San Gabriel River, CA Click Image to Enlarge  (JPG) (2,712,664 bytes) ( 3,028 x 2,632 )

The major rainstorms that hit Southern California around New Year’s filled local reservoirs to capacity. In the mountains north of Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley flood control system was built in the 1930s and 1940s to control floodwaters and to hold water so it can recharge the underground aquifer. Five dams in this ASTER scene, acquired January 23, 2005, can be seen along the San Gabriel River: Cogwell, San Gabriel, Morris, Santa Fe, and Whittier Narrows. Along the East Fork of the river, 130 residents of Follow's Camp were stranded for several weeks when access bridges to their community were washed out. JPL and the Pasadena Rose Bowl are located at the left edge of the image. The image covers an area of 39.5 km x 45.4 km, and is located near 34.1 degrees North latitude, 117.9 degrees West longitude.