The Santa Clara River Trail is a paved bicycle and walking path in the city of Santa Clarita, California .
80-485: The path is currently approximately 8 miles (13 km) in length and generally runs in an east–west direction and closely follows the path of the Santa Clara River and Soledad Canyon Road between the communities of Canyon Country and Valencia through Saugus . A north-south fork connects to the community of Newhall . The trail is generally flat with very gentle elevation. There are many jumping off points along
160-506: A $ 45 million project to reconstruct the roadway, construct soldier pile retaining walls, repair drainage systems, install rockfall protection, and provide asphalt concrete overlay and traffic striping, should begin in fall 2010." In 2011, the planned repair of the road was abruptly terminated, due to concern of high future maintenance costs, and potential impact on the local bighorn sheep population. However, in October 2016, Caltrans announced it
240-636: A combination of aquifer recharge and providing alternative surface water supplies. The District owns Lake Piru and key facilities along the Santa Clara River that are used to manage groundwater supplies. The district provides wholesale water delivery through three pipelines to various portions of the Oxnard Plain. The Vern Freeman Diversion Dam, built by United Water in 1991 on the Santa Clara river, channels water to shallow basins designed to replenish
320-471: A high priority on adding to the network of bike trails throughout the city as part of the approval process for future development. According to the trail's website, there are plans to extend the western end or the trail from Edison Curve to Interstate 5 near the Montalvo Branch railroad bridge. On the eastern segment of the trail, there is a plan to extend west from Camp Plenty road along the north side of
400-493: A hiker gets lost or stuck on a mountain ledge or may fall downhill. Some of the more extreme cases of emergency search-and-rescue efforts will often be given air time on Los Angeles television and radio newscasts. The Pacific Crest Trail passes along the mountain ridge. During the winter, many Southern California mountaineers climb a variety of snow routes and even some ice routes in the San Gabriel Mountains. Baldy Bowl
480-568: A mission at Monterey , to honor Saint Clare of Assisi who died on August 11, 1253. The Santa Clara River Valley was then known as the Cañada de Santa Clara . The Santa Clara-Mojave River Ranger District of the Angeles National Forest is named after the Santa Clara River. The failure and near complete collapse of the St. Francis Dam took place in the middle of the night on March 12, 1928. The dam
560-639: A nearly two-hour trip. Reopening Highway 39 would cut the drive-time to the Waterman Ski Area in half and shorten the trip east to Wrightwood. According to the Caltrans District Seven "Inside Seven" Newsletter, "Two projects that will address those issues and get the highway reopened are scheduled for construction soon. The first, building two retaining walls near the city of Azusa from Old San Gabriel Canyon Road to approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) south of SR-2, could begin in mid-2009. The second,
640-466: A revised environmental analysis and re-approved land-use permits for the Mission Village and Landmark Village communities. There has been significant interest in protecting and restoring the river habit. The riparian natural areas that remain along the river are of interest to several conservancy organizations. Easements are obtained that allow historical farming to continue and permanently protect
720-604: A steep, rugged and precipitous gorge. The two meet at San Gabriel Reservoir , and turn south, boring through the southern portion of the San Gabriels, emptying of the mountains near Azusa into the urban San Gabriel Valley , and eventually to the Pacific Ocean near Seal Beach . San Gabriel Mountains peaks within the Angeles National Forest include: The climate of the range varies with elevation from continental to
800-421: A variety of modifications have been made to the river and its major tributaries. The South Fork of the Santa Clara River features a system of 14 weirs that regulate the flow of the river through Newhall , Valencia , and Saugus . Bouquet Creek is channelized at the confluence of every minor creek that flows into it, most notably along a 0.4 mi (0.64 km) stretch of its riverbed near its confluence with
880-648: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Santa Clara River (California) The Santa Clara River ( Spanish : Río Santa Clara ) is an 83 mi (134 km) long river in Ventura and Los Angeles counties in Southern California . It drains parts of four ranges in the Transverse Ranges System north and northwest of Los Angeles , then flows west onto the Oxnard Plain and into
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#1732858864591960-578: Is another notable peak, known for the Mount Wilson Observatory and the antenna farm that houses many of the transmitters for local media. The observatory may be visited by the public. On October 10, 2014, Barack Obama designated the area the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument . The Trust for Public Land has protected more than 3,800 acres (1,500 ha) of land in the San Gabriel Mountains, its foothills, and
