Oat Mountain (California)

Last updated
Oat Mountain
Highest point
Elevation 3,747 feet (1,142 m)  NAVD 88 [1]
Prominence 1,947 ft (593 m) [1]
Coordinates 34°19′47″N118°36′02″W / 34.3297222°N 118.6006433°W / 34.3297222; -118.6006433 Coordinates: 34°19′47″N118°36′02″W / 34.3297222°N 118.6006433°W / 34.3297222; -118.6006433 [2]
Geography
Location Los Angeles County, California, U.S.
Parent range Santa Susana Mountains
Topo map Oat Mountain
Climbing
Easiest route Road hike

Oat Mountain is a peak of the Santa Susana Mountains overlooking the San Fernando Valley (near Los Angeles, California) to the south and southeast. Oat Mountain is the highest peak in the Santa Susana Mountains of California. The Los Angeles district of Chatsworth is to the south of the mountain. There are many microwave relay antennas as well as Doppler weather equipment at Oat Mountain. SoCal Gas has several wells in the area as well.

Contents

Climate

The weather on Oat Mountain varies from season to season. In January, occasional rain showers and thunderstorms may pass over the mountain. Colder storms produce light snow on the peaks of the mountain, when the snow level drops below 4,000 feet. In spring, the weather may change. Some years it may be very dry, affecting the vegetation. In other years, spring could bring heavy storms with upwards of 4" of rain and some snow. The summer is dry, with occasional thunderstorms (brought in by sub-tropical moisture in the Pacific Ocean) from the floors of the San Fernando Valley and Santa Clarita Valley. This may bring flash flooding and debris flows from burn scars in the area. Fall is typically dry and sunny, and Santa Ana Winds can cause small wildfires to spread on the mountain.

Climate data for Oat Mountain, California (elevation 3,747 ft)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Average high °F (°C)55
(13)
56
(13)
62
(17)
65
(18)
73
(23)
78
(26)
86
(30)
87
(31)
83
(28)
72
(22)
62
(17)
54
(12)
87
(31)
Daily mean °F (°C)47
(8)
47
(8)
51
(11)
53
(12)
60
(16)
64
(18)
71
(22)
72
(22)
69
(21)
60
(16)
52
(11)
46
(8)
58
(14)
Average low °F (°C)39
(4)
37
(3)
40
(4)
41
(5)
47
(8)
50
(10)
56
(13)
56
(13)
55
(13)
48
(9)
42
(6)
38
(3)
37
(3)
Average precipitation inches (mm)4.7
(120)
3.9
(99)
3.7
(94)
1.1
(28)
0.3
(7.6)
0.1
(2.5)
0
(0)
0.3
(7.6)
0.5
(13)
0.7
(18)
2.6
(66)
3.1
(79)
21
(530)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)54520000113425
Source: NOAA (via Google)

Flora and fauna

Wildlife in the area is very sparse in summer months (though occasionally a bear can be spotted). Oat Mountain has typically the same type of flora and fauna found elsewhere in the mountain range. Mountain lions are particularly common in the region and can be seen almost year round, along with birds like the turkey vulture and the Canada goose.

Vegetation is not very diverse on the mountain. The mountain is usually covered in brown grass and oats in the summer, but during heavy periods of rain it is usually green and contains more wildlife.[ original research? ]

Human interference

Oat Mountain has had many major problems in modern times, starting with the construction of two Cold War-era SAM-A-7 (Surface-to-Air Missile, Army, design 7, later changed to MIM-3 (Mobile Interceptor Missile, design 3) Nike Ajax and SAM-A-25/MIM-14 Nike Hercules anti-aircraft missile sites. Known as Nike Missile Site LA-88, they were there not so much to protect the civilian population of the San Fernando Valley, but to guard important military and industrial facilities like the Santa Susana Field Lab, from Soviet attack. They were in operation from 1956-1974. Since then, it was heavily contaminated and debris and abandoned buildings litter that area, located on Browns Canyon Road below Oat Mountain.

In 2015, a story made headlines when a gas leak was reported at one of the seven oil fields littering the natural areas of the mountain. The Aliso Canyon Oil Field was involved in this situation. Many people reported nose bleeds, strong headaches, and other symptoms. That same year the oil field was shut down and taken to court. As of August 2017, the oil field is scheduled to reopen but may be taken to the city regional court in Los Angeles or to the federal court in Sacramento.

