# Howell Mountains > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Howell_Mountains > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Howell_Mountains.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howell_Mountains > Source revision: 1355672483 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Mountain range in California, United States}} {{Infobox mountain range | name = Howell Mountains | native_name = | other_name = ''(Mt. George Range)'' | image = Twin Sisters from Suisun Valley.jpg | image_caption = [Twin Sisters](/source/Twin_Sisters_(California)), seen here from Suisun Valley, is the highest summit in the Howell Mountains | country = United States | state = California | region_type = Counties | region = [Napa County](/source/Napa_County%2C_California), [Solano County](/source/Solano_County%2C_California) | range_coordinates = {{coord|38.3065802|N|122.1710817|W|type:mountain_scale:300000|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | highest = [Twin Sisters](/source/Twin_Sisters_(California)) | highest_location = | elevation_ft = 2162 | coordinates = | map = USA California | map_caption = location of the Howell Mountains in [California](/source/California) }} The '''Howell Mountains''', which are also known as the Mt. George Range, are one of the [California Coast Ranges](/source/California_Coast_Ranges). They divide the [Suisun Valley](/source/Suisun_Valley) on the east side, from [Napa Valley](/source/Napa_Valley) on the west. Historically the southern part of the range has been referred to as both the Sierra de Suscol (Suscol Hills) and as the Sierra de Napa (Napa Hills). ==Geography== The Howell Mountains begin at [Sulphur Springs Mountain](/source/Sulphur_Springs_Mountain), near the towns of [Vallejo](/source/Vallejo%2C_California) and [Benicia](/source/Benicia%2C_California), and just north of the [estuary](/source/estuary) where the [Sacramento River](/source/Sacramento_River) flows into [San Francisco Bay](/source/San_Francisco_Bay). The range then trends to the north and northwest for about {{convert|40|mi|km|0}} to [Howell Mountain](/source/Howell_Mountain%2C_California), just northeast of [St. Helena, California](/source/St._Helena%2C_California), where it merges with the [Mayacamas Mountains](/source/Mayacamas_Mountains). The [Vaca Mountains](/source/Vaca_Mountains), which are separated from the Howell Mountains by [Suisun Valley](/source/Suisun_Valley) on the east side, merge with the latter range northeast of St. Helena also. The crest of the range, which culminates at {{convert|2162|ft|m|0}} feet in the [twin summit](/source/twin_summit) of [Twin Sisters](/source/Twin_Sisters_(California)), represents the divide between the drainage of the [Napa River](/source/Napa_River) on the west side, and Suisun and Green Valley Creeks on the east. Although Twin Sisters is the high point, both Howell Mountain and Mt. George to the north are better known, due to proximity to grape-growing regions that are popular tourist destinations. ==Climate== The Howell Mountains have Mediterranean climate with a cool rainy winter, and a warm dry summer with high temperatures up to {{convert|100|F|C|0}} at lower elevations. Average annual rainfall ranges from {{convert|40|in|mm|0}} per year at Howell Mountain in the north, to {{convert|30|in|mm|0}} per year at Mt. George, to {{convert|20|in|mm|0}} per year at Benicia in the south. Rainfall is similar on both the west and east sides of the range, with no noticeable [rain shadow](/source/rain_shadow) effect. Because gentle winds blowing inland from the estuary at [San Pablo Bay](/source/San_Pablo_Bay) and [Suisun Bay](/source/Suisun_Bay) are common, hard frosts are very rare, which makes the lower slopes of the mountains ideal for growing grapes, olives and fruit trees. ==Geology== Although [bedrock](/source/bedrock) in most parts of the Howell Mountains is a [geologic formation](/source/geologic_formation) of [volcanic](/source/volcanic) origin known as the [Sonoma Volcanics](/source/Sonoma_Volcanics), older sedimentary rocks of the [Cretaceous](/source/Cretaceous) age [Great Valley Sequence](/source/Great_Valley_Sequence) are found in the [Benicia](/source/Benicia%2C_California) area at the southern end of the range, and in the [Lake Hennessey](/source/Lake_Hennessey) area to the east of [St. Helena](/source/St._Helena%2C_California). The Sonoma volcanics, which make up bedrock in all of the grape-growing areas of the Napa Valley side, are late [Miocene](/source/Miocene) to early [Pleistocene](/source/Pleistocene) in age, and made up largely of [silica](/source/silica)-rich [rhyolite](/source/rhyolite) [tuff](/source/tuff)s and [breccia](/source/breccia)s interbedded with silica-poor [andesite](/source/andesite) and [basalt](/source/basalt) [lava](/source/lava) flows, with some volcanic [gravel](/source/gravel)s that are related to [fluvial](/source/fluvial) processes. [Serpentine](/source/Serpentinite) is found in a few places where older sedimentary rocks are faulted against younger volcanics, and in some of these same areas, particularly around [Sulphur Springs Mountain](/source/Sulphur_Springs_Mountain) at the southern terminous, [cinnabar](/source/cinnabar) deposits were mined in the late 1800s for [quicksilver](/source/Mercury_(element)). ==Agriculture and grazing== The west slope of the Howell Mountains is noted for its vineyards and wineries, which tend to be located where the soils are derived from rhyolite tuffs. Although rhyolitic rocks generally weather to [soils](/source/soils) that are considered to be nutrient poor, the [Howell Mountain](/source/Howell_Mountain_AVA) [American Viticultural Area](/source/American_Viticultural_Area) and other [wine](/source/wine) [appellation](/source/appellation) districts located on the west slope claim that grape vines planted in these soils are stressed and as a consequence produce wine grapes that are superior in quality for wine making when compared to grapes grown on