A strait is a water body connecting two seas or two water basins. While the landform generally constricts the flow, the surface water still flows, for the most part, at the same elevation on both sides and through the strait in both directions. In some straits there may be a dominant directional current through the strait. Most commonly, it is a narrowing channel that lies between two land masses . Some straits are not navigable, for example because they are either too narrow or too shallow, or because of an unnavigable reef or archipelago . Straits are also known to be loci for sediment accumulation. Usually, sand-size deposits occur on both the two opposite strait exits, forming subaqueous fans or deltas .
15-860: The Whittier Narrows is a narrows or water gap in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California , United States, between the Puente Hills to the east and the Montebello Hills to the west. The gap is located at the southern boundary of the San Gabriel Valley, through which the Rio Hondo and the San Gabriel River flow to enter the Los Angeles Basin . The Narrows is located near
30-640: A connector trail between the Class I Rio Hondo bicycle path and the San Gabriel River bicycle path . The park is roughly bordered by Garvey Avenue and San Gabriel Blvd to the north and west and Durfee Avenue and Santa Anita/Merced Avenues to the south and east. A convenient point of access is the Rosemead Blvd ( State Route 19 ) exit south from the Pomona (60) Freeway . Within the Recreation Area
45-518: A short distance upriver". A narrows is also typically a good location for trapping migrating fish . Furthermore, a narrows is "an important topographical feature for wind mixing", an effect where a wind chill may form ice while the surrounding temperature remains above freezing. This article related to topography is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Strait The terms channel , pass , or passage can be synonymous and used interchangeably with strait , although each
60-414: Is a 1,500-acre (6.1 km) multi-use facility, mostly in an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County , containing North Lake, Center Lake, and Legg Lake (where radio-controlled model speedboats may be operated), a rifle and pistol shooting range, numerous softball and soccer fields with picnic tables, a paved airstrip for radio-controlled hobby aircraft, a tether car race track, a USA BMX race track, and
75-540: Is a flood control and water conservation project constructed and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District. It collects runoff from the uncontrolled drainage areas upstream along with releases from the Santa Fe Dam , and can redirect flows into the Rio Hondo or the downstream San Gabriel. It was completed in 1957. Narrows A narrows or narrow (used interchangeably but usually in
90-562: Is sometimes differentiated with varying senses. In Scotland, firth or Kyle are also sometimes used as synonyms for strait. Many straits are economically important. Straits can be important shipping routes and wars have been fought for control of them. Numerous artificial channels, called canals , have been constructed to connect two oceans or seas over land, such as the Suez Canal . Although rivers and canals often provide passage between two large lakes, and these seem to suit
105-608: Is the Whittier Narrows Nature Center, which contains exhibits about the plants and animals of the river environment, including live displays. The center offers public programs, lectures, ranger tours and education programs. Dragon sculptures by Benjamin Dominquez can be seen here; others are at Laguna de San Gabriel Nautical Playground at Vincent Lugo Park in San Gabriel. The Whittier Narrows Dam
120-540: The Rancho Paso de Bartolo . On October 1, 1987 at 7:42 a.m. PDT, the 5.9 M w Whittier Narrows earthquake affected the Greater Los Angeles Area with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII ( Severe ). In October 2008, a proposed new interpretive center drew controversy over the potential destruction of a large amount of existing wildlife habitat. The Whittier Narrows Recreation Area
135-776: The convergence of Interstate 605 (the San Gabriel River Freeway) and California State Route 60 (the Pomona Freeway). The Tongva village of Shevaanga was located in the northern areas of the Whittier Narrows. The first European land exploration of Alta California , the Spanish Portolá expedition , traversed Whittier Narrows on its return journey to San Diego . He wrote that the natives "presented us fish, hare, nuts, pine nuts, acorns, and other seeds prepared after their fashion". On
150-583: The converse of isthmuses . That is, while a strait lies between two land masses and connects two large areas of ocean, an isthmus lies between two areas of ocean and connects two large land masses. Some straits have the potential to generate significant tidal power using tidal stream turbines . Tides are more predictable than wave power or wind power . The Pentland Firth (a strait) may be capable of generating 10 GW . Cook Strait in New Zealand may be capable of generating 5.6 GW even though
165-475: The formal definition of strait, they are not usually referred to as such. Rivers and often canals, generally have a directional flow tied to changes in elevation, whereas straits often are free flowing in either direction or switch direction, maintaining the same elevation. The term strait is typically reserved for much larger, wider features of the marine environment. There are exceptions, with straits being called canals; Pearse Canal , for example. Straits are
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#1732786658964180-534: The outbound journey, the party had followed San Jose Creek, reaching the San Gabriel River north of the Narrows. Franciscan missionary Juan Crespi noted in his diary, "We started out in the morning through the gap of the valley of San Miguel [now San Gabriel], which is very full of trees. We traveled a long while to the southwest on the edge of the stream, which, rising from a copious spring of water in
195-410: The plural form), is a restricted land or water passage. Most commonly a narrows is a strait , though it can also be a water gap . A narrows may form where a stream passes through a tilted bed of hard rock lying between two softer beds: "[i]f the hard beds are vertical, so that their outcrop does not shift as erosion proceeds, a narrows is developed". Like a dam , this "raises the water level for
210-494: The same gap, merits now the name of river; its plain is covered with willows and some slender cotton woods." From the exploration Mission Vieja was built at Whittier Narrows in 1771. A flood in 1776 caused Mission Vieja to move to Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in San Gabriel. Whittier Narrows was the meeting point for boundary corners of several land-grant ranchos , created during the Spanish-Mexican era, including
225-477: The total energy available in the flow is 15 GW. Straits used for international navigation through the territorial sea between one part of the high seas or an exclusive economic zone and another part of the high seas or an exclusive economic zone are subject to the legal regime of transit passage ( Strait of Gibraltar , Dover Strait , Strait of Hormuz ). The regime of innocent passage applies in straits used for international navigation (1) that connect
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