre-feet (0.99 km), is the largest and most recently constructed. Lake Elsinore is the only major natural lake in the watershed. The Santa Ana River watershed shares boundaries with many adjacent river basins. In the northwest is the San Gabriel River , which empties into the Pacific at Long Beach . In Orange County,
15470-546: The arid portions of the watershed are the chaparral zones, consisting of sclerophyllous , thick, low bushes and small trees. The chaparral generally is found between elevations of 1,000 and 6,500 feet (300 and 1,980 m), and occurs mainly closer to the coast on the windward side of the Peninsular Ranges. The scrub oak is one of the most common plants in chaparral regions, forming a dense groundcover that makes it difficult for humans and large animals such as mountain lions , coyotes , and bobcats to traverse. Chaparral growth
15640-729: The banks remain concrete). The mouth of the river is located in a small tidal lagoon between Huntington State Beach in Huntington Beach and Newport Beach . The Santa Ana River drains the largest watershed of California's South Coast region, covering 2,650 square miles (6,900 km) in parts of San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange and Los Angeles Counties. Although the river does not pass through Los Angeles County, some of its tributaries, including San Antonio Creek extend into it. The watershed consists mainly of high mountain ranges that surround and divide large, dry alluvial valleys. The San Gabriel, San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains encircle
15810-475: The canyons of the San Bernardinos, the river is abundant in rainbow trout and is lined with alders , willow and cottonwoods. Where the river and its large upper tributaries empty out of the mountain canyons into the Inland Empire basin, they are surrounded by the alluvial scrub zone, a mix of desert and upper riparian vegetation. Along the main stem, this zone begins at the base of Seven Oaks Dam and ends at
15980-549: The centers of their respective metropolitan areas, composed of numerous smaller cities and communities. The urban area is also host to an international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan region, created by the urban area spilling over into Baja California . The main barrier to urbanization along the Interstate 5 corridor is Camp Pendleton . The cities and communities along Interstate 15 and Interstate 215 are so interrelated that Temecula and Murrieta have as much connection with
16150-521: The cities of Tustin and Orange . In 1964, the Santa Ana River Mainstem Project, which involved concreting the lower 30.4 miles (48.9 km) of the river, was first proposed. Construction work began in 1989, and today, through much of Orange County, the river's channel is essentially an enormous box culvert . The second dam, Seven Oaks Dam, was completed in 1999. This dam captures flood runoff from Santa Ana Canyon before it can enter
16320-602: The cities of San Bernardino and Riverside. In Orange County, has highly developed suburban business centers (also known as edge cities ) including the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city along I-5; and another, the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city that stretches from the South Coast Metro to the Irvine Business Complex ; Newport Center ; and Irvine Spectrum . Downtown Santa Ana
16490-477: The city limits. These include Airport, Alessandro Heights, Arlanza, Arlington , Arlington Heights, Arlington South, Canyon Crest , Casa Blanca , Downtown, Eastside , Grand, Hawarden Hills, Hillside Hunter Industrial Park, La Sierra, La Sierra Acres, La Sierra Hills, La Sierra South, Magnolia Center, Mission Grove, Northside, Orangecrest, Presidential Park, Ramona, Sycamore Canyon Park, Sycamore Canyon Springs, University, Victoria and Wood Streets. East of downtown
16660-465: The city of San Bernardino , gaining prosperity by using water from the river, as well as Lytle Creek and Mill Creek , to irrigate crops. The cattle industry began to decline as farms began to replace ranches. Soon, white settlers in the region were more numerous than Hispanics as well. The California Gold Rush around this time was responsible for attracting many of these people to the state, but many remained in Southern California afterwards. In 1860,
16830-523: The city was $ 17,882. 15.8% of the population and 11.7% of families were below the poverty line . Out of the total population, 18.9% of those under the age of 18 and 8.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Religion in Riverside (2014) Riverside is largely Christian and is home to Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Protestant, and Universalist Unitarian churches, an Islamic mosque, Jewish synagogue, Hindu temple, and several Buddhist temples. Riverside
17000-418: The city's Mount Rubidoux . One is an annual Easter Sunrise service , which is the nation's oldest continual non-denominational outdoor Easter service The 100th anniversary of the event was held April 12, 2009. Each December, a 2½-mile (4 km) procession from Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine to the top of Mount Rubidoux promotes awareness of Juan Diego 's walk up Tepeyac hill, in 1531, where he reportedly saw