unstressed vines planted in the richer [loams](/source/loams) of the valley floor. Despite the observation that volcanic soils on the east slope (Suisun Valley side) are similar to those on the west slope (Napa Valley side), cattle grazing predominates on the east slope and vineyards are few. ==Origin of name== Although an 1842 Spanish land grant map clearly names the range of hills between the [Suscol](/source/Rancho_Suscol) (Napa Valley) and Suisun Ranchos, and extending as far north as the Howell Mountain area as the "Sierras de Suscol" (Suscol Hills), this name is somewhat interchangeable today with "Sierra de Napa" (Napa Hills) and applies generally to the southernmost part of the range that looks down on the towns of Vallejo and Benicia. With the transformation of the northern Napa Valley into a premier wine-producing area and tourist attraction, names for the range such as the Howell Mountains and Mt. George Range that have more northerly derivations have become more popular. The fact that none of these names are recognized by the United States Geographical Survey means that the range has no official designation. Pioneer Isaac Howell and his family came to California in 1846. The family came to Napa Valley by 1848 and then settled up on the mountain which was part of Rancho Carne Humana by 1850 . Historians have argued over which Howell the mountain was named after---Isaac or his son John. Since both lived up there until 1868, people probably were referring to the whole group of Howells.{{Cite book|last=Goularte Waiters|first=Elaine|title=Howell Family History|publisher=author|year=1983|location=Arroyo Grande,California|pages=83|language=English}} Howell Mountain is named after John Howell, who, with a partner in 1856, opened at [St. Helena](/source/St._Helena%2C_California) the first [blacksmith](/source/blacksmith) shop in [Napa County](/source/Napa_County). Howell Mountains was ultimately applied as well to the peaks to the south that separate Napa Valley from Suisun Valley. For example, Kunkel and Upson (1960) identify the Howell Mountains in their report on the geology and water resources of Napa County, and it is used similarly in other agricultural and geological publications, as well as by the wine industry, and in Napa County and Solano County reports. Because these mountains are not officially named, they are sometimes referred to as either the [Mayacamas](/source/Mayacamas_Mountains) or [Vaca Mountains](/source/Vaca_Mountains), which leads to confusion as the Howell Mountains for much of their extent are topographically and geologically distinct from adjacent ranges. ==See also== * [Howell Mountain AVA](/source/Howell_Mountain_AVA) * [Suisun Valley AVA](/source/Suisun_Valley_AVA) * [Sulphur Springs Mountain](/source/Sulphur_Springs_Mountain) * [Twin Sisters](/source/Twin_Sisters_(California)) ==Notes and references== {{cite book |author1=Hunt, Marguerite |author2=Gunn, Harry Lawrence |date=1926 |title=History of Solano County, California and Napa County, California, from their earliest settlement to the present time |chapter=History of St. Helena |publisher=S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. |location=Chicago |page=v. 1, chap. IV, p. 347 |no-pp=yes}} Elevations retrieved from the "[https://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=132:1:1647318370173222 search query]" of the ''[Geographic Names Information System](/source/Geographic_Names_Information_System)'' of the [United States Geological Survey](/source/United_States_Geological_Survey). Retrieved 10 June 2013. {{cite web |title=Howell Mountain Region |url=http://www.howellmountain.org/about/region/ |website=Howell Mountain Vintners & Growers Association (website) |access-date=10 June 2013}} {{cite book |author1=Graymer, R.W. |author2=Moring, B.C. |author3=Saucedo, G.J. |author4=Wentworth, C.M. |author5=Brabb, E.E. |author6=Knudsen, K.L. |date=2006 |title=Geologic Map of the San Francisco Bay Region |publisher=United States Geological Survey, in cooperation with the California Geological Survey |page=Scientific Investigations Map 2918 |no-pp=yes}} {{cite book |author1=Kunkel, F. |author2=Upson, J.E. |date=1960 |title=Geology and ground water in Napa and Sonoma Counties, California |publisher=United States Geological Survey, Water-Supply Paper 1495 |pages=4, 15–25}} {{cite book |author1=Lambert, G. |author2=Kashiwagi, J.H. |date=1978 |title=Soil Survey of Napa County, California |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service}} Also, see {{cite book |author=Bates, L.A. |date=1977 |title=Soil survey of Solano County, California |publisher=United States Dept. of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, in cooperation with University of California Agriculture Experiment Station}} {{cite web |title=Llano del Suy-sun: Map of Rancho Suisun |date=1842 |url=http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/hb08700292/ |publisher=U.S. District Court, California, Northern District |access-date=8 July 2013}} Land case 162 ND, page 888; land case map D-361. Held at the Bancroft Library and available online at [http://www.calisphere.org Calsphere - University of California Collections for Educators]. ''Mt. George, California'' and ''Fairfield North, California'' 1:24,000 topographic quadrangles by the United States Geographical Survey. These maps provide information on the central part of the range, and adjacent quadrangles to the north and south provide additional information. Category:California Coast Ranges Category:Mountain ranges of Napa County, California Category:Mountain ranges of Solano County, California Category:Mountain ranges of the San Francisco Bay Area Category:Mountain ranges of Northern California --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Howell Mountains](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howell_Mountains) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howell_Mountains?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.