Hiking and destinations

Oat Mountain has many hiking trails and scenic destinations. One of the main hiking trails ascends the San Fernando Valley side of the mountain and has four different connecting trails. One of these leads to the Nike Missile Site LA-88 with abandoned buildings, vehicles, and rubble surrounding it. One expert route up the mountain follows the backbone of the mountain in Santa Clarita but is difficult because it is forested. This is a 16-mile hike between Rocky Peak and Oat Mountain.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

Geography of California Overview of the geography of California

California is a U.S. state on the western coast of North America. Covering an area of 163,696 sq mi (423,970 km2), California is among the most geographically diverse states. The Sierra Nevada, the fertile farmlands of the Central Valley, and the arid Mojave Desert of the south are some of the major geographic features of this U.S. state. It is home to some of the world's most exceptional trees: the tallest, most massive, and oldest. It is also home to both the highest and lowest points in the 48 contiguous states. The state is generally divided into Northern and Southern California, although the boundary between the two is not well defined. San Francisco is decidedly a Northern California city and Los Angeles likewise a Southern California one, but areas in between do not often share their confidence in geographic identity. The US Geological Survey defines the geographic center of the state at a point near North Fork, California.

Chatsworth, Los Angeles Neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, United States

Chatsworth is a suburban neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles, California, in the San Fernando Valley.

Santa Monica Mountains Mountain range in California, United States

The Santa Monica Mountains is a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. Because of its proximity to densely populated regions, it is one of the most visited natural areas in California. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is located in this mountain range.

San Gabriel Mountains Mountain range in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, California

The San Gabriel Mountains are a mountain range located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range 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.

Santa Susana Mountains

The Santa Susana Mountains are a transverse range of mountains in Southern California, north of the city of Los Angeles, in the United States. The range runs east-west, separating the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley on its south from the Santa Clara River Valley to the north and the Santa Clarita Valley to the northeast. The Oxnard Plain is to the west of the Santa Susana Mountains.

Santa Clarita Valley Valley in Southern California, US

The Santa Clarita Valley (SCV) is part of the upper watershed of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,673 ha) Rancho San Francisco Mexican land grant. Located in Los Angeles County, its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita which includes the communities of Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus, and Valencia. Adjacent unincorporated communities include Castaic, Stevenson Ranch, Val Verde, and the unincorporated parts of Valencia.

Porter Ranch, Los Angeles Neighborhood of Los Angeles in California, United States

Porter Ranch is a suburban neighborhood in the northwest San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California.

Rocky Peak Mountain in southern California, United States

Rocky Peak, located in Rocky Peak Park, is the fourth-highest point in the Santa Susana Mountains, and overlooks the San Fernando Valley and Chatsworth, the Simi Hills, and the Simi Valley in Southern California. The peak, which is 2,715 feet (828 m) in elevation, sits on the Los Angeles County–Ventura County line.

Chatsworth Peak is a peak in the Simi Hills overlooking Chatsworth and the western San Fernando Valley, in Los Angeles, Southern California. It is southwest of Santa Susana Pass and north of the Chatsworth Reservoir.

Simi Hills Mountain range in Southern California, United States

The Simi Hills are a low rocky mountain range of the Transverse Ranges in eastern Ventura County and western Los Angeles County, of southern California, United States.

Mission Point (California) Mountain in United States of America

Mission Point, better known as "Mission Peak" to locals, is a spur of Oat Mountain in Los Angeles County, Southern California. At 2,771 feet (845 m) high, it is the second highest peak of the Santa Susana Mountains after Oat Mountain.

Sierra Pelona Ridge

The Sierra Pelona, also known as the Sierra Pelona Ridge or the Sierra Pelona Mountains, is a mountain ridge in the Transverse Ranges in Southern California. Located in northwest Los Angeles County, the ridge is bordered on the north by the San Andreas fault and lies within and is surrounded by the Angeles National Forest.

Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park

Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park is a California State Park of approximately 680 acres (2.8 km2) located on the boundary between Ventura and Los Angeles counties, between the communities of Chatsworth and Simi Valley. Geologically, the park is located where the Simi Hills meet the Santa Susana Mountains. Here in the western part of the Transverse Ranges, the land is dominated by high, narrow ridges and deep canyons covered with an abundant variety of plant life. The park offers panoramic views of the rugged natural landscape as a striking contrast to the developed communities nearby. The park is also rich in archaeological, historical, and cultural significance.