1040-534: Is by far the most popular route, getting hundreds of climbers per season. There are many other routes, offering a variety of choices. Rock climbing is not as common in the San Gabriel Range as it is in neighboring areas, as this range is famous for loose rock. Various faults crisscross the range, making it one of the steepest and fastest-growing ranges in the world. Plate tectonic activity breaks up most rock, making it unsuitable for rock climbing. Williamson Rock
1120-550: Is consistent with a beaver skull collected in 1906 in the Sespe Creek tributary by Dr. John Hornung, a zoologist at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History . Pronghorn antelope ( Antilocapra americana ) used to roam along the Santa Clara River, as Father Pedro Font, describe in his diary on the de Anza Expedition February 1776, "We saw in the plain a very large drove of antelopes which, as soon as they saw us, fled like
1200-599: Is much better, and it is open much of the winter. State Route 39 connected the city of Azusa with the Angeles Crest Highway until it was seriously damaged by landslides, first in 1978, and again in 2005. The highway was opened to emergency crews in February 2003. People heading to Mount Waterman must now travel west to Pasadena and then travel on the Angeles Crest Highway (Highway 2) in La Cañada Flintridge,
1280-698: Is part of the Transverse Ranges and lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert , with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east. The range lies in, and is surrounded by, the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests, with the San Andreas Fault as its northern border. The highest peak in the range is Mount San Antonio , commonly referred to as Mt. Baldy. Mount Wilson
1360-598: The Arroyo Seco , a tributary of the Los Angeles River . Southeast of Big Tujunga Canyon, the southern front range of the San Gabriels gradually grows in elevation, culminating in notable peaks such as Mount Wilson at 5,710 feet (1,740 m). On the north the range is abruptly dissected by the canyon of the West Fork San Gabriel River. Even further north the range slopes up into the towering main crest of
1440-597: The California condor , the California gnatcatcher , the southwestern willow flycatcher , the least Bell's vireo , the arroyo toad , the San Fernando Valley spineflower , and the threespine stickleback . The area is included in Los Angeles County's Strategic Ecological Areas program, which designates areas of "irreplaceable biological resources". The water reclamation plant serving the development will be near
1520-595: The City of Santa Clarita . The riverbed surface remains dry most of the year here, except on extreme occasions of heavier than average rainfall. The river then crosses west under Interstate 5 and receives Castaic Creek from the right. After the Castaic Creek confluence, the river starts to flow primarily southwest through the Santa Clarita Valley . Near the county line between Los Angeles County and Ventura County ,
1600-711: The Santa Barbara Channel of the Pacific Ocean. The watershed has provided habitat for a wide array of native plants and animals and has historically supplied humans with water, fish, and fertile farmland. The northern portion of the watershed was home to the Tataviam people while the southern portion was occupied by the Chumash people . Much of the Santa Clara River Valley is used for agriculture which has limited
1680-474: The Santa Susana Mountains at Newhall Pass (Interstate 5). South and east of Santa Clarita and north of San Fernando , the San Gabriel Mountains crest abruptly up to about 4,000 feet (1,200 m). Pacoima and Big Tujunga Canyons cut through the range just east of San Fernando, carrying runoff into the San Fernando Valley . Little Tujunga Canyon Road bridges the range in this area, connecting
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#17328588645911760-628: The Victor Valley and the western Cajon Valley. Past its junction with Angeles Forest Highway, traveling east, Angeles Crest Highway features blind curves, various bumps, and potholes. This section of the "Crest" is closed during the winter due to rockfall and avalanche hazards. State Route 2, just past Mountain High , is called the Big Pines Highway to the Route 138 junction. Another key county route through,
1840-458: The sanitary sewer systems ; and enhanced public education. The river is habitat for threatened species such as the unarmored three-spined stickleback , steelhead , southwestern pond turtle , and least Bell's vireo . The endemic , endangered Santa Ana sucker ( Catostomus santaanae ) lives in parts of the Santa Clara River system. Historic documentation of an important recreational steelhead trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) fishery occurs for
1920-577: The Angeles National Forest. Much of the range features rolling peaks. The range lacks craggy features, but contains a large number of canyons and is generally very rugged and difficult to traverse. The San Gabriel Mountains are composed of a large fault block between the San Andreas Fault Zone to the north, and the San Gabriel Fault and the Sierra Madre and Cucamonga Fault Zones to