17170-432: The city, but the industry is in decline. American electronics company Bourns is among the companies based in Riverside. Citrus is in decline in many areas of the Inland Empire where urbanization and water scarcity have made the industry uneconomic. According to the city's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: Retail shopping centers include the open-air Riverside Plaza, and
17340-489: The city. The population density was 1,261.5/km (3,267/sq mi). There were 85,974 housing units at an average density of 425.0/km (1,101/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 59.3% White , 7.4% African American , 1.1% Native American , 5.68% Asian , 0.4% Pacific Islander , 21.0% from other races , and 5.1% from two or more races. 38.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 82,005 households, out of which 39.8% had children under
17510-693: The city. The university hosts the Riverside Sports Complex . Other attractions in Riverside include the Fox Performing Arts Center , Museum of Riverside , which houses exhibits and artifacts of local history, the California Museum of Photography , the California Citrus State Historic Park , Castle Park , and the Parent Washington Navel Orange Tree , the last of California's two original navel orange trees. In
17680-494: The county every year, or one-third of its water supply. Downstream of that dam, the river gathers further urban runoff before finally making it into the Pacific. The Santa Ana River is included on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 's (EPA) list of "304 (l) 'toxic hot spots' list of impaired waterways". In Orange County, the Orange County Water District , formed in 1932 to manage the county's groundwater, uses
17850-457: The desert areas of the watershed, and the Tongva people in the lower basin. The Yuhaviatam generally lived in the mountain headwaters of the Santa Ana River and its tributaries rimming the present-day Inland Empire basin, in present-day San Bernardino County, as well as in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. The Tongva lived on the flat coastal plains of present-day Orange County south of
18020-575: The division of Alta California at 36 degrees, 30 minutes, the line of the Missouri Compromise . Instead, the passing of the Compromise of 1850 enabled California to be admitted to the Union as a free state , preventing the southern half of California from becoming its own separate slave state . Subsequently, Californians (dissatisfied with inequitable taxes and land laws) and pro-slavery Southerners in
18190-422: The enormous land holdings of the missions were subdivided into ranchos owned by individuals. Some of the new private ranchos were merely converted mission ranchos. The first private rancho along the Santa Ana River was Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana , a 62,500-acre (253 km) rancho on the left bank of the lower Santa Ana River. This rancho was acquired by Don Juan Pablo Grijalva as early as 1801. Other ranchos on
18360-485: The entire main stem of the Santa Ana River, as well as on some of its main tributaries— Santiago Creek , San Antonio and Chino Creeks, Cucamonga Creek, Lytle Creek , City Creek, and Mill Creek . Few, if any, steelhead were present in Temescal Creek (although one of its tributaries was stocked in the 1930s) and none inhabited the San Jacinto River , because it is disconnected from most of the Santa Ana River system. Up to
18530-419: The entrance to Riverside from the 60 freeway sits Fairmount Park . This extensive urban oasis was designed by the firm founded by Frederick Law Olmsted , which had designed New York's Central Park. It includes a stocked pond that is home to many species of birds. On nearby private land is the former site of Spring Rancheria, a Cahuilla village. The city of Riverside has 28 designated "neighborhoods" within
18700-507: The fact that the flow in the river was only one-third of that of the 1862 flood. With the extreme damage from the floods, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers made the decision to dam and concrete the river beginning in the 1940s, and declared it as the greatest flood hazard in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River . Prado Dam , built in 1941, was designed to capture floodwaters from the Inland Empire about 30 miles (48 km) upstream from
18870-429: The first decade of the 21st century, droughts and wildfires have increased in frequency as a result of climate change . Southern California consists of one of the more varied collections of geologic, topographic, and natural ecosystem landscapes in a diversity outnumbering other major regions in the state and country. The region spans from Pacific Ocean islands , shorelines , beaches, and coastal plains , through
19040-687: The five most populous in the state, and are among the top 15 most populous counties in the United States. The motion picture , television and music industry are centered in the Los Angeles area in Southern California. Hollywood , a district of Los Angeles, gives its name to the American motion picture industry, which is synonymous with the neighborhood name. Headquartered in Southern California are The Walt Disney Company (which owns ABC ), Sony Pictures , Universal Pictures , MGM , Paramount Pictures , and Warner Bros . Universal, Warner Bros., and Sony also run major record companies. Southern California
19210-423: The flood control basin behind Prado Dam contains 6,600 acres (2,700 ha) of seasonal wetlands. The Santa Ana sucker , a small bottom-dwelling fish, was once found along most of the Santa Ana River, but is now rarely seen. Near the mouth, the river was once abundant in salt marshes , which stretched for miles on either side of the river, even near Upper Newport Bay , which has also served as an alternate mouth of
19380-473: The flood, detrimental conditions continued in the region. For the two years following the flood, an intense drought caused the deaths of tens of thousands of head of livestock. Despite all of the hardships experienced in the three years, after conditions finally returned to normal, the Santa Ana River watershed again became a prospering agricultural region. The cities of Santa Ana and Riverside were established in 1869 and 1870, respectively. 1934 and 1938 saw
19550-487: The geologic base of the Santa Ana River watershed. Most of the strata in the flat valleys and basins of the watershed are underlain by thousands of feet of sediment deposited by shallow seas that covered parts of Southern California in ancient times. Most of the mountains in and around the basin consist of granite batholiths about 75 million years old. However, above elevations of 8,000 to 9,000 feet (2,400 to 2,700 m) ancient metamorphic rock up to 1.7 billion years old
19720-418: The groundwater basins of the Inland Empire and the coastal plain. Because groundwater in the watershed generally flows from east to west, it is forced to the surface at the bedrock "sill" of Santa Ana Canyon, resulting in a perennial stream that prior to development flowed freely across the coastal plain to the Pacific. During this period, the Santa Ana changed course multiple times, eroding now-dry wind gaps in
19890-408: The increasingly rare riparian forest and marshes along the river bed, lined with trees and rushes, and the thinly vegetated coastal areas virtually flush with sea level . The watershed supports up to 200 bird species, 50 mammal species, 13 reptile species, 7 amphibian species, and 15 fish species, including steelhead trout . The largest portion of the watershed, the Inland Empire portion,
20060-564: The late 18th century and the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by Cahuilla and the Serrano people . Californios such as Bernardo Yorba and Juan Bandini established ranches during the first half of the 19th century. In the 1860s, Louis Prevost launched the California Silk Center Association , a short-lived experiment in sericulture . In the wake of its failure, John W. North purchased some of its land and formed
20230-565: The lightly populated "cow counties" of Southern California attempted three times in the 1850s to achieve a separate statehood or territorial status separate from Northern California . The last attempt, the Pico Act of 1859, was passed by the California State Legislature and signed by State Governor John B. Weller . It was approved overwhelmingly by nearly 75 percent of voters to form the proposed Territory of Colorado . This territory
20400-423: The majority of the watershed consists of arid desert and chaparral environments. Due to low regional rainfall, the river carries only a small flow except during the brief winter season, when it is prone to massive flash floods . The San Jacinto River , which drains the southern half of the watershed, rarely reaches the Santa Ana except in extremely wet years. A wide variety of animal and plant communities depend on
20570-539: The more urban region) that have been left undeveloped. It is the third most populated megalopolis in the United States, after the Great Lakes megalopolis and the Northeast megalopolis . Much of Southern California is famous for its large, spread-out, suburban communities and use of automobiles and highways. The dominant areas are Los Angeles, Orange County , San Diego , and Riverside – San Bernardino , each of which are
20740-426: The mouth of Santa Ana Canyon to where the river cuts through the Santa Ana Mountains. Downstream in Orange County, the river overwhelmed nearly all the existing floodworks and transformed the coastal plain into a transient inland sea. The flow, now calculated as a 1,000-year flood, peaked at roughly 9,000 cubic meters per second (320,000 cu ft/s), over half the average flow of the Mississippi River . Even after
20910-479: The narrow Santa Ana Canyon . The river roughly bisects the county as it flows southwest towards the ocean. In Anaheim , the entire flow of the river (except during wet seasons) is diverted into spreading grounds for groundwater recharge of the north Orange County aquifer , providing about half of the county's municipal water supply. Downstream of there, the river is mostly confined to a concrete channel, serving only for flood control and urban runoff drainage, and
21080-495: The north with the Mojave River , which flows into the endorheic basin of the Mojave Desert . In Orange County, the river flows across a vast, gently sloping alluvial fan created from its own sediments therefor its drainage basin is extremely narrow because the surrounding land slopes away from the river bed. In its natural state the river would frequently change course into one of many intermittent channels that fan out across
