81-568: The Antelope Valley Union High School District (A.V.U.H.S.D.) is located in the Antelope Valley area of California, in northern Los Angeles County . The union high school district includes eight public high schools, one trade school, and two continuation high schools in the cities of Palmdale and Lancaster and their immediate suburbs. The district also recently opened three middle schools (grades 7-8). Two are in Palmdale & one
162-656: A drought. In 2014–2015, farm-related losses in California totaled $ 5 billion and 20,000 farmers also lost their jobs. Agriculture is the primary industry in most of the Central Valley. A notable exception is the Sacramento area, which hosts a large and stable workforce of government employees. Despite state hiring cutbacks and the closure of several military bases, Sacramento's economy has continued to expand and diversify and now more closely resembles that of
243-494: A greater difference in the land in a shorter amount of time. According to a survey paper written in 1988 about a storm that occurred in 1982 in the Central Valley region, rainstorms that can cause that type of landslide to happen about every 5 years. Landslides to higher degrees, such as the ones that happened due to the 1982 storm, only occur every 20 to 100+ years. This intense storm in the San Francisco Bay area caused
324-419: A lot of damage as a result of moving debris and landslides. They caused damage to the land and put people living in these areas that are susceptible to these disasters in great harm. The aftermath of this storm involved millions of dollars in retributions to restore the land and surrounding areas. It also led people to make greater efforts into planning around the danger of these landslides, as in how to manipulate
405-497: A name still often seen in scientific references (notably Great Valley Sequence ), as well as "Golden Empire", a booster name that is still referred to by some organizations (notably Golden Empire Transit , Golden Empire Council ). Ideas about what constitutes the “Central Valley” can vary from person-to-person. While almost all authoritative sources and external observers consider the Sacramento Valley to be part of
486-622: A scientific observation of the valley in 1844. After Fremont's visit the 49ers crossed the valley via the Old Tejon Pass into the San Joaquin Valley on their way to the gold fields. Later, a better wagon road, the Stockton – Los Angeles Road route to Tejon Pass , followed in 1854. Stagecoach lines across the southern foothills came through the valley along this wagon road, and were the preferred method for travelers before
567-991: A series of pumps that divert water into the California Aqueduct , which runs south along the length of the San Joaquin Valley. In parallel, pumps divert water into the Delta–Mendota Canal . The flow of the Sacramento River is further supplemented by a tunnel from the Trinity River (a tributary of the Klamath River , northwest of the Sacramento Valley) near Redding . Cities of the San Francisco Bay Area , also needing water, built aqueducts from
648-470: Is Fresno followed by the state capital Sacramento . The following metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas are listed from largest to smallest: After English and Spanish , Punjabi is the third most commonly spoken language in the Central Valley. The valley has the largest Sikh population in the nation . The flatness of the valley floor contrasts with the rugged hills or gentle mountains that are typical of most of California's terrain. The valley
729-460: Is a broad, elongated, flat valley that dominates the interior of California . It is 40–60 mi (60–100 km) wide and runs approximately 450 mi (720 km) from north-northwest to south-southeast, inland from and parallel to the Pacific coast of the state . It covers approximately 18,000 sq mi (47,000 km ), about 11% of California's land area. The valley is bounded by
810-554: Is bounded by the Garlock and San Andreas fault systems. Precipitation in the surrounding mountain ranges contributes to groundwater recharge . The Antelope Valley is home to a wide range of plants and animals. This includes hundreds of plants such as the California juniper , Joshua tree , California scrub oak , creosote , and wildflowers, notably the California poppy . Winter brings much-needed rain, which slowly penetrates
891-505: Is ideal for agriculture. The Central Valley is one of the United States' most productive growing regions. This is made possible by engineering the watercourses to prevent flooding during the spring snowmelt and drying up in the summer and autumn. Many dams, including Shasta Dam , Oroville Dam , Folsom Dam , New Melones Dam , Don Pedro Dam , Hetch Hetchy Dam , Friant Dam , Pine Flat Dam and Isabella Dam , were constructed on
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#1732791822365972-523: Is in Quartz Hill. The district also provides online instruction via their Virtual Academy for grades 7-12. The office of Virtual Academy is in Quartz Hill. The main district office is located in Lancaster. The Superintendent of the A.V.U.H.S.D. is Greg Nehen. The A.V.U.H.S.D. cares for all high school level education in the metropolitan area. The elementary and junior high education is cared for by