2000-646: The California Condor. the state Supreme Court directed lower courts to toss out the EIRs mentioned above for two phases of construction. After the EIRs had been toss out by the state Supreme Court in May 2016, changes were made to address the concerns. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife certified the environmental impact report in 2017. In July 2017, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors certified
2080-808: The Counties of Ventura and Los Angeles together with cities along the river to limit the total maximum daily load of bacteria potentially harmful to human health that discharges from stormwater outfalls into the Santa Clara River, primarily during the dry season. Sources of bacteria of concern in urban runoff from the county, City of Fillmore, City of Oxnard, City of Santa Clarita, City of Santa Paula, and City of Ventura include pet and animal wastes, sanitary sewer overflows, and organic debris such as leaves and grass. Examples of ways they will improve water quality include increased frequencies of street sweeping and stormwater catch basin cleaning; field surveys to locate and eliminate both dry season street runoff and leaks from
2160-568: The Los Padres National Forest. The river is included within the corridor especially at the junctions with major tributaries that connect to the Los Padres National Forest . San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains ( Spanish : Sierra de San Gabriel ) comprise a mountain range located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California , United States. The mountain range
2240-653: The Mediterranean, with mostly dry summers (except for scattered summer thunderstorms) and cold, wet winters. Snow can fall above 4,000 ft (1,200 m) elevation during frontal passages between November and April, but is most common in December through March. Annual precipitation totals are mostly in excess of 25 in (640 mm) on the coastal (southern) slopes above 3,000 ft (900 m) elevation, with up to 45 in (1,100 mm) falling in some areas above 5,000 ft (1,500 m). The coastal (south) side of
2320-468: The Mojave. To the east, the San Andreas Fault cuts across the range, forming a series of long, straight, and narrow depressions, including Swarthout Valley and Lone Pine Canyon. South of Mount San Antonio, San Antonio Creek drains the mountains, cutting the deep San Antonio Canyon. East of San Antonio Canyon, the range gradually loses elevation, and the highest peaks in this section of the mountain range are in
2400-598: The North American west coast. Like nearly all of the other mountains in the Transverse Ranges , the San Gabriels are a series of fault blocks that were uplifted in the Cenozoic . Tectonic uplift rates and erosion rates systematically increase as topography steepens eastward in the San Gabriel Mountains, where the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults meet. Current rates of erosion in the eastern San Gabriel mountains are among
2480-614: The San Andreas Fault produces numerous springs, sag ponds, and wetland areas that are critical habitats for a variety of native species. Larger animals include California mule deer , California black bear , San Pedro Martir coyote and the rarely seen mountain lion or cougar. Smaller mammals include raccoons, opossum, skunk, and bobcats. Golden and bald eagles are found rarely, but hawks are common. Rattlesnakes are common and often encountered on trails by hikers. Critically endangered yellow-legged frogs have declined or vanished from
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2560-481: The San Fernando Valley to the Santa Clara River valley in the north. Towering over Big Tujunga Canyon north of Big Tujunga Reservoir , and south of Acton, is Mount Gleason, which at 6,502 feet (1,982 m), is the highest in this region of the San Gabriels. South of the gorge is the southern "foothills" of the mountains, which rise abruptly 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above the Los Angeles Basin and give rise to
2640-418: The San Gabriels, a sweeping arc-shaped massif 30 miles (48 km) in length that includes most of the highest peaks in the range: Waterman Mountain , at 8,038 feet (2,450 m); Mount Islip , at 8,250 feet (2,510 m), Mount Baden-Powell , at 9,399 feet (2,865 m), Pine Mountain , at 9,648 feet (2,941 m), and Mount San Antonio , the highest peak in the range at 10,068 feet (3,069 m). On
2720-502: The Santa Clara River into the mid 1900s. The steelhead trout run on the Santa Clara river prior to 1940 is estimated to have had thousands of fish and to have been one of the largest steelhead runs in southern California. Construction of the Vern Freeman Diversion Dam and other migration barriers on the mainstem, Santa Paula Creek, Sespe Creek, Piru Creek, and other tributaries during the mid 1900s appear to be correlated with
