Chalk Hills

For England's chalk hill ranges, see Berkshire Downs and South Downs.
Chalk Hills
View from Chalk Hills northeast across San Fernando Valley to San Gabriel Mountains.
Highest point
Elevation1,086 ft (331 m)
Geography
Chalk Hills is located in California
Chalk Hills
Chalk Hills
Location of the Chalk Hills in California[1]
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionSouthern California
DistrictWoodland Hills
MunicipalityCity of Los Angeles
Range coordinates34°10′16.019″N 118°34′48.309″W / 34.17111639°N 118.58008583°W / 34.17111639; -118.58008583
Borders onSanta Monica Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Canoga Park
BiomeCalifornia chaparral and woodlands

The Chalk Hills are a north–south-running low 'mountain' range in the San Fernando Valley perpendicular to and adjoining the Santa Monica Mountains. They are located in the Woodland Hills District of the City of Los Angeles in Southern California.[1] They run between DeSoto and Winnetka Avenues, from south of Ventura Boulevard north to near Victory Boulevard.

Geography

The Chalk Hills host an expansive, low-density, semi-urban suburb of the San Fernando Valley.

Los Angeles Pierce College is located on the northern portion of the Chalk Hills. Historically the free-flowing Los Angeles River ran around that portion. U.S. Route 101, the Ventura Freeway, cuts deeply through the southern part since the 1960s.

The range has a white soil and bedrock, resembling chalk, and was a 'white landform' Valley landmark before suburban development on it in the 1960s. The white rocks are marine shales. Geologists are unsure of its relationship with other rock formations in Southern California, although Thomas Dibblee has identified it as a member of the Sisquoc Formation.[2] A small remnant California oak woodland plant community remains in an undeveloped southeastern area of the Pierce campus.

Local ranges

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Chalk Hills". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  2. ^ Dibblee, T.W., and Ehrenspeck, H.E., ed., 1992, Geologic map of the Topanga and Canoga Park (south 1/2) quadrangles, Los Angeles County, California: Dibblee Geological Foundation, Dibblee Foundation Map DF-35, scale 1:24,000