1053-501: Is life-threatening or even fatal. Due to the agricultural industry's significant presence in the Valley, pesticide drift and leaching have become concerns. Residents risk contamination when living in proximity to application sites. Air pollution is a growing problem that affects all of the citizens in the Central Valley. Some reasons of poor air pollution in the Central Valley are due to agriculture and its geographical features. Since
1134-646: Is located in northern Los Angeles County, California , United States, and the southeast portion of California's Kern County , and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert . It is situated between the Tehachapi , Sierra Pelona , and the San Gabriel Mountains . The valley was named for the pronghorns that roamed there until they were all eliminated in the 1880s, mostly by hunting, or resettled in other areas. The principal cities in
1215-747: Is located near Boron . Also, several private and home-school high schools arein the area, most notably: The Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra is a professional ensemble that performs four concerts each year at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center. It is an auxiliary of Antelope Valley College, and performs regularly with the Antelope Valley College Civic Orchestra. Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park has been featured in films such as The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972) and The Stone Killer (1973). Mackenna's Gold (1964)
1296-403: Is now San Francisco Bay . Over the millennia, the valley filled with the sediments of these same ranges, as well as the rising Sierra Nevada to the east; that filling eventually created an extraordinary flatness just barely above sea level. Before California's flood control and aqueduct system was built, annual snow melt turned much of the valley into an inland sea. The one notable exception to
1377-755: Is over 50 miles (80 km) away. Include: On the ridgeline of the San Gabriel Mountains, the Angeles Crest Highway ( State Route 2 ) snakes 60 miles (100 km) through the Angeles National Forest to La Cañada Flintridge and the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan region. Some people of note have spent time in the valley, including: Over 10,000 population Under 10,000 population Central Valley (California) The Central Valley
1458-491: Is part of the larger Pacific Border province, which in turn is part of the Pacific Mountain System . The Central Valley was formerly a diverse expanse of grassland, containing areas of prairie , desert grassland (at the southern end), oak savanna , riparian forest , marsh , several types of seasonal vernal pools , and large lakes such as now-dry Tulare Lake (once the largest freshwater lake west of
1539-399: Is released every Thursday, showing which parts of the U.S. are in a drought. It started in 2000, and since then the longest duration of a drought in California lasted a total of 376 weeks. It started on December 11, 2011, and ended on March 5, 2019. The most intense period captured on the drought monitor was on the week of July 29, 2014. It showed that 58.41% of California's land was affected by
1620-607: Is thought to have originated below sea level as an offshore area depressed by subduction of the Farallon Plate into a trench farther offshore. The valley has no earthquake faults of its own but is surrounded by faults to the east and west. The valley was enclosed by the uplift of the Coast Ranges , with its original outlet into Monterey Bay . Faulting moved the Coast Ranges, and a new outlet developed near what
1701-445: Is very hot and dry during the summer and cool and damp in winter when frequent ground fog known regionally as " tule fog " can obscure vision. Summer daytime temperatures frequently surpass 100 °F (38 °C), and common heat waves might bring temperatures exceeding 115 °F (46 °C). Mid-autumn to mid-spring is the rainy season —although during the late summer, southeasterly winds can bring tropical thunderstorms, mainly in
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#17327918223651782-510: The Coast Ranges to the west and the Sierra Nevada to the east. The Central Valley is a region known for its agricultural productivity . It provides a large share of the food produced in California. California provides more than half of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts grown in the United States. More than 7,000,000 acres (28,000 km ) of the valley are irrigated via reservoirs and canals. The valley hosts many cities, including
1863-540: The Golden Gate . Many of the islands lie below sea level because of intensive agriculture, and face a high risk of flooding, which would allow salt water to rush back into the delta, especially when too little fresh water is flowing in from the Valley. The Sacramento River carries far more water than the San Joaquin, with an estimated 22 million acre-feet (27 km ) of virgin annual runoff, as compared to
1944-575: The Mokelumne River and Tuolumne River that run east to west across the middle part of the Central Valley. Most valley lowlands are prone to flooding, especially in the old Tulare Lake , Buena Vista Lake , and Kern Lake rivers. The Kings , Kaweah , Tule and Kern rivers originally flowed into these seasonal lakes, which would expand each spring to flood large parts of the southern San Joaquin Valley. Farms, towns, and infrastructure in these lakebeds are protected with levee systems, while