2800-591: The Santa Clara River. The unincorporated community of Valencia is an under-construction, large scale master-planned community in Los Angeles County along the river in the easterly portion of the Santa Clarita Valley adjacent to Ventura County. The required permits for the project describe how the work will fill in and alter more than 82 acres (33 ha) of flood plain and tributaries. These include threatened and endangered fauna and flora, including
2880-559: The agency's determination that storm-drain runoff from the project's 2,587 acres (1,047 ha) into the Santa Clara River would not harm juvenile steelhead trout downstream in Ventura County. Subsequently, the California Supreme Court agreed to review a petition that stated the appellate court opinion exempting developers from protections for the unarmored threespine stickleback would apply to other protected species such as
2960-459: The aquifer. For decades before the structure was built, earthen dams were constructed in the river to divert water to farmers and replenished the aquifer. The berms would have to be rebuilt whenever winter rains created a flow that breached the berms. Southern California Steelhead were declared endangered in 1997 and the fish ladder on the structure was deemed insufficient. The National Marine Fisheries Service determined in 2015 that fixing this
3040-547: The boundary with Ventura County. The plant will treat an estimated 6,800,000 US gal (26,000,000 L; 5,700,000 imp gal) of water every day before releasing it into the river as it flows towards the ocean and into Ventura County. During the decades the project on the Newhall Ranch has been in planning, it has faced legal actions and environmental concerns. The downstream impact and other effects also drew Ventura County officials and citizens into opposition to
3120-602: The broad Oxnard Plain . The river ends at the Pacific Ocean after flowing across the north side of this plain made fertile with the silt deposited by the river. A sand bar usually stands across the mouth at the Santa Clara Estuary Natural Preserve that lies within McGrath State Beach in Oxnard and bounded on the north by the city of Ventura wastewater treatment plant. Although located just north of
3200-523: The dam or predation in the coastal estuary. Lampreys, a parasite , also impact the steelhead. Invasive species such as Arundo donax also create changes that are not favorable to spawning trout. Genetic analysis of the steelhead in the Santa Clara River watershed has shown them to be of native and not hatchery stocks. There were beaver ( Castor canadensis ) historically in the Santa Clara River until Europeans arrived, according to oral Ventureño history taken by ethnolinguist John Peabody Harrington in
3280-654: The demise of the steelhead run as habitat availability decreased and surface flows decreased. Adult steelhead still try to migrate up the river with an adult trapped at the Vern Freeman Dam in 2001. A wild rainbow trout population still exists in the headwaters of the Santa Paula, Sespe, Hopper, and Piru Creek tributaries and is producing out-migrating steelhead smolts bound for the Pacific. However, challenges to outgoing smolt migration include low to no stream flows downstream of
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3360-413: The early twentieth century. The full reference is: "The beaver comes and gnaws the tree on the side towards which it leans, and at last falls over. The tree is leaning towards our house. I am beginning to fear that it will fall on us. The beaver builds its house in the river or the cienegas in the time of our ancestors. There were beavers at Ventura and also at Saticoy ." This historical observer record
3440-828: The even higher San Bernardino Mountains . The Range is bounded on the north by the Antelope Valley and the Mojave Desert and to the south by the communities of Greater Los Angeles . The south side of the range is almost continuously urbanized and includes the Los Angeles city communities of Sylmar , Pacoima , and Sunland-Tujunga , as well as cities and unincorporated areas of San Fernando , La Crescenta , La Cañada Flintridge , Altadena , Pasadena , Sierra Madre , Arcadia , Monrovia , Bradbury , Duarte , Azusa , Glendora , San Dimas , La Verne , Claremont , Upland , Rancho Cucamonga , Fontana , and Rialto . The north side of
3520-521: The fastest in the continental United States and have accelerated in response to the increased frequency of wildfires over the 1900s. Over future centuries, it remains unclear whether soil and brush ecosystems in the San Gabriel mountains will continue to re-establish soil and vegetation after increasing fire and soil-erosion frequencies, or if increasing fire frequencies and erosion will strip soils and permanently alter soil cover and vegetation types across
3600-781: The heavily populated Los Angeles Basin , the 1,600 sq mi (4,100 km ) Santa Clara River watershed remains one of the most natural on the South Coast. It is separated from the Los Angeles Basin by the low Santa Susana Mountains , along the north side of which the Santa Clara River runs. On the east are the San Gabriel Mountains , and on the north are the Santa Ynez Mountains , Sespe Mountains, San Cayetano Mountains, and Tehachapi Mountains . Piru, Castaic and Sespe Creeks, each over 50 mi (80 km) long, are