Simi Valley, California City in California, United States

The city of Simi Valley, in the valley of the same name, is in the southeast corner of Ventura County, California, United States, 40 miles (65 km) from downtown Los Angeles, making it part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. The city sits next to Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, and Chatsworth. The city's 2019 population has been estimated at 125,613, up from 124,243 in 2010. The city of Simi Valley is surrounded by the Santa Susana Mountain range and the Simi Hills, west of the San Fernando Valley, and northeast of the Conejo Valley. It grew as a commuter bedroom community for the cities in the Los Angeles area and the San Fernando Valley when a freeway was built over the Santa Susana Pass.

Aliso Creek (Los Angeles County)

Aliso Creek is a major tributary of the Upper Los Angeles River in the Santa Susana Mountains in Los Angeles County and western San Fernando Valley in the City of Los Angeles, California.

Browns Canyon Wash, also known as Browns Canyon Creek, is a 10.3-mile-long (16.6 km) tributary of the Los Angeles River in the Santa Susana Mountains of Los Angeles County and across the western San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California.

Sage Ranch Park

Sage Ranch Park is a 625-acre park (253 ha) and wildlife corridor located at a 2,000 feet (610 m) height in the northwestern Simi Hills on the northwestern plateau of the Simi Valley, bordering Los Angeles County and its San Fernando Valley. The campground area used to be a cattle ranch and later a filmset for Western movies. Sage Ranch Park is today an intermountain wildlife corridor, which links the Simi Hills with the Santa Susana- and Santa Monica Mountains. The mountainous park is mostly known for its unique sandstone rock formations, maybe particularly on its western side where the Sandstone Ridge and Turtle Rock are situated. On its northern side, there are great panoramic rural and metropolitan views of the Simi Valley, as well as surrounding Simi Hills, Santa Susana Mountains and beyond. It is home to numerous sandstone formations, caves, outcroppings, tilted rock formations, several hiking trails, a camping ground, as well as native flora and wildlife. The area is lined with coastal sage scrub and other flora includes chaparral, bush lupine, California poppy, sunflowers, Cream Cups, bracken, sword fern, prickly pear cactus, eucalyptus trees, oak woodland of ceanothus, coffee berry, California buckwheat, sycamore, Walnut Tree, ferns, orange- and avocado trees. It is a critical cross-mountain wildlife corridor and is home to fauna such as mountain lions, bobcats, eagles, vultures, owls, rattle snakes, coyotes, hawks, grey fox, king snakes, and more. Bordering Sage Ranch to the south is the Rocketdyne Santa Susana Field Laboratory, in which the nearby Burro Flats Painted Cave is located.

Tapo Canyon

Tapo Canyon is a series of canyons and a wildlife corridor in the western Santa Susana Mountains, north of Simi Valley in Ventura County, Southern California.

Aliso Canyon Oil Field

The Aliso Canyon Oil Field is an oil field and natural gas storage facility in the Santa Susana Mountains in Los Angeles County, California, north of the Porter Ranch neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles. Discovered in 1938 and quickly developed afterward, the field peaked as an oil producer in the 1950s, but has remained active since its discovery. One of its depleted oil and gas producing formations, the Sesnon-Frew zone, was converted into a gas storage reservoir in 1973 by the Southern California Gas Company, the gas utility servicing the southern half of California. This reservoir is the second-largest natural gas storage site in the western United States, with a capacity of over 86 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Currently it is one of four gas storage facilities owned by Southern California Gas, the others being the La Goleta Gas Field west of Santa Barbara, Honor Rancho near Newhall, and Playa del Rey.

Honor Rancho Oil Field

The Honor Rancho Oil Field is an approximately 600-acre oil field and natural gas storage facility in Los Angeles County, California, on the northern border of the Valencia neighborhood of Santa Clarita, near the junction of Interstate 5 and westbound California State Route 126. Discovered in 1950 and quickly developed, the field's oil production peaked in the 1950s, but remains productive in 2016. In 1975 Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), the gas utility serving Southern California, began using one of its depleted oil producing zones, the Wayside 13 zone, as a gas storage reservoir, and it became the second-largest in their inventory after the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility. The field shares part of its extent with the Peter J. Pitchess Detention Center, which includes a maximum-security prison.

References

  1. 1 2 "Oat Mountain, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  2. "Oat Mountain". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey . Retrieved 2009-08-09.