2025-669: The Palmdale School District , Lancaster School District , Westside Union School District , Keppel Union School District , Wilsona School District , or Eastside Union School District depending on where the student lives. Antelope Valley Regional Occupational Program (AV ROP) in Palmdale +Virtual Academy grades 7-12 office is in Quartz Hill +Soar Prep Academy in Quartz Hill +Palmdale Prep in Palmdale +Knight Prep in Palmdale Antelope Valley The Antelope Valley
2106-620: The Philippines were the most common foreign places of birth in 2000 in Northwest Antelope Valley. Mexico and El Salvador were the most common foreign places of birth in the northwest. German and English were the most common ancestries in the northeast. German and Irish were the most common ancestries in Southeast Antelope Valley. Mexico and Colombia were the common foreign places of birth in
2187-648: The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in northern California has caused and causes adverse environmental and social effects in the delta: "Over decades, [the] competing uses for water supply and habitat have jeopardized the Delta's ability to meet either need. All stakeholders agree the estuary is in trouble and requires long-term solutions to ensure reliable, quality water supplies and a healthy ecosystem." The Antelope Valley's population growth and development place considerable stress on
2268-522: The Tehachapi Mountains . Riverside trees include willows, western sycamore ( Platanus racemosa ), box elder ( Acer negundo ), Fremont cottonwood ( Populus fremontii ), and the endemic valley oak ( Quercus lobata ). Another endemic species is brittlescale ( Atriplex depressa ) which grows in saline and alkali soils. The Central Valley was once home to large populations of pronghorn antelope ( Antilocapra americana ), elk including
2349-615: The 1770s, during the colonization of North America . Father Francisco Garcés , a Spanish Franciscan friar, is believed to have traveled the west end of the valley in 1776. The Spanish established El Camino Viejo through the western part of the valley between Los Angeles and the missions of the San Francisco Bay in the 1780s. By 1808, the Spanish had moved the native people out of the valley and into missions. Jedediah Smith came through in 1827, and John C. Fremont made
2430-719: The Antelope Valley are Palmdale and Lancaster . The Antelope Valley comprises the western tip of the Mojave Desert , opening up to the Victor Valley and the Great Basin to the east. Lying north of the San Gabriel Mountains , southeast of the Tehachapis , and east of the Sierra Pelona Mountains , this desert ecosystem spans around 2,200 sq mi (5,698 km ). The valley
2511-459: The Antelope Valley depends mainly on pumping of groundwater from the valley's aquifers and on importing additional water from the California Aqueduct . Long-term groundwater pumping has lowered the water table , thereby increasing pumping lifts, reducing well efficiency, and causing land subsidence . While aqueducts supply additional water that meets increasing human demand for agricultural, industrial, and domestic uses, diversion of water from
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2592-417: The Central Valley consists mostly of farming land, a wide, flat valley, the emissions from the soil that is used for growing produce are released into the air. The soil exudes nitrous oxide , an odorless and colorless gas that can be harmful when exposed to it for a long period of time, and incorporates itself into the ozone layer located at ground level. Production of nitrous oxide in California has shown that
2673-456: The Central Valley produces 8 percent of the nation's agricultural output by value: US$ 43.5 billion in 2013. California's farms and ranches earned almost $ 50 billion in 2018. The valley's productivity relies on irrigation from surface water and badly depleted underground aquifers . About one-sixth of the US' irrigated land is in the Central Valley. Virtually all non-tropical crops are grown in
2754-523: The Central Valley, which cause 312 landslides to move that year. Slow-moving landslides are impacted even if the intensity of the rainfall is not as severe. Consistent, moderately intense rainfall increases the saturation of water in the ground. This over-saturation is what causes the movement of a slow-moving landslide, rather than the more quick-moving and rigorous landslides that also occur in this region of California. Quick-moving landslides are caused by very intense rain, or sometimes earthquakes, that make
2835-405: The Central Valley, which is the primary source for produce throughout the United States, including tomatoes, grapes, cotton, apricots, and asparagus. Six thousand almond growers produced more than 600 million pounds (270 × 10 ^ kg) in 2000, about 70 percent of the world's supply and nearly 100 percent of domestic production. The US' top four counties in agricultural sales are in
2916-569: The Mississippi), Buena Vista Lake and Kern Lake . However, much of the Central Valley environment has been altered by human activity, including the introduction of exotic plants , notably grasses. The valley's grasslands, wetlands, and riparian forests constitute the California Central Valley grasslands , a temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregion . The foothill oak woodlands and chaparral that fringe
2997-695: The Pacific. The waters of the Tulare Basin essentially never reach the ocean (with the exception of Kings River waters diverted northward for irrigation), though they are connected by man-made canals to the San Joaquin. The valley encompasses all or parts of 18 California counties: Butte , Colusa , Glenn , Fresno , Kern , Kings , Madera , Merced , Placer , San Joaquin , Sacramento , Shasta , Stanislaus , Sutter , Tehama , Tulare , Yolo and Yuba . Older names include "the Great Valley",
3078-578: The Sacramento River, 26 percent into the San Joaquin, and 27 percent into Tulare Lake. In the south part of the San Joaquin Valley, the alluvial fan of the Kings River and another from Coast Ranges streams have created a divide. The dry Tulare basin of the Central Valley receives flow from four major Sierra Nevada rivers, the Kings, Kaweah , Tule , and Kern . This basin, usually endorheic , formerly filled during snowmelt and spilled out into
3159-616: The Sacramento Valley for about 447 miles (719 km). In the San Joaquin Valley, the San Joaquin River flows roughly northwest for 365 miles (587 km), picking up tributaries such as the Merced River , Tuolumne River , Stanislaus River and Mokelumne River . The Central Valley watershed encompasses over a third of California at 60,000 square miles (160,000 km ), with 46 percent draining into
3240-576: The Sacramento Valley, with its high year-round flow and wide waterways, has been compared to the small and seasonal rivers of the San Joaquin basin; this also contributes to different identities between the two regions. Subregions and their counties commonly associated with the valley include: The four main population centers in the Central Valley area are roughly equidistant from the next. From south to north, they are Bakersfield , Fresno , Sacramento and Redding . These four cities act as hubs for regional commerce and transportation. The table displays
3321-490: The San Francisco Bay Area. Primary sources of population growth are Bay Area migrants seeking lower housing costs, augmented by immigration from Asia, Central America, Mexico, Ukraine, and the rest of the former Soviet Union. The Central Valley is one of the world's most productive agricultural regions. More than 230 crops are grown there. On less than 1 percent of the total farmland in the United States,
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3402-635: The San Joaquin River. Called Tulare Lake , it is usually dry because the rivers feeding it have been diverted for agricultural purposes. Central Valley rivers converge in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta , a network of marshy channels, distributaries, and sloughs that wind around islands mainly used for agriculture. There the rivers merge with tidewater, and eventually reach the ocean after passing through Suisun Bay , San Pablo Bay , upper San Francisco Bay , and finally
3483-406: The San Joaquin's approximately 6 million acre-feet (7.4 km ). Intensive agricultural and municipal water consumption decreased the rate of outflow to about 17 million acre-feet (21 km ) for the Sacramento and 3 million acre-feet (3.7 km ) for the San Joaquin. These figures vary widely from year to year. Over 25 million people, living in the valley and other regions of
3564-453: The addition of soil and fertilization can emit about 161,100 metric tons per year. Long term effects that nitrous oxide can have on a human being is loss of blood pressure, fainting, anemia, or lung cancer. The physical geographical attributes can also contribute to the air pollution quality. The Central Valley is surrounded by mountain ranges which can capture the pollution coming from the agricultural farming, preventing it from dispersing from
3645-402: The area's dry ground, bringing up native grasses and wildflowers. Poppy season depends completely on the precipitation, but a good bloom can be killed off by the unusual weather in the late winter and early spring. The Antelope Valley gets its name from its history of pronghorn grazing in large numbers. In 1882-85, the valley lost 30,000 head of antelope, almost half of the species for which it
3726-549: The coming of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1876. The rail service linking the valley to the Central Valley and Los Angeles started its first large influx of white settlers, and farms and towns soon sprouted on the valley floor. The aircraft (now called aerospace) industry took hold in the valley at Plant 42 in 1952. Edwards AFB, then called Muroc Army Air Field, was established in 1933. The area
3807-579: The counties of Central Valley and their respective population during the 2020 US Decennial Census. Total jobs for each county is from the U.S. Census Bureau, OnTheMap Application and LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (Beginning of Quarter Employment, 2nd Quarter of 2002–2020). As of 2020, some 7.2 million people lived in the Central Valley; it was the fastest-growing region in California. It includes 12 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) and 1 Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA). Below, they are listed by MSA and μSA population. The largest city
