Los Angeles herald., 1893-01-01

high, which run northeasterly from the
Sierra Madre. Antelope valley is about
go miles long east and west by some 25
miles wide north and south. The sur
face of the valley has a general slope to
the northeast. The average altitude of
the valley is 2200 feet above sea level.
The Sierra Nevada constitute its north
ern and western boundaries.
LAKES.
There are no lakes of any size in Los
Angeles county. Elizabeth lake, near
the southwestern part Of Antelope val
ley, consists of three separate bodies of
water, which are connected with each
other by small streams. The total sur
| face area is about four square miles.
There is another small lake in gran
ite basin of the Sierra Madre, about op-
posite and north OF Pasadena 1t has a
surface area OF mile or two square.
Occasionally, during the winter. its wa
ters overflow into the west fork of the
San Gabriel river.
RIVERS.
Los Angeles county has only two riv-
ers-the Los Angeles and San Gabriel.
The dictionary definition of river as "a
large stream of water flowing in chan
mel on land toward the ocean, a lake, or
another river" (Webster) does not de-
scribe the rivers Of Southern California.
The definition holds good for rivers
which drain countries OF regu ar and
abundant rainfall. But, here, where the
annual precipitation is comparatively
small, by river is not always meant
visible stream. During the summer time
their bedH are filed only with dry sand,
through which, however, considerable
amount o. water seeps down to the
ocean. 1t is only during the period of
the winter floods that the channels may
be filled with water.
The Los Angeles river rises in the
western part of the San Fernando val
ley, about IL miles northwest OF the
city, and flows easterly IS miles to the
Los Angeles pass. Its stream is fed all
along by springs. Two other rivers"
the Pscoima and the Tejunga, join it in
the San Fernando valley. Turning
south, it flows through the Los Angeles
pass, and on through the city. In
former years its waters flowed through
the southwestern part OF the city, and
out through the Cienega district, and
emptied into the ocean through La
BalIona harbor. Subsequently the
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empti d its waters into the lowlands
around Compton and Wilmington.
Then neither the Los Angeles nor the
San Gabriel rivers bad channel to the
ocean. Their winter floods accumulated
in lakes and ponds in the district above
named. An immense forest OF willows,
alders, sycamores and cottonwoods COW
cred all that district. The winter foods
of 1926 26 were very great. The low
lands were filled to overhowing. The
waters broke through the sand dunes
just west of Long Beach. A channel
was formed, and the drainage was SO
complete that the big forest totally dis
appeared in few yeare.
Most Of the water of the Los Angeles
river is now taken for irrigation and city
use. During the dry season the surface
stream seldom flows below the city
limits. Only short time at intervals
during the rain season, at the height of
floods, does the stream ever reach tie
ocean.
The San Gabriel river has two princi-
pal sources in the Sierra Madre. The
north fork rises in township 2 north,
range IL west, San Bernardino base and
meridian, and flows easterly through
three townships into township north,
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with the east fork. The latter stream
rises in township north, range west,
and flows southerly. From the point of
junction the river flows southwesterly
TO the ocean. For years, before the
great food of 1925 6, it discharged its
waters into the lowlands north OF Will
mington. After that it joined the Los
Angeles river in township 4 south, range
13 west. The winterof 1868 witnessed
another great flood. The San Gabriel
river then broke over it's banks in town
ship south, range IL west and, flowing
southerly, cut a new enamel through to
Alamitos bay. Since that time its
waters have been divided between the
old and new channels.
BAYS AND HARBoRs.
The shore line of Los Angeles county
is about 80 miles long. 1t has two
large indentations, known as Santa
Monica and San 'edro bays.
Santa Monica is large blight. Its
outside points, Dumetz on the north
and Vincent on the south, are 2S miles
apart. The shore line Of the bay bows
in from the straight line between Point
Dumetz and Point Vincent, about IL
miles.
Within Santa Monica bay is La Ball
ona lake, which was formerly the an
cient mouth of the Los Angeles river.
When that river changed its course,
late in the last century, to the Whining
ton channel, the ocean tides closed the
old river mouth with sand, and the
seepage water formed lake inside the
sand ridge. A few years ago channel
was cut through this sand ridge by an
improvement company, and the ocean
waters again mingled with the lake.
The particulars Of the commercial in
terests of Santa Monica bay region Will
be noticed in detail under that appro-
pirate subject.
San Pedro bay is about y miles scross
from Point Frmin to the southwest cor
ner of Orange county. 1t has width of
about four miles from this line to shore.
The shore line has two indentations.
known as Wilmington slough and Ala
mitos bay. The former has been en-
larged and improved into q harbor.
Alamitos bay has a surface area of about
three square miles. Under appropriate
headings the commercial interests of
San Pedro bay region will be particu-
larly noted.
ISLANDS.
| Santa Catalina is the only island
which belongs to Los Angeles county.
1t lies in the Pacific ocean, the shortest
1