Bell Creek (Southern California)
Encyclopedia
Bell Creek is a 10 miles (16.1 km) tributary
of the Los Angeles River
, in the Simi Hills
of Ventura County
and the San Fernando Valley
of Los Angeles County and City
, in Southern California
.
feeder-streams begin in the Simi Hills
in Ventura County
from 90% of the Rocketdyne
Santa Susana Field Laboratory
(SSFL) property as its watershed
, leaving the site with toxic substances and radionuclide
contamination via culvert outfalls, aquifer
seeps
and springs
, and surface runoff
. It then flows as a creek
southeast through Bell Canyon
(the community and geographic feature), Bell Canyon Park
, and El Escorpión Park
in a natural stream bed
. It then is altered to flow in a concrete channel
. Moore Creek joins in from the west, and then it flows east, channelized through West Hills, where it is joined by the South Fork and South Branches of the same name and by Dayton Creek. Then on through Canoga Park to join Arroyo Calabasas
(Calabasas Creek) and becoming the Los Angeles River
.
Bell Creek begins as a free-flowing stream until passing Escorpión Peak
(Castle Peak) in Bell Canyon Park. At Bell Canyon Road and Elmsbury Lane it abruptly becomes encased in a concrete
flood control channel
, then under Valley Circle Boulevard, flowing just south of Highlander Road through former Rancho El Escorpión
-current West Hills, and further eastward parallel to (and south of) Sherman Way in Canoga Park. There, it ultimately joins Arroyo Calabasas
, directly east of Canoga Park High School
beside Vanowen Avenue. The confluence
marks the "headwaters" of the Los Angeles River
, 34.1952°N 118.601838°W.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Los Angeles River
Los Angeles River
The Los Angeles River is a river that starts in the San Fernando Valley, in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the western end of the San Fernando Valley, nearly southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
, in the Simi Hills
Simi Hills
The Simi Hills are a low rocky mountain range of the Transverse Ranges, located in eastern Ventura County and western Los Angeles County, of southern California, United States.-Geography:...
of Ventura County
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
and the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
of Los Angeles County and City
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
.
Route
The initial headwaterSource (river or stream)
The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...
feeder-streams begin in the Simi Hills
Simi Hills
The Simi Hills are a low rocky mountain range of the Transverse Ranges, located in eastern Ventura County and western Los Angeles County, of southern California, United States.-Geography:...
in Ventura County
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
from 90% of the Rocketdyne
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is a United States company that designs and produces rocket engines that use liquid propellants. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, headquartered in Canoga Park, California, is a division of Pratt & Whitney, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation...
Santa Susana Field Laboratory
Santa Susana Field Laboratory
The Santa Susana Field Laboratory is a complex of industrial research and development facilities located on a 2,668 acre portion of the Southern California Simi Hills in Simi Valley, California, used mainly for the testing and development of Liquid-propellant rocket engines for the United States...
(SSFL) property as its watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
, leaving the site with toxic substances and radionuclide
Radionuclide
A radionuclide is an atom with an unstable nucleus, which is a nucleus characterized by excess energy available to be imparted either to a newly created radiation particle within the nucleus or to an atomic electron. The radionuclide, in this process, undergoes radioactive decay, and emits gamma...
contamination via culvert outfalls, aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
seeps
Seep (hydrology)
A Seep is a moist or wet place where water, usually groundwater, reaches the earth's surface from an underground aquifer.-Description:Seeps are usually not of sufficient volume to be flowing beyond their above-ground location. They are part of the limnology-geomorphology system...
and springs
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
, and surface runoff
Surface runoff
Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...
. It then flows as a creek
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
southeast through Bell Canyon
Bell Canyon, California
Bell Canyon is a census-designated place in Ventura County, California. Bell Canyon is a residential unincorporated community located near West Hills and the western San Fernando Valley in the Simi Hills. Although only minutes from the Los Angeles city limits, Bell Canyon is a Horse Community. ...
(the community and geographic feature), Bell Canyon Park
Bell Canyon Park
Bell Canyon Park is a large open-space regional park located in the Simi Hills at the western end of the San Fernando Valley in West Hills and Bell Canyon, California. Bell Creek, a primary tributary to the Los Angeles River, flows through the park with riparian zone vegetation along its natural...
