Chatsworth Nature Preserve facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chatsworth Nature Preserve |
|
|---|---|
Northern end of Chatsworth Nature Preserve, including Ecology Pond, as seen from Simi Hills cliffs overlooking Ventura Way
|
|
| Location | San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California |
| Area | 1,325 acres (536 ha) |
| Established | 1994 |
The Chatsworth Nature Preserve (CNP) is a huge 1,325-acre open-space area. It's located in the northwest part of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. This special place is home to many different natural areas. You can find oak woodlands, savannas, riverside areas, grasslands, and even seasonal vernal pools. There's also a main pond called the Ecology Pond. All these habitats support over 200 types of birds. Many mammals, amphibians, and reptiles also live here.
Contents
Where is the Preserve?
The Chatsworth Nature Preserve is right inside the city of Los Angeles. Its western edge is next to the border between Los Angeles County and Ventura County. The preserve sits at the base of the Simi Hills. Nearby neighborhoods include Chatsworth, Chatsworth Lake Manor, and West Hills.
This preserve used to be the site of the Chatsworth Reservoir. That was a large water-storage facility for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). Other cool places nearby include Stoney Point and Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park.
How it Became a Preserve
In the 1990s, some local leaders and environmental groups worked hard. They wanted to protect the area that was once the Chatsworth Reservoir. Former Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson was a big part of this effort.
In 1994, the Los Angeles City Council passed a special law. This law, called City Ordinance #169723, made the area a nature preserve. It also said the land should be used for scientific studies and education. This means it's a protected place for nature and learning.
Cool Features of the Preserve
Amazing Wildlife
More than 200 kinds of birds live in the Chatsworth Nature Preserve! Some birds you might see often are greater roadrunners, California quail, and different woodpeckers. You might also spot herons, egrets, and great horned owls.
Many birds also visit during their migrations. These include Canada gooses, western meadowlarks, and various ducks. Raptors, or birds of prey, like the red-tailed hawk and prairie falcon, also hunt here.
The preserve is home to interesting amphibians and reptiles. Look for the western spadefoot toad and different kinds of snakes. You can also find many mammals. Small ones like desert cottontail rabbits and raccoons are common. Larger animals like gray foxes and coyotes also live here. Sometimes, you might even see bobcats, mountain lions, or mule deer.
Varied Landscapes
The Chatsworth Nature Preserve has many different natural areas. It has oak woodlands and savannas, which are like grassy plains with scattered trees. There are also riverside areas and chaparral, which is a type of shrubland.
You'll find open grasslands and the Ecology Pond. Seasonal ponds and vernal pools form when it rains. Streams like Woolsey Canyon Creek and Box Canyon Creek flow into the preserve. Inside the preserve, these streams join Chatsworth Creek. Rocky hills rise up, and old berms (raised banks) from former dams are still visible.
The Ecology Pond
The Ecology Pond is super important because it's the only permanent water source in the preserve. This means it attracts wildlife from all over the area. Many different dabbling ducks and diving ducks use the pond. You can also see herons, egrets, and coots here.
The pond's shores have different habitats. When the water is low, mudflats appear. There's also a marshy area with cattails and bulrushes. On higher ground, you'll find thick bushes like mule fat and willows. These plants need more water than other areas.
The pond, mudflats, and marsh are great places for birds to find food, rest, and build nests. Mammals, reptiles, and amphibians also use these areas. The thick bushes are perfect for breeding birds.
The Ecology Pond also helps fight wildfires. Fire department helicopters use the pond to refill their water tanks. This helps them put out fires in the area.
Historic Kiln Site
The Chatsworth Nature Preserve holds a special historic site. It's called Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #141, also known as the Chatsworth Calera. This site was recognized on April 2, 1975.
The monument is a very old kiln that's hundreds of years old. A kiln is like a big oven. This one was used to burn limestone to make lime. Lime was a key ingredient for concrete, mortar, and whitewash. These materials were used to make bricks and tiles for buildings.
Today, the monument looks like a deep hole in the ground. It has walls made of hardened limestone and brick. It's about fifteen feet deep and six and a half feet wide. This kiln was used during early California history, especially during the Spanish and Mexican periods. The area was perfect for a kiln because it had lots of oak trees (for fuel) and lime deposits. "Calera" is a Spanish word meaning "limestone quarry" or "limekiln."
Who Manages the Preserve?
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) owns and takes care of the Chatsworth Nature Preserve. Most of the preserve is surrounded by a fence. Because it's a protected area, the public can only enter the fenced part once a year. This happens during a special Earth Day celebration.
A Look Back in Time
The Chatsworth Nature Preserve has a long and interesting history. People have used this land for at least 1,000 years.
Early History
Native tribes, like the Fernandeño and Chumash people, considered this land sacred. They would grind acorns and seeds using the sandstone outcroppings. Later, Spanish missionaries used the limestone from the area. They made plaster for their adobe buildings. In the 1800s, Mexican cattle ranchers and Basque sheepherders used the land.
The Chatsworth Reservoir
In the early 1900s, Los Angeles built a system of 19 water basins. These basins stored water brought in from the Owens Valley through the Los Angeles Aqueduct. The Chatsworth Reservoir was the last one built, and it covered the land that is now the preserve.
The reservoir opened in 1919. It was created by two large earth-filled dams and two smaller dikes. From 1920 to 1950, it was the main water storage for the western San Fernando Valley. It mostly supplied water for farming.
After the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, officials checked all the dams in California. They found that the Chatsworth dams needed to be completely rebuilt to be safe during a big earthquake. So, in 1972, the reservoir was emptied and stopped being used. There are no plans to rebuild it right now.
Filming Location
The Chatsworth Nature Preserve was a very popular place for filming movies and TV shows. Its rugged rocks, canyons, big oak trees, grasslands, and the lake made it perfect for "oaters" (Western movies).
Some famous movies filmed here include The Ten Commandments and The Karate Kid. TV shows like The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin and The Dukes of Hazzard also used the preserve as a backdrop.
Images for kids
-
Chatsworth Reservoir Kiln Site
