﻿GEOGRAPHY 
  AND 
  TOPOGRAPHY. 
  23 
  

  

  of 
  Canada 
  Tortuga 
  the 
  steeper 
  portion 
  above 
  the 
  coastal 
  bench 
  is 
  only 
  

   100 
  feet 
  high, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  northwest 
  corner 
  of 
  the 
  mesa 
  the 
  main 
  

   terrace 
  and 
  the 
  coastal 
  bench 
  grade 
  into 
  each 
  other 
  and 
  become 
  

   practically 
  one. 
  

  

  SANTA 
  YNEZ 
  VALLEY 
  AND 
  SANTA 
  RITA 
  HILLS. 
  

  

  Santa 
  Ynez 
  River 
  is 
  the 
  second 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  main 
  drainage 
  lines 
  of 
  

   the 
  area, 
  Los 
  Alamos 
  Creek, 
  the 
  next 
  in 
  size, 
  being 
  much 
  subordinate 
  

   to 
  these 
  two. 
  The 
  Santa 
  Ynez 
  rises 
  in 
  the 
  high 
  region 
  north 
  of 
  Santa 
  

   Barbara 
  and 
  flows 
  westward 
  between 
  the 
  Santa 
  Ynez 
  and 
  San 
  Rafael 
  

   ranges. 
  From 
  the 
  east 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  Lompoc 
  quadrangle, 
  where 
  these 
  

   two 
  ranges 
  diverge, 
  it 
  flows 
  slightly 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  of 
  west, 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  

   of 
  the 
  Santa 
  Ynez 
  Mountains. 
  Its 
  course 
  is 
  even 
  more 
  westerly 
  than 
  

   that 
  of 
  the 
  Los 
  Alamos 
  Valley 
  until 
  it 
  approaches 
  the 
  ocean, 
  where 
  

   the 
  nose 
  of 
  the 
  Santa 
  Ynez 
  Range, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  two 
  ranges 
  farther 
  north, 
  

   shows 
  a 
  tendency 
  to 
  change 
  its 
  orientation 
  into 
  greater 
  conformity 
  

   with 
  the 
  northwesterly 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  San 
  Rafael 
  Range. 
  

  

  This 
  stream 
  has 
  a 
  low 
  gradient 
  of 
  only 
  one-fourth 
  of 
  1 
  per 
  cent. 
  Its 
  

   valley 
  has 
  a 
  steep 
  side 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  hills 
  of 
  the 
  Santa 
  

   Ynez 
  Range, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  widened 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  by 
  the 
  easy 
  slopes 
  of 
  ter- 
  

   races 
  and 
  sand 
  hills, 
  except 
  at 
  the 
  Santa 
  Rita 
  Hills, 
  which 
  rise 
  midway 
  

   in 
  the 
  river's 
  course. 
  

  

  The 
  Santa 
  Rita 
  Hills 
  form 
  a 
  small 
  separate 
  range 
  reaching 
  a 
  height 
  

   of 
  1,300 
  feet 
  and 
  resembling 
  in 
  miniature 
  the 
  Purisima 
  Hills. 
  The 
  

   range 
  starts 
  from 
  the 
  valley 
  in 
  several 
  strike 
  ridges 
  running 
  north- 
  

   west, 
  which 
  join 
  in 
  the 
  highest 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  range 
  and 
  then 
  continue 
  

   due 
  west 
  as 
  a 
  single 
  ridge. 
  The 
  river 
  follows 
  a 
  tortuous 
  course 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  this 
  and 
  the 
  Santa 
  Ynez 
  Range 
  and 
  has 
  cut 
  cliffs 
  in 
  many 
  places. 
  

   On 
  the 
  north 
  the 
  Santa 
  Rita 
  Hills 
  are 
  divided 
  from 
  the 
  Purisima 
  

   Hills 
  by 
  the 
  Santa 
  Rita 
  Valley, 
  a 
  low 
  basin 
  similar 
  to 
  some 
  portions 
  

   of 
  the 
  Santa 
  Ynez 
  Valley. 
  

  

  The 
  level 
  floor 
  cf 
  the 
  river 
  valley, 
  including 
  the 
  stream 
  bed 
  and 
  the 
  

   somewhat 
  higher 
  terrace-like 
  flats 
  on 
  either 
  side, 
  ranges 
  in 
  width 
  from 
  

   a 
  few 
  hundred 
  feet 
  to 
  about 
  a 
  mile 
  until 
  within 
  10 
  miles 
  of 
  the 
  ocean, 
  

   where 
  it 
  opens 
  out 
  into 
  the 
  Lompoc 
  Valley, 
  an 
  alluvial 
  flat 
  several 
  

   miles 
  wide. 
  

  

  TERRACED 
  COAST. 
  

  

  Pleistocene 
  terraces 
  border 
  the 
  coast 
  for 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  . 
  of 
  the 
  

   distance 
  around 
  the 
  Guadalupe 
  and 
  Lompoc 
  quadrangles. 
  The 
  

   great 
  Burton 
  Mesa 
  terrace 
  has 
  already 
  been 
  mentioned. 
  Beyond 
  the 
  

   valleys 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  south 
  of 
  this 
  mesa 
  similar 
  terraced 
  areas 
  

   extend 
  widely 
  and 
  in 
  places 
  to 
  a 
  considerable 
  distance 
  inland, 
  but 
  no- 
  

   where 
  else 
  with 
  so 
  gentle 
  a 
  slope 
  as 
  is 
  exhibited 
  on 
  the 
  Burton 
  Mesa. 
  

  

  