3680-431: The land from development. The river's natural processes in the floodplain can continue with natural flooding of open space and agricultural fields. This avoids building levees that increase the risk of flooding downstream. The giant reed, or arundo , is a thirsty, invasive plant that lacks food value for native animals and impairs the growth of native plants. The city of Santa Clarita protects significant portions of
3760-627: The larger one is the Santa Ana River . The estuary has been modified by human activities at least since 1855. By the late 1920s roads and agricultural fields had become established. In the late 1950s the former delta area was occupied by the Ventura Water Reclamation Facility and agricultural fields with levees constraining the river from these areas and directing the flow to the Harbor Boulevard bridge. McGrath State Beach
3840-495: The mountain ecosystem. There are both areas of conifer as well as broadleaf forestation, including the presence of some endemic taxa. Conifer (pine, fir, cedar) and oak forests are most widespread above 5,000 feet (1,500 m) where the precipitation is above 30 inches (760 mm) (the central and eastern high San Gabriels). In the wetter areas, madrone and bay laurel trees also occur in places, and ferns are common. Trees like willow, alder, and cottonwood are also found throughout
3920-566: The mountains during big storms often produces flooding in adjacent foothill communities (especially in areas denuded by wildfires). The range is mostly smog-free above 5,000 ft (1,500 m) elevation, above the inversion layer. The large telescope installation at Mt. Wilson is a testimony to the clear atmospheric conditions that prevail, although light pollution from the L.A. basin below has hindered telescope activities in recent decades. The San Gabriel Mountains see wildfires frequently. The fires are often driven by dry Santa Ana wind events in
4000-425: The mountains is Angeles Forest Highway . Angeles Forest Highway begins 11 miles northeast of La Cañada Flintridge at its Angeles Crest Highway junction. Ending near Acton , it allows easy access to the central Forest and the fast-growing Antelope Valley . Because the "Forest" and the 11-mile (18 km) "Crest" portion leading to La Cañada Flintridge is well-traveled by Antelope Valley commuters, its road maintenance
4080-566: The mouth came under the control of the Ventura Regional Sanitation District by 1988. The district used the landfill gases to produce electricity until 2001. As the landfill aged and its contents decomposed, the release of gas became intermittent and the gases from the recovery system are burned off in a flare . The defunct power plant was built just upstream of the Victoria Avenue bridge, the second crossing upstream from
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#17328588645914160-658: The natural ecology of the river within the Santa Clara River Open Space preserve, which includes portions of San Francisquito Creek and the South Fork of the Santa Clara River north of Lyons Avenue in Newhall . Two wildlife corridor protection ordinances adopted by the county of Ventura restrict activities that impede the movement of mountains lions and other wildlife between the Santa Monica Mountains and
4240-451: The north slopes of the San Gabriel crest, the northern ranks of mountains drop down incrementally to the floor of the Mojave Desert in a much more gradual manner than the sheer southern flank. The Angeles Crest Highway , one of the main routes across the San Gabriels, runs through this area from west to east. Little Rock, Big Rock, and Sheep Creeks drain off the northern part of the mountains, forming large alluvial fans as they descend into
4320-418: The ocean. The riverbed was mined extensively for sand and gravel throughout the post–World War II building boom for the construction of homes and highways. Mining the riverbed for sand and gravel impacts the riparian zones by destroying habitat and changes sediment flow regimes. The mining decreased significantly in the 1990s due to increased costs needed to satisfy environmental concerns and concerns that
4400-606: The path providing access to neighborhoods, parks and commerce. On the western end, the path connects to an extensive network of paths, trails and elevated bridges called paseos that are independent of automobile roadway in Valencia. The main trail and its feeders are in close proximity and provide easy access to all four Metrolink stations located within the city limits. These stations are Newhall , Santa Clarita , Via Princessa , and Vista Canyon . Bicycle locker facilities are available at all four stations. City planners have placed
4480-416: The primary headstream. These branches combine into the broad wash of the main stem near the town of Acton which flows west through Soledad Canyon , crossing under California State Route 14 near the town of Canyon Country . The Sierra Pelona Mountains on the north provide additional watershed and seasonal tributaries. The river receives Bouquet Creek, Placerita Creek, and San Francisquito Creek within
