Cummings Valley

Cummings Valley is in California's Tehachapi Mountains.

Cummings Valley was settled by the Kawaiisu people before the arrival of white Americans, largely of Irish origin^{[1][note 1]}, in the 1850s.^[2] The region's agriculture began with livestock and dry farming as water was not imported until 1973.^[2] This water consists of 20,000 acre-feet of water annually from the State Water Project pumped 3,425 vertical feet from the Grapevine area.^[3] These imports, including their use to recharge the natural water basin have been impacted by the ongoing climate-change-caused megadