GEOGRAPHY

Blue Oak Ranch Reserve (BORR), is a 3,280 acre undeveloped ecological reserve perched on the west-facing slope of the Diablo Range in northern Santa Clara County, California, seven air miles east of metropolitan San Jose and five miles northwest of Mt. Hamilton. Elevations range from 1,500 feet, where the Arroyo Aguague exits the ranch, to 2,855 feet, at the top of Noah’s Ridge. The Ranch location is approximately mid-point within the Diablo Range, which is in turn a part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, bordered by the San Francisco Bay, Santa Clara Valley, Gabilan Mountains, and Salinas Valley to the west and by the Central Valley to the east. The range extends 180 miles (290 km), from Mount Diablo in the northwest to the Polonio Pass (north of the Temblor Range and the Carrizo Plain) in the southeast. The Diablo Range generally and BORR specifically supports grasslands, chaparral, and oak woodland communities typical of the broader California Floristic Province, with stands of conifers appearing above 4000 feet (outside BORR). The climate of Central Coastal California is typical Mediterranean, with wet and cool winters and dry hot summers. Since BORR lies 10-50 miles (16-80 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean, and coastal ranges like the Santa Lucia Range and the Santa Cruz Mountains block incoming moisture, it receives half the precipitation seen along the coastline. Winters are mild with moderate rainfall; mean precipitation ranges from 376 mm near sea level in downtown San Jose, to 600 mm on Mount Hamilton at an elevation of 4,360’ (1,330m), but summers are very dry and hot. Areas above 2,500 feet get light to moderate snow in the winter, especially at the highest point, the 5,241 ft (1,597 m) San Benito Mountain in the remote southeastern section of the range. For more climate information see the Climate and Weather section.

Posted on March 7, 2014 06:35 AM by infomgr