4560-417: The primary tributaries of the Santa Clara River. While Piru and Castaic Creeks form reservoirs for the California State Water Project ( Pyramid Lake and Lake Piru on Piru Creek, and Elderberry Forebay and Castaic Lake on Castaic Creek), Sespe Creek is designated a National Wild and Scenic River , unique among Southern California streams. There are 57 archaeological sites and 12 historical landmarks in
4640-489: The project. The landmark California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) used to challenge the development, may have led to a better-designed project while saving crucial habitat. In 2014, the California 2nd District Court of Appeal overturned a Los Angeles County Superior Court ruling and found that the environmental impact report adequately analyzed the project's potential impact on endangered fauna and flora and Native American cultural artifacts. The ruling also supported
4720-434: The range along with the stream courses (riparian habitat), even at lower elevations. Chaparral (dense shrub, brush, and small tree) vegetation is widespread where there is no continuous tall tree cover, especially at lower elevations. Chaparral is highly adapted to fire and replaces trees for decades after fires. There is a subspecies of the Leather Oak which is found only within the San Gabriel Mountains. The Rift Zone along
4800-437: The range is less densely populated and includes the city of Palmdale as well as the small unincorporated towns of Acton , Littlerock , Pearblossom , Valyermo , Llano , Piñon Hills , and Phelan . At the west end of the range lies the city of Santa Clarita . Within the mountains themselves are the small unincorporated communities of Mount Baldy , Wrightwood , Big Pines and Lytle Creek . Melting snow and rain runoff on
4880-417: The range receives more precipitation than the desert (northern) side. The highest precipitation is found in the central and eastern parts of the range (Mt. Wilson to Mt. San Antonio). Annual precipitation totals are highly variable from year to year, and can be extremely high during wet El Nino years (sometimes over 70 in (1,800 mm), with single storm totals over 10 in (250 mm)). Runoff from
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#17328588645914960-433: The removal of material increased scouring and undermining of bridge foundations and pipelines that crossed the river. As of 2010 there were still 3 active gravel operations in the upstream area. There are also water diversions, most notably the Freeman Diversion Dam, located approximately 10.7 mi (17.2 km) from the ocean The United Water Conservation District, formed in 1950, battles groundwater overdraft through
5040-524: The river breached the north bank, flowed through an area that had historical been part of the estuary, flooded a new golf course and Harbor Boulevard, and deposited silt and debris into recently completed Ventura Harbor just upcoast from the reclamation facility. Over the years, many communities have used the river banks as dumps to create levees that would keep the river from flooding adjacent lands during occasional years with heavy winter rains. Three dump sites about 2 mi (3.2 km) upstream from
5120-439: The river enters the Santa Clara River Valley flowing past Buckhorn and Fillmore , incorporating additional flow from Piru Creek and Sespe Creek , both from the right, and Santa Paula Creek at the town of Santa Paula , where it passes the large South Mountain Oil Field on the south bank. The Santa Clara River then bends southwest, passing the Saticoy Oil Field on the north bank where South Mountain marks its entrance onto
5200-402: The river from the ocean most of the year. In years with adequate rainfall, the river breaks the berm which is then slowly rebuilt by ocean action through the rest of the year. When the river watershed has an exceptionally dry year, the berm acts as a dam, allowing the water level to rise with the discharge . In August 2014, with the frequent flooding of the access road and many of the campsites in
5280-414: The river in recent times was at the Fillmore Fish Hatchery in 2000. Quagga mussels were discovered in Lake Piru in 2013. They are an invasive species found in rivers and lakes in the U.S. The Harbor Boulevard bridge, the most westerly crossing, marks the upstream boundary of McGrath State Beach and the Ventura Water Reclamation Facility while the estuary continues a little farther upstream. In 1969
5360-465: The river to a point 2 miles (3.2 km) west and east from Lost Canyon Road along the north bank of the river to Shadow Pines Blvd. According to the Santa Clarita Pedestrian and Bike Master Plan, its goal is to encourage more people to bike and walk for everyday needs by providing more accessible bikeways, trails, and paseos. This cycling-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This California road–related article
5440-440: The south side of the San Gabriels' highest mountains give rise to its largest river, the San Gabriel River . Just to the west of Mount Hawkins , a north-south divide separates water running down the two main forks of the river and their tributaries. The West Fork, beginning at Red Box Saddle, runs 14 miles (23 km) eastward, and the East Fork, starting north of Mount San Antonio, flows 18 miles (29 km) south and west through