3888-502: The delta. Large blocks of desert scrubland exist in the southern San Joaquin Valley and the Carrizo Plain , just outside the valley, but offering a similar landscape. The wetlands have been the target of rescue operations to restore areas replaced by agriculture. These patches of natural habitat are disconnected, which is particularly damaging for wildlife that is used to migrating along the rivers. Agriculture, grazing land, and
3969-408: The draining of lakes and rivers have radically altered valley habitats. Most of the grassland has been overtaken by new species; most vernal pools have been destroyed, leaving only those on the higher slopes; the marshland has been drained, and the riverbank woodlands have nearly all been affected. The valley gives its name to Valley fever , which is primarily a disease of the lungs that is common in
4050-568: The drier San Joaquin Valley in the south, and the Tulare Basin and its semi-arid desert climate at the southernmost end. The Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems drain their respective valleys and meet to form the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta , a large expanse of interconnected canals , stream beds , sloughs , marshes and peat islands. The delta empties into the San Francisco Bay , and ultimately into
4131-500: The early 1900s caused a scarcity in bunch grass , their main food source. Now, the sighting of a pronghorn is rare, although a small number remain in the western portion of the valley. Common game species in the Antelope Valley include mule deer and mountain quail . Other common species in the Antelope Valley include the golden-mantled ground squirrel , Beechey ground squirrel , red-tailed hawk , Cooper's hawk , Stellar's jay , leopard frog , and rattlesnake . Human water use in
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#17327918223654212-421: The early 1980s to around three times its former level. Major retail has followed the population influx, centered on Palmdale's Antelope Valley Mall . The Lancaster—Palmdale urbanized area is home to 372,287 people. Some long-term residents living far out in the desert have been cited by Los Angeles County's nuisance abatement teams for code violations, forcing residents to either make improvements or move. One of
4293-518: The endemic tule elk subspecies ( Cervus elaphus nannodes ), mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus ), California ground squirrels , gophers , mice, hare, rabbits and kangaroo rats , along with their predators including the San Joaquin kit fox (an endangered subspecies surviving on the San Joaquin Valley's hillsides). The valley's wetlands were an important habitat for wintering waterbirds and migrating birds of other kinds. Reptiles and amphibians of
4374-522: The first significant rainfall. The official season is from November 1 to March 31. This phenomenon is named after the valley's tule grass wetlands ( tulares ). Auto collisions caused by the tule fog are the leading cause of weather-related casualties in California. Two river systems drain and define the two parts of the Central Valley. The Sacramento River , along with its tributaries the Feather River and American River , flows southwards through
4455-491: The flat valley floor is Sutter Buttes , the remnants of an extinct volcano just to the northwest of Yuba City . Another significant geologic feature of the Central Valley lies hidden beneath the delta. The Stockton Arch is an upwarping of the crust beneath the valley sediments that extends southwest to northeast across the valley. The Central Valley lies within the California Trough physiographic section, which
4536-476: The lake beds offer a vast landing area. Although NASA later built a landing strip at Kennedy Space Center , Edwards was retained as the backup in case of bad weather at Cape Canaveral . NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center is a tenant organization at Edwards AFB. The center is best known for the X-15 experimental rocket ship program. It has been the home of NASA's high-performance aircraft research since it
4617-771: The land to accommodate the consequences. Out of the past twenty-two years, California has experienced significant drought conditions for thirteen years. From 2000 to 2018 was the second driest period that California has ever experienced. The driest three-year period ever in California was from 2012 to 2014. Three-quarters of the state of California is experiencing extreme drought conditions. There are also multiple types of droughts such as agricultural droughts, meteorological droughts, snow droughts, and hydrological droughts. All of these droughts affect California in different ways. Droughts can damage forests and can cause wildfires. Droughts cause forests to become dry which causes trees to die. Dead trees result in wildfires. The U.S. drought monitor
4698-605: The local and regional water systems. According to David Leighton of the United States Geological Survey : "A deliberate management effort will be required to meet future water demand in the Antelope Valley without incurring significant economic and environmental costs associated with overuse of the ground-water resource." The first peoples of the Antelope Valley include the Kawaiisu , Kitanemuk , Serrano , and Tataviam . Europeans first entered in
