[Skywise]

(11-01-2014, 05:56 PM)Island Chris Wrote: On 11/1/2014 11:16 AM, James Boles wrote:
> Gentleman: I did some quick research on the possibility of oil
> occurrences in the Towsley Canyon area, using Volume 2 of California
> Oil and Gas fields from the Calif Div Oil and Gas. Turns out this area
> is part of the Newhall oil field, and is referred to as the Towsley
> Canyon area.

Looking 3 miles due south of Towlsey Canyon I noticed an apparently still active oil field visible in Google maps imagery. This is the Aliso Canyon Oil Field on the geologic cross section images I posted earlier.

http://www.socalgas.com/safety/aliso-canyon.shtml

Per the link for the Southern California Gas Company, the depleted oil field is used for underground storage of natural gas, and is currently undergoing an expansion project. I've not read the details on the linked site yet.

But given the data in the cross section map, those wells appear to me to be in unrelated geologic layers that are different from those exposed in and near Towlsey Canyon. I don't see how there could be any fluid flow from the gas storage area towards Towlsey Canyon.

However, I'd like to float another idea, at least for the water flow. I was talking to my sister who has lived in Silverado Canyon for over a decade. I mentioned how there's suddenly water in the creek when it had been bone dry and no rain all summer. She says it happens every fall, saying that as it gets cooler the water table rises. Not sure if the explanation is valid, but apparently it's not an unknown phenomenon for the fall.

Brian