Chapter 2 Environmental Setting

The San Fernando Valley is located slightly north of Los Angeles but is still a part of the county. It is elevated at between 600 and 1,200 feet above sea level. There is also the Los Angeles River that flows through the valley. The valley covers an area of about 260 square miles. The climate is usually referred to as desert, but this is incorrect. The climate is actually temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrub lands originally. The Northern end of the valley, specifically Porter Ranch and Granada Hills region have brush fire season every year right before the start of winter due to hot weather and no precipitation. The Valley goes through frequent droughts and is currently experiencing one at the moment. According to a study by the Woodland Hills patch, 2013 was the driest year on record (since 1877 when records started) with a whopping 2.5 inches of rain.(http://woodlandhills.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/2013-may-be-driest-on-record-for-woodland-hills) Average temperatures range between the 40s-60s during winter months, and 60s to high 80s in the summertime.

This map shows the boundaries of the valley and the surrounding areas.

An aerial shot of the smoke clouds caused by brush fires in Porter Ranch.