4779-552: The manufacturing and integration and testing of new military aviation equipment. With the size of the industry there, Antelope Valley has been nicknamed the Aerospace Valley. The valley's first main industry as a part of the United States was agriculture . Historically known in the region for its extensive alfalfa fields and fruit crops, farmers now are growing a wider variety of crops, such as carrots, onions, lettuce, and potatoes. As housing tracts continue to build in
4860-484: The middle of the valley, the farm operations are found farther to the west and east sides than in earlier decades. The northern reaches of Antelope Valley are part of the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area , the largest wind resource area in California. The valley also has numerous solar farms , some of which are among the largest in the United States . The world's largest open-pit borax mine
4941-581: The newly dedicated Mojave Air and Space Port . The spaceport is famous as the base of operations for Scaled Composites , the company that designed SpaceShipOne and won the X-Prize . Much of the work done at these facilities is performed in coordination with Edwards Air Force Base and the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (see above), from the creation and testing of proof-of-concept X-planes, to Space Shuttle operations, to
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#17327918223655022-497: The other areas in California. The Central Valley is also expanding in the number of people that coincide in that area, so it increases the number of cars which can also contribute to the amount of emission that is in the air. The northern Central Valley has a hot Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification Csa ); the more southerly parts in rainshadow zones are dry enough to be Mediterranean steppe or even low-latitude desert ( BWh , as in areas around Bakersfield ). It
5103-484: The properties is a church building that was used as a filming location for Kill Bill . The code enforcers have arrived on some of their visits in SWAT -team formats. Hispanics and Whites make up the majority of the population. Spanish and Tagalog are the most common foreign languages spoken in the Antelope Valley. According to Mapping L.A. , German and English were the most common ancestries and Mexico and
5184-525: The risk of floods damaging properties increased greatly. The Great Flood of 1862 was the valley's worst flood in recorded history, flooding most of the valley and putting some places as much as 20 feet (6.1 m) under water. In 2003, it was determined that Sacramento had both the least protection against and nearly the highest risk of flooding. Congress then granted a $ 220 million loan for upgrades in Sacramento County. Other counties in
5265-652: The rivers, with many of them being part of the Central Valley Project . These dams impact physical, economic, cultural, and ecological resources: for example, enabling the development of its vast agricultural resources but leading to the loss of the Chinook salmon . Post-World War II demand for urban development, most notably the San Francisco Bay Area and the Los Angeles / Inland Empire / San Diego , required water resources. Moreover, agriculture in
5346-487: The southeast. Edwards Air Force Base lies east of Rosamond , 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Palmdale . Edwards AFB's dry lakebeds are the lowest geographic elevation in the valley. Significant numbers of U.S. military test flights are performed there, and it has been the site of many important aeronautical accomplishments, including the first flight to break the sound barrier , accomplished by Chuck Yeager. NASA Space Shuttles originally landed at Edwards because
5427-610: The southern Central Valley required far more water than was available locally. The Feather River in the Sacramento Valley was looked to as a water source, leading to the California State Water Project . This transports water to the southern San Joaquin Valley and urban areas south of the Tehachapi Mountains. Runoff from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers is intercepted in the delta through
5508-456: The southern half of the San Joaquin Valley but occasionally to the Sacramento Valley . The northern half of the Central Valley receives greater precipitation than the semidesert southern half. Frost occurs at times in the fall months, but snow is extremely rare. Tule fog / ˈ t uː l iː / is a thick ground fog that settles along the valley's length. Tule fog forms during the late fall and winter (California's rainy season ), after
5589-400: The southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is caused by the fungus Coccidioides immitis , which grows in soils in areas of low rainfall, high summer temperatures, and moderate winter temperatures. These fungal spores become airborne when the soil is disturbed by winds, construction, or farming. This illness frequently takes weeks or months to resolve. Occasionally Valley Fever
