Antelope Valley
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The Antelope Valley in California is located in northern Los Angeles County and the southeastern portion of Kern County, California. The principal cities in the Antelope Valley are Lancaster and Palmdale.
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[edit] Geography
Shaped like a sideways letter "V", 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 and southeast of the Tehachapis, this desert ecosystem spans approximately 2,200 square miles (5,700 km²). Precipitation in the surrounding mountain ranges contributes to the recharge of the groundwater system.
[edit] Water issues
Human water use in the Antelope Valley depends mainly on pumping of groundwater from the valley's aquifers and on importing of additional water through aqueducts. Long-term groundwater pumping has lowered the water table, thereby increasing pumping lifts, reducing well efficiency, and causing land subsidence. [1] While aqueducts supply additional water to meet increasing human demand for agricultural, industrial, and domestic uses, diversion of water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in Northern California has adverse environmental and social effects. "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". [2]
Antelope Valley's rapid human population growth and development place considerable stress on the local and regional water systems. According to David Leighton of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), "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".[3]
[edit] Human History
The first peoples of the Antelope Valley include the Kawaiisu[2], Kitanemuk, Serrano, and Tataviam. The valley was first entered by Europeans in the 1770s, during colonization of North America. Father Francisco Garces, a Spanish Franciscan friar, is believed to have traveled the west end of the valley in 1776. By 1808, the invaders forced native peoples out of the valley and into missions [3].
Jedediah Smith came through in 1827, and John C. Fremont made a scientific observation of the valley in 1844 along with his other California explorations.
Stagecoach lines came through the valley along its foothills after Fremont's visit and were the preferred way of travel for colonists before the coming of the Southern Pacific railroad in 1876. The rail service linking the valley to the Central Valley and Los Angeles started the first large influx of white settlers to the valley, and farms and towns soon sprouted on the valley floor.
The aircraft (now referred to as aerospace) industry took hold in the valley at Plant 42 in 1952. Edwards AFB, then called Muroc Army Air Field, was established in 1933.
[edit] Demographics
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 the early 1980s to around 3 times its former level. Major retail has followed the population influx, centered around Palmdale's Antelope Valley Mall. New business parks in both Palmdale and Lancaster have been constructed and have room for additional businesses to relocate.
Whites make up approximately 48% of the population of the Antelope Valley and the majority in most of its cities and towns. Hispanics are the next largest group, followed by African Americans and Asian Americans.
[edit] Military base
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 amounts of U. S. military flight testing is performed there, and it has been the site of many important aeronatical accomplishments, including the first flight to break the sound barrier. NASA space shuttles originally landed at Edwards because the lake beds offer a vast landing area. NASA has since built a huge landing strip at Kennedy Space Center, and Edwards remains the backup in case of bad weather at Cape Canaveral.
[edit] Industry
[edit] Aerospace
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, B-2 Spirit bomber, F-117 Nighthawk fighter, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, a passenger jet aircraft.
The newly dedicated Mojave Spaceport is also located in this region. The spaceport is famous as the base of operations for Scaled Composites, the company that designed SpaceShipOne and won the X-Prize.
[edit] Agriculture
The valley's first main industry as a part of the United States was agriculture. Historically known regionally 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 the middle of the valley, the farm operations are now found farther to the west and east sides than in previous decades.
[edit] Mining
The largest Borax open pit mine in the world is located near Boron. Public touring is available.
[edit] Parks
Include:
- Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, home to California's state flower
- Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park
- Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park
- Saddleback Butte State Park
[edit] Hospitals
- Antelope Valley Hospital Medical Center
- Lancaster Community Hospital
- Palmdale Regional Medical Center
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Major highways and roads
Include:
- Angeles Forest Highway, a key county road, connects Palmdale with Angeles Crest Highway as an alternate route to the Los Angeles basin.
- The Antelope Valley Freeway (California State Route 14)
- California State Route 18 (connects SR 138 east of Palmdale to Victor Valley and U.S.Route 395) There is currently a proposal to turn this into a freeway.
- California State Route 138 (of which Pearblossom Highway comprises its eastern leg)
- California State Route 58 (freeway status now that the new Mojave bypass has been completed)
- U.S. Route 395 (which technically lies east of the Valley proper)
On the ridgeline of the San Gabriel Mountains, the Angeles Crest Highway (California State Route 2) snakes 60 miles (100 km) through the Angeles National Forest to La Canada Flintridge to the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan region.
[edit] Rail
- Metrolink passenger rail service to the Los Angeles Basin and other parts of Southern California provides service to Antelope Valley commuters at its Lancaster, Palmdale, and Vincent Grade/Acton stations.
- Amtrak passenger rail service has a commuter bus that runs to the Palmdale Transportation Center and the Lancaster Metrolink station, connecting Antelope Valley residents to the national rail network.
- A future rail line is planned between the Palmdale Transportation Center and Palmdale Regional Airport. This will connect the airport directly with the extensive Southern California mass transit network. As of 2007 it is still unknown whether this will be a subway or an elevated rail line.
- The California High Speed Rail authority has designated Palmdale as a stop on the future rail line between San Francisco and San Diego. Due to lack of funding available for this project, as of 2007 it will still be several years before this project is even started.
[edit] Bus
- The Antelope Valley Transit Authority is the local city-bus system for metropolitan Palmdale and Lancaster. The service also operates a commuter bus network from its hubs at the Palmdale Transportation Center and the Lancaster Park & Ride to several locations in Los Angeles.
- Greyhound Bus has stops at the Palmdale Transportation Center and the Lancaster Metrolink station.
[edit] Airports
- Palmdale Regional Airport, co-sited with USAF Plant 42 is by far the largest and busiest airport in the valley and is owned by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the Los Angeles city government entity which owns and operates LAX. Mostly military flights occur at this airport. Commercial jet service by United Airlines will begin to San Francisco International Airport in June 2007.
- General William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster is the valley's busiest general aviation airport. It is the fourth largest airport in the valley. Charter air service and helicopter rides are available. This airport also has the valley's only aviation school.
- Inyokern Airport in Inyokern is a large general aviation airport with limited commerical airline service to Los Angeles International Airport, serving the northern Antelope Valley and Indian Wells Valley communities. Charter service is also available. It is the area's third largest airport.
- Mojave Airport in Mojave is a large civil aviation center and the second largest airport in the valley. SpaceShipOne was developed and flown from its location.
- Tehachapi Municipal Airport in Tehachapi is a small general aviation airport.
- Agua Dulce Airpark in Agua Dulce is a meduim sized general aviation airport.
- Rosamond Skypark Airport in Rosamond is a small general aviation airport, privately owned and operated.
- California City Municipal Airport in California City is a small general aviation airport.
- Crystalaire Airport in Llano is a small airstrip principally dedicated to glider flights.
[edit] Notable people
Some people of note have spent time in the valley, including:
- Judy Garland, then known in the valley as Frances Gumm. As a girl, she would sing in public to her Lancaster neighbors.
- John Wayne, then known as Marion Morrison, was briefly a Lancaster schoolboy who would be known not to tie up his horse properly when he left it by the street, as was the old time custom.
- Daniel Fry, a contactee, attended Antelope Valley High School in Lancaster during the 1920's.
- The 90's R&B group All-4-One was from the AV.
- Aldous Huxley drew writing inspiration from the solitude found at his Llano home. A little known children's fiction, The Crows of Pearblossom, is set in the valley and was the only children's book he has been known to write.
- Pancho Barnes the legendary aviatrix and friend to the U.S. Air Force's test pilots of what is now called Edwards Air Force Base, established the celebrated Happy Bottom Riding Club near Rogers Dry Lake in 1935, later living in Cantil and Boron.
- Chuck Yeager was an early USAF test pilot at then-Muroc Army Air Field, now known as Edwards Air Force Base, where he became the first man to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947.
- Frank Zappa attended Antelope Valley High School in Lancaster, graduating in 1958. He met Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart) there, a fellow student at the time.
- Tippi Hedren, who made her major motion picture debut in The Birds, is an Acton resident since at least 1981 (Acton not being in the valley proper, but nearby to the south).
- Michael Deaver, former aide to Ronald Reagan, is a former Mojave resident.
- Kathleen Soliah, who achieved notoriety as a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army in the 1970s and then as a fugitive living a quiet, middle-class life in St. Paul, Minnesota, grew up in Desert View Highlands, graduating from Palmdale High School in 1965.
- Burt Rutan and his brother Dick Rutan of Scaled Composites, the firm which produced SpaceShipOne and the Voyager flying crafts, work out of Mojave Airport/Spaceport in Mojave.
- R. Lee Ermey of Full Metal Jacket and Mail Call fame is a current Palmdale resident.
- Home to members of the punk bands Slick Shoes and Killradio.
- Joseph Foreman, more frequently known as Afroman, lives in Palmdale.
See also Aerospace Walk of Honor - downtown Lancaster sidewalk tribute to the U. S. Air Force flight test community.
[edit] Valley place names
[edit] Cities over 100,000 population
[edit] Cities less than 100,000 population
- Ridgecrest - incorporated in 1963 (technically in the Indian Wells Valley)
- Tehachapi - incorporated in 1909 (technically in the Tehachapi Valley)
- California City - incorporated in 1965
[edit] Unincorporated towns and districts
Over 10,000 Population
- Rosamond
- Lake Los Angeles
- Quartz Hill
- Acton (technically in the San Gabriel Mountains)
- Littlerock
- Phelan
- Sun Village
Under 10,000 Population
- Agua Dulce (technically in the San Gabriel Mountains}
- Antelope Acres
- Boron
- Del Sur
- Elizabeth Lake (techincally in the Leona Valley)
- Inyokern (technically in the Indian Wells Valley)
- Johannesburg
- Juniper Hills
- Lake Hughes (technically in the Leona Valley)
- Leona Valley (techincally in the Leona Valley)
- Llano
- Mojave
- Monolith (technically in the Tehachapi Valley)
- North Edwards
- Pearblossom
- Pinon Hills
- Randsburg
- Saltdale
- Valyermo
- Wilsona Gardens
- Willow Springs
[edit] Trivia
- Antelope Valley features prominently in the music video for "Stoned in Love" by Chicane and Tom Jones; in which Tom Jones is wanted and pursued by the 'Antelope Valley Police'
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- The Geography of Suburban Sprawl in the Antelope Valley: In-depth study of the Valley's historical development and recent (1990s) urban conditions
- Antelope Valley Press
- Antelope Valley Weekly
- Antelope Valley photographs and discussion
- Antelope Valley Indian Museum and State Historical Park