21250-508: The northern flank of San Gorgonio Mountain , at the headwaters of the South Fork Santa Ana River. The river flows west through a wide, deep and heavily forested mountain valley. About 18 miles (29 km) from its headwaters, it receives its first major tributary, Bear Creek , which enters from the north. Bear Creek receives its water from Big Bear Lake , a popular recreational mountain lake. The river turns south, passing through
21420-565: The other line connecting San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange counties directly. Southern California is also home to the Port of Los Angeles , the country's busiest commercial port; the adjacent Port of Long Beach , the country's second busiest container port; and the Port of San Diego . The following table shows all airports listed by the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) as a hub airport: Riverside, California Riverside
21590-428: The outflow from Lake Elsinore , into which the San Jacinto River flows. It is also one of the longest, at 32 miles (51 km) in length. Except during the wettest years when Lake Elsinore fills high enough to overflow, Temescal Creek contributes little to no water into the Santa Ana River. Below Prado Dam, the Santa Ana River crosses into Orange County , and cuts between the Santa Ana Mountains and Chino Hills via
21760-565: The outlet of the Veolia water treatment plant north of Riverside , which restores a year-round flow. From there to Prado Dam the river supports a riparian zone with considerable greenery. Not far below the confluence with San Timoteo Creek, Lytle Creek enters from the north. Lytle Creek is one of the largest tributaries of the Santa Ana river, rising from three forks in the San Gabriel Mountains and flowing southeast, before emptying into
21930-490: The plain. Today, these auxiliary river-beds have been artificially disconnected from the Santa Ana River and converted into flood control channels, including the Talbert and Huntington Beach channels, which empty into the Pacific very near the mouth of the Santa Ana River. The combined Talbert-Huntington Beach watershed drains 21.4 square miles (55 km) of mostly suburbanized land. The river originally had many different outlets to
22100-660: The population) lived in households, 8,925 (2.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 2,624 (0.9%) were institutionalized. There were 91,932 households, out of which 38,939 (42.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 45,398 (49.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 13,845 (15.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 6,372 (6.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6,392 (7.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 746 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 18,284 households (19.9%) were made up of individuals, and 6,262 (6.8%) had someone living alone who
22270-535: The ranchos on the Santa Ana River were a few towns, military outposts and trading posts. The Santa Ana River valley was one of the most prosperous regions in Southern California for many decades. In the late 1840s, California fought for its independence from Mexico in the Mexican–American War . The Santa Ana river played an important part in the victory of the Americans over the Mexican army. In 1847, one year after
22440-445: The richest city in the United States (in terms of income per capita) by 1895. Riverside is the 61st-largest city in the United States, the 12th-largest city in California, and the largest city in California's Inland Empire metro area. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 81.4 square miles (210.8 km ), of which 81.1 square miles (210 km ) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km ) (0.37%)
22610-569: The river enters the Inland Empire basin, however, much of its flow is diverted for municipal and agricultural water use. Most of the flow in the river below the city of San Bernardino consists of effluent from 45 wastewater treatment plants and dry season urban runoff , which is collected behind Prado Dam . Any flow that makes it downstream to Orange County is diverted by another pair of dams into approximately 1,100 acres (4.5 km) of groundwater recharge basins, providing approximately 218,000 acre-feet (269,000,000 m) of municipal water for
22780-543: The river followed, including ones in inland areas that had not been exploited in the Mission Period. The ranchos (beginning with the missions) established the tradition of raising cattle in coastal Southern California, a custom upheld until the late 19th century. Agriculture, however, although established, was not yet a major industry. A flood that raged down the Santa Ana in 1825 caused the river's course to change temporarily to an outlet at Newport Bay , depositing sediment that partially created Balboa Island . Spread throughout
22950-419: The river its name. On July 28 , the party camped "about three leagues" from where the Santa Ana River exits the canyon through the northern Santa Ana Mountains, near present-day Olive . Fray Juan Crespí , one of the members of the expedition, wrote in his diary that he called the spot "Jesus de los Temblores", referring to an earthquake that struck while they were camped alongside there. Crespi also noted that
23120-460: The river's flood threat, major channelization and damming projects were undertaken, resulting in the loss of much of the natural river channel. The Santa Ana River rises in the southern San Bernardino Mountains , at the confluence of two tiny streams, Heart Bar Creek and Coon Creek, at an elevation of 6,991 feet (2,131 m). Its highest sources are Dollar Lake, at 9,288 feet (2,831 m), and Dry Lake, at 9,068 feet (2,764 m), both on
23290-540: The river's mouth. The dam's impoundment, Prado Flood Control Basin , was designed to handle a 70-year flood. With the increased flood protection afforded by the Prado Dam, major industrial development migrating south from the Los Angeles Basin, and the Southern California housing boom in the 1950s and 1960s, the Santa Ana River watershed began its third and final transition—from agricultural to urban . The population of
23460-405: The river. The alpine and subalpine zones, despite their high elevation (above 9,500 feet, 2,900 meters) and significant rainfall (at least 35 inches, 89 centimeters per year, except in drought years), are sparsely vegetated. The windswept terrain of the alpine zone is primarily small brush and weeds, while trees—mostly small gnarled pines and junipers —occur in canyons and shielded depressions in
23630-717: The river. Ultimately, the trail could link a network of river-bottom parks. In 2014, naturalists navigated the stretch of river flanked by Chino Hills State Park on the north and the Cleveland National Forest on the south. The rafts made it 2 miles (3.2 km) before the vegetation was impenetrable but they were convinced there were possibilities of improving public access and recreational opportunities. The Santa Ana River has 70 significant crossings, bridges and dams. This list places them from mouth to source . Download coordinates as: Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal )
23800-440: The roughly 50-year-long Mission Period. The Secularization Act of 1833 , passed by the newly independent country of Mexico , eventually brought an end to the Mission Period. The post-Mission Period native population was almost entirely devastated. The population was very little, their native religions were nearly lost, and most of their land had been taken by Spanish settlers. Although the Mexican government's original intention with
23970-422: The runoff that would flow into the river during rainfall, a process known as urban runoff . In fact, the river flooded again in 1969, and while much of the runoff from the Inland Empire was captured behind Prado Dam—probably saving Orange County from an even greater flood—Santiago Creek, a large tributary flowing from the Santa Ana Mountains, eroded its banks until it swept away portions of residential communities in
24140-461: The saloons moved out of Riverside. Investors from England and Canada transplanted traditions and activities adopted by prosperous citizens. As a result, the first golf course and polo field in southern California were built in Riverside. The first orange trees were planted in 1871, with the citrus industry Riverside is famous for beginning three years later (1874) when Eliza Tibbets received three Brazilian navel orange trees sent to her by
24310-508: The saltcedar is similar in that it also provides little usable habitat for native animals. Human habitation on the Santa Ana River dates back 9,000 to 12,000 years ago, close to the early stages of the Holocene period. The first Native Americans to live in the area were nomadic tribes that traveled from place to place, grazing animals on fertile grasslands and gathering fruits and seeds for food. The ancestors of these early people originated from
24480-403: The soldiers were calling the river "Rio de Santa Ana", probably because they had recently celebrated Saint Anne's Day . That name remains today (the second oldest place name in Orange County, after Santiago Creek ), and the name of the mountain range and city were derived from the river. Although no missions were actually located along the Santa Ana River or within the watershed, the river basin
24650-468: The sole county to vote for the GOP, with Orange County having been Democrat since 2012. Southern California is one of the largest economies in the United States. It is dominated by, and heavily dependent upon, the abundance of petroleum, as opposed to other regions where automobiles are not nearly as dominant, due to the vast majority of transport that runs on this fuel. Southern California is famous for tourism and
24820-566: The southern section of the San Andreas (in the Palm Springs region, which has not ruptured in ~400 years), the entire Southern California portion of the San Andreas Fault is ready to produce a powerful earthquake in the near future. Notable faults capable of large magnitude events include the San Jacinto Fault (a splay of the San Andreas that runs directly under the I-10 & I-215 interchange),
24990-461: The state, formed by the northern boundaries of San Luis Obispo , Kern , and San Bernardino counties, which are not exactly a straight line. Another definition for Southern California uses Point Conception and the Tehachapi Mountains as the northern geographical barriers, especially when defining California's bioregions . In this definition, Owens Valley and Death Valley are part of