5670-408: The state capital Sacramento , as well as Redding , Chico , Stockton , Modesto , Merced , Fresno , Visalia , Porterville , and Bakersfield . The Central Valley watershed comprises 60,000 square miles (160,000 km ), or over a third of California. It consists of three main drainage systems: the Sacramento Valley in the north, which receives over 20 inches (510 mm) of rain annually;
5751-537: The state, rely on the water carried by these rivers. Sierra Nevada runoff provides one of California's largest water resources. The Sacramento River is the second largest river to empty into the Pacific from the contiguous United States , behind only the Columbia River and greater than the Colorado River . Combined with the fertile and expansive area of the Central Valley's floor, the Central Valley
5832-438: The valley have been categorized as the California interior chaparral and woodlands ecoregion. The dominant grass of the valley was Nassella pulchra mixed with other species, but today only 1% of the grassland in the valley is intact. Grassland flowers include California poppy ( Eschscholzia californica ), lupins , and purple owl's clover ( Castilleja exserta ), which can still be seen, especially in Antelope Valley in
5913-569: The valley include the endemic San Joaquin coachwhip snake ( Masticophis flagellum ruddocki ), blunt-nosed leopard lizard ( Gambelia sila ), Gilbert's skink ( Eumeces gilberti ) and the western aquatic garter snake ( Thamnophis couchii ). Endemic invertebrates are present. The Central Valley is home to endemic fish species, including the Sacramento pikeminnow , Sacramento perch , Sacramento blackfish , and Sacramento splittail . The Great Valley Grasslands State Park preserves an example of
5994-493: The valley that often face flooding are Yuba , Stanislaus , and San Joaquin . There is a very strong positive correlation between rainfall and slow-moving landslides in Northern California, especially in the Central Valley region. Changes in climate and precipitation levels have shown that consistent average rainfall has increased the number and intensity of landslides within the past 5–6 years. This information
6075-597: The valley's native grass habitat , while oak savanna habitats survive near Visalia . Areas of wetland and riverside woodland are found in the north, especially by the Sacramento River system, including the Nature Conservancy 's Cosumnes River Preserve just south of Sacramento, Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, Butte Sink Wildlife Management Area , and other patches in the delta area. Remaining vernal pools include Pixley National Wildlife Refuge between Tulare, California , and Bakersfield and Jepson Prairie Preserve in
6156-469: The “Central Valley”, many residents consider the Central Valley to consist of only the San Joaquin Valley . This is perhaps due to significant landscape and cultural differences between the two; the San Joaquin Valley is poorer and drier with more fertile soil, while the Sacramento Valley is wealthier and wetter with poorer soils. The major presence of the Sacramento River and its tributaries in
6237-668: Was also partly filmed in Antelope Valley. The video to the R.E.M. song " Man on the Moon " was shot in Antelope Valley in October 1992. Major hospitals include: The Antelope Valley was formerly served by a county hospital, High Desert Hospital, which was converted into an urgent care clinic in 2003 due to the county's budget problems. As a result, indigent patients with serious but non-life-threatening medical conditions must seek treatment at Olive View – UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar, which
6318-648: Was founded for the X-1 program. The Space Shuttle orbiter was serviced there when it landed at Edwards. U. S. Air Force Plant 42 in northeast Palmdale is home to Lockheed Martin , Boeing , Northrop Grumman , and BAE Systems , among other aerospace-related companies. Notable projects assembled and/or designed there include the Space Shuttle orbiters , B-1 Lancer bombers, B-2 Spirit bombers, F-117 Nighthawk fighters, F-35 Joint Strike Fighters , and Lockheed L-1011 Tristar passenger jets. This region also houses
6399-410: Was named. Unusually heavy snows in both the mountains and the valley floor drove the antelope toward their normal feeding grounds in the eastern part of the valley. Since they would not cross the railroad tracks , many of them starved to death. The remainder of these pronghorns were hunted for their hides by settlers. Once abundant, they either died off or migrated into the Central Valley . A drought in
6480-480: Was once under Mexican rule and was named after the large herds of antelope. In recent decades, the valley has become a bedroom community to the Greater Los Angeles area . Major housing-tract development and population growth took off beginning in 1983, which has increased the population of Palmdale around 12 times its former size as of 2006. Neighboring Lancaster has increased its population since
6561-456: Was shown in a study that focused on the behavior of these slow-moving landslides and how their nature changed with years of extreme average rainfall versus minimal average rainfall. In 2016, the average annual precipitation levels were lower because of a drought that was coming to an end at that time. The minimal rainfall in that year showed that 119 landslides had been moving. Comparatively, in 2017, there were very extreme levels of precipitation in
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