5520-506: The south, rising dramatically above the cities of Claremont , Upland and Rancho Cucamonga . However, there are still several notable peaks in this region, including Telegraph Peak , at 8,985 feet (2,739 m), Cucamonga Peak , at 8,859 feet (2,700 m), and Ontario Peak , rising 8,693 feet (2,650 m). Lytle Creek , flowing generally southeast, drains most of the extreme eastern San Gabriels. The range terminates at Cajon Pass, through which runs Interstate 15 , and beyond which rise
5600-430: The south. This tectonic block was uplifted during the Miocene and has since been dissected by numerous rivers and washes. The highest elevation, Mount San Antonio (Mount Baldy) at 10,069 feet (3,069 m), rises towards the eastern extremity of the range which extends from the Cajon Pass (Interstate 15) on the east, where the San Gabriel Mountain Range meets the San Bernardino Mountain Range , westward to meet
5680-432: The state park, a report found that the park had only been open five of the past eighteen months because of repeated flooding. When the berm is broken when it is not raining, fish can become stranded in the sudden draining of the estuary waters. The estuary was identified on the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Clean Water Act 303(d) lists of impaired water bodies. In 2012, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board required
5760-468: The streams due to the loss of suitable habitat. The introduction of invasive predators like trout, which feed on tadpoles, decimated their population. The main road that runs through the San Gabriel Mountains is the Angeles Crest Highway , State Route 2 . It starts in the southwest at the city of La Cañada Flintridge and ends at its junction with State Route 138 , just past Wrightwood , near
5840-533: The summer and fall. Notable wildfires in the San Gabriel Mountains have included the 2009 Station Fire , 2020 Bobcat Fire , and the 2024 Bridge Fire . Granitic and metasedimentary rocks are the primary constituent of the San Gabriel Mountains. Metasedimentary rocks were attached to the North American craton in the Precambrian eon, and granitic rocks formed throughout the Mesozoic as oceanic plates subducted underneath
5920-555: The use of structural levees to separate the natural floodplain from the river. Although it is one of the least altered rivers in Southern California, some levees exist where the river flows through areas of significant urban development. The Santa Clara River was originally named the Río de Santa Clara on August 9, 1769, by the Portolá expedition on the march north from San Diego to found
6000-640: The watershed. The Santa Clara River watershed borders on the Ventura River / Matilija Creek watershed on the west. On the northwest lies the Santa Ynez River watershed. On the north is the interior drainage basin of Tulare Lake in the Central Valley . To the east is the Mojave River and to the south is the Los Angeles River . The Santa Clara River is the second largest river in Southern California;
6080-520: The wind, looking like a cloud skimming along the earth." There is a Ventureño word for antelope, q'aq , which is different from their separate words for deer and elk. In 2002, eight Southwest willow flycatchers hatched in the Hedrick Ranch Nature Area (HRNA), a 220 acres (89 ha) preserve just east of Santa Paula managed by the Friends of Santa Clara River. The first SWFs to hatch on
6160-442: Was a high priority since it is the first structure the steelhead encounter when attempting to migrate from the ocean. A judge determined in 2018 that the federal Endangered Species Act had been violated by United Water by failing to ensure that the structure provided an adequate water supply and migratory passageway for steelhead. The main channel of the Santa Clara River through the city of Santa Clarita remains largely natural,
6240-453: Was again considering plans to re-open the road, after pressure from local communities. In the winter, snowboarding and skiing are quite popular in the San Gabriels, at Mountain High and Mt. Baldy . The two other resorts, Mount Waterman and Kratka Ridge , are rarely open due to insufficient snow. In the summer, canyoneering , hiking, backpacking, picnicking, and camping are some of the activities popular with visitors. From time to time,
6320-446: Was established in 1948. The estuary has been designated a Natural Preserve within McGrath State Beach on the south bank of the river mouth. From the north bank of the river, the city of Ventura releases some 9,000,000 US gal (34,000,000 L; 7,500,000 imp gal) of treated effluent daily that flows into the Santa Clara Estuary Natural Preserve from their water reclamation facility (VWRF). A sand berm separates
6400-499: Was holding a full reservoir of 12.4 × 10 US gal (4.7 × 10 L) of water that surged down San Francisquito Canyon and emptied into the river. The Santa Clara River's headwaters take drainage from the northern slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains near the Angeles Forest Highway , inside the western part of the Angeles National Forest . Its largest fork, Aliso Canyon, is about 7 mi (11 km) long and forms
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