25160-413: The streambed, hurts the habitat of native animals, and increases the hazard of wildfires . Perhaps the largest effect that giant reed has is its usage of water. To support its fast growth rate, the giant reed population in the Santa Ana River watershed can consume 56,200 acre-feet (69,300,000 m) of water per year. Other invasive species also have affected the Santa Ana River. One of the most prominent
25330-417: The subalpine zone. Inland elevations above 5,000 feet (1,500 m) support much denser forest. Jeffrey pine , ponderosa pine , black oak , lodgepole pine , and willow constitute most of the forested lands. The mountain habitats of the watershed support many animals typical of Californian mountain regions, including squirrels , chipmunks , black bears , mule deer , and many species of migratory birds. In
25500-417: The top eight largest cities in the United States. In Southern California, there are also 14 cities with more than 200,000 residents and 48 cities over 100,000 residents. Many of Southern California's most developed cities lie along or in close proximity to the coast, with the exception of San Bernardino and Riverside. Southern California has drifted left since 2004, and is solidly Democrat. Kern County remains
25670-503: The total area and extend its boundaries as far south as the Colorado Desert at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park . The river has over 50 named tributaries, most of which are intermittent streams. As of 2000, about 4.8 million people lived in the Santa Ana River watershed. Most of the population is concentrated close to the river in urban centers such as San Bernardino, Riverside, Anaheim and Santa Ana. The Inland Empire still has large areas dedicated to agriculture and ranching , although it
25840-464: The trampling, the two remaining trees were transplanted to property belonging to Sam McCoy to receive better care than L.C. Tibbets, Eliza's husband, could provide. Later, the trees were again transplanted, one at the Mission Inn property in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt (this tree died in 1922), and the other at the intersection of Magnolia and Arlington avenues. Eliza Tibbets was honored with
26010-556: The treated water from upstream to recharge a massive reservoir, or aquifer, that runs roughly nine miles from Lakeview Avenue to Ball Road. The water percolates through layers of sand and gravel, which work to scrub, or purify it. There, it joins treated wastewater pumped from the Orange County Sanitation Department's state-of-the-art plant in Fountain Valley. Those two types of water account for 60 to 70 percent of
26180-447: The watershed. The river never actually flows through any of these lakes, but they each have drainage to the river via tributaries. The Santa Ana River bicycle path which, when complete, will run from the river's mouth at Huntington Beach to near the San Bernardino Mountains, currently extends about 30 miles (48 km) along the river to Prado Dam. The proposed distance along the trail is over 70 miles (110 km). In Riverside County,
26350-560: The wettest month. The wettest “rain year” was from July 1940 to June 1941 with 22.72 inches or 577.1 millimetres and the driest from July 1960 to June 1961 with only 2.79 inches or 70.9 millimetres. The Riverside area faces issues of smog and above-average levels of air pollution . In a comparison by the National Campaign Against Dirty Air Power (2003), the Riverside- San Bernardino - Ontario area
26520-429: The world's busiest general aviation airport; major commercial airports at San Bernardino , Orange County , Bakersfield , Ontario , Burbank , and Long Beach ; and numerous smaller commercial and general aviation airports. Six of the seven lines of the commuter rail system, Metrolink , run out of Downtown Los Angeles, connecting Los Angeles, Ventura , San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and San Diego counties with
26690-435: The world's largest action sports events, including the X Games , Boost Mobile Pro , and the U.S. Open of Surfing , are held in Southern California. The region is also important to the world of yachting with premier events including the annual Transpacific Yacht Race , or Transpac , from Los Angeles to Hawaii. San Diego Yacht Club hosted the three America's Cup races from 1988 to 1995. The first modern-era triathlon
26860-455: Was 2.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.4%. 168,888 people (55.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 123,434 people (40.6%) lived in rental housing units. According to the 2010 United States Census, Riverside had a median household income of $ 56,403, with 17.5% of the population living below the federal poverty line. As of the census of 2000, there were 255,166 people, 82,005 households, and 58,141 families residing in
27030-724: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.18. There were 65,615 families (71.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.67. There were 81,406 people (26.8%) under the age of 18, 47,126 (15.5%) aged 18 to 24, 82,482 (27.1%) aged 25 to 44, 66,615 (21.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 26,242 (8.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males. There were 98,444 housing units at an average density of 1,208.7 units per square mile (466.7 units/km ), of which 51,185 (55.7%) were owner-occupied, and 40,747 (44.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate
27200-504: Was also the scene of a series of natural disasters. In the Great Flood of 1862 , heavy rains dropped by a series of winter storms caused the Santa Ana to burst its banks, flooding thousands of acres of land and killing 20 to 40 people in the greatest flood it had experienced in recorded history. The levees along the river burst in many places, flooding part of the Inland Empire into a continuous body of water several miles wide stretching from
27370-414: Was assimilated into the United States in 1848, American settlers began to move into the Santa Ana River region in great numbers. The Mexican ranchos were divided into smaller individual properties, and irrigated agriculture began on a large scale. The city of Santa Ana Viejo, the original location of Santa Ana, was founded in this period. In 1854, Mormons settled in the upper Inland Empire area and started
27540-480: Was completed in 2009, to turn the old cinema into a performing arts theater. The building was expanded to hold 1,600 seats and the stage was enlarged to accommodate Broadway-style performances. In January 2010, singer Sheryl Crow opened the newly remodeled Fox Theater in a nearly sold-out show. Riverside is the home of the "World's Largest Paper Cup" (actually made of concrete), which is over three stories (68.10 ft; 20.76 m ) tall. The " Dixie Cup " landmark
27710-596: Was found to be one of the most polluted regions based on year-round particle measurements when compared to other U.S. cities. The city made efforts to reduce pollution by incorporating additional means of mass transit ( Metrolink ) and equipping its entire fleet of buses with natural gas . Smog decreased considerably over the next few years as local municipalities and counties worked with the South Coast Air Quality Management District to implement measures to improve regional air quality. In 2020,
27880-651: Was founded in the early 1870s. It is the birthplace of the California citrus industry and home of the Mission Inn , the nation's largest Mission Revival Style building. It is also home to the Riverside National Cemetery and the Eastern Division of the Federal District Court for the Central District of California. The University of California, Riverside , is in the northeastern part of
28050-515: Was grouped with other counties of the San Joaquin Valley , California's central agricultural valley. Southern California consists of a heavily developed urban environment, home to some of the largest urban areas in the state, along with the Deserts of California (part of which was even proposed to become a new county due to cultural, economic and geographic differences relative to the rest of
28220-585: Was held in San Diego's Mission Bay in 1974. Since then, Southern California, and San Diego in particular, have become a mecca for triathlon and multi-sport racing, products, and culture. Southern California has multiple sports franchises and networks, such as Fox Sports Net . Many of these locals and tourists frequent the Southern California coast for its beaches. Some of Southern California's most popular beaches are Malibu , Laguna Beach , La Jolla , Manhattan Beach , and Hermosa Beach . Southern California
28390-536: Was high in the Bakersfield-Kern County , Santa Maria , and San Luis Obispo areas. Most of Southern California has a Mediterranean -like climate, with warm and dry summers, mild and wet winters, where cool weather and freezing temperatures are rare. Southern California contains other types of climates, including semi-arid , desert and mountain , with infrequent rain and many sunny days. Summers are hot or warm, and dry, while winters are mild, and rainfall
28560-463: Was nearly depleted of native people because the Spanish forced them to work at nearby missions, including Mission San Gabriel Arcangel and Mission San Luis Rey . The affected tribes were usually renamed after the missions, resulting in tribal names such as Gabrieliño and Luiseño . Difficult working and living conditions and European diseases such as smallpox killed much of the native population during
28730-689: Was the name of a proposed new state which failed to get on the 2018 California ballot. The ballot measure proposed splitting the existing state into three parts. In December 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic , the state government led by Governor Gavin Newsom divided the state into five regions for the purpose of issuing stay-at-home orders. The Southern California region consisted of the following counties: Imperial , Inyo , Los Angeles , Mono , Orange , Riverside , San Bernardino , San Diego , San Luis Obispo , Santa Barbara , and Ventura . However, Kern County
28900-756: Was to include a portion of the much larger Tulare County and all of San Luis Obispo County . The proposal was sent to Washington, D.C. , with a strong advocate in Senator Milton Latham . However, the secession crisis following the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the subsequent American Civil War led to the proposal never coming to a vote. In 1900, the Los Angeles Times defined Southern California as including "the seven counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, and Santa Barbara." This definition left out San Luis Obispo and Kern counties. Southern California
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