, and El Escorpión Park
El Escorpion Park
El Escorpión Park is a three-acre park located in the Simi Hills of the western San Fernando Valley, in the West Hills district of Los Angeles, California...
in a natural stream bed
Stream bed
A stream bed is the channel bottom of a stream, river or creek; the physical confine of the normal water flow. The lateral confines or channel margins, during all but flood stage, are known as the stream banks or river banks. In fact, a flood occurs when a stream overflows its banks and flows onto...
. It then is altered to flow in a concrete channel
Flood control channel
Flood control channels are a series of large and empty open-air channels that extend a ways below the street levels of some larger cities, so that if and when a flood occurs, the flood will run into the channels, and proceed to be drained to the proper body of water...
. Moore Creek joins in from the west, and then it flows east, channelized through West Hills, where it is joined by the South Fork and South Branches of the same name and by Dayton Creek. Then on through Canoga Park to join Arroyo Calabasas
Arroyo Calabasas
Arroyo Calabasas is a tributary of the Los Angeles River, in the southwestern San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County in California.-Route:...
(Calabasas Creek) and becoming the Los Angeles River
Los Angeles River
The Los Angeles River is a river that starts in the San Fernando Valley, in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the western end of the San Fernando Valley, nearly southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
.
Bell Creek begins as a free-flowing stream until passing Escorpión Peak
El Escorpion Park
El Escorpión Park is a three-acre park located in the Simi Hills of the western San Fernando Valley, in the West Hills district of Los Angeles, California...
(Castle Peak) in Bell Canyon Park. At Bell Canyon Road and Elmsbury Lane it abruptly becomes encased in a concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
flood control channel
Flood control channel
Flood control channels are a series of large and empty open-air channels that extend a ways below the street levels of some larger cities, so that if and when a flood occurs, the flood will run into the channels, and proceed to be drained to the proper body of water...
, then under Valley Circle Boulevard, flowing just south of Highlander Road through former Rancho El Escorpión
Rancho El Escorpión
Rancho El Escorpión was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to three Chumash Native Americans - Odón Eusebia, Urbano, and Mañuel....
-current West Hills, and further eastward parallel to (and south of) Sherman Way in Canoga Park. There, it ultimately joins Arroyo Calabasas
Arroyo Calabasas
Arroyo Calabasas is a tributary of the Los Angeles River, in the southwestern San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County in California.-Route:...
, directly east of Canoga Park High School
Canoga Park High School
Canoga Park High School is a public school located in Canoga Park in the western San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States, and is in the Los Angeles Unified School District...
beside Vanowen Avenue. The confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
marks the "headwaters" of the Los Angeles River
Los Angeles River
The Los Angeles River is a river that starts in the San Fernando Valley, in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the western end of the San Fernando Valley, nearly southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
, 34.1952°N 118.601838°W.
Bell Creek
- Vassar Avenue/Canoga Park High SchoolCanoga Park High SchoolCanoga Park High School is a public school located in Canoga Park in the western San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States, and is in the Los Angeles Unified School District...
[Pedestrian Bridge] - California State Route 27California State Route 27State Route 27 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs from Pacific Coast Highway at Topanga State Beach near Pacific Palisades, through Topanga Canyon including the community of Fernwood Pacific also known as Topanga, and continuing through Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, West...
- North Topanga Canyon Boulevard (1949) - Glade Avenue [Pedestrian Bridge]
- Shoup Avenue (1962)
- Dayton Creek enters from north
- Fallbrook Avenue (1963)
- South Branch enters
- Royer Avenue [Pedestrian Bridge]
- South Fork enters
- Platt Avenue (1961)
- Moore Creek enters from west
- Valley Circle Boulevard (1963)
- Highlander Road (19__)
- Bell Canyon Road (1969)
- Buckskin Court (1969)
South Fork Bell Creek
- Vanowen Street (1958)
- Haynes Street [Pedestrian Bridge, Closed]
- Victory Boulevard (1959)
- Platt Avenue (1959)
- Peterson Avenue (1961)
See also
- Source (river or stream)Source (river or stream)The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...
- aka: watershed and headwaters - ConfluenceConfluenceConfluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
- aka: "headwaters" - Drainage basinDrainage basinA drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
- aka: "watershed" - Urban runoffUrban runoffUrban runoff is surface runoff of rainwater created by urbanization. This runoff is a major source of water pollution in many parts of the United States and other urban communities worldwide.-Overview:...
External links
- Bell Canyon photo gallery: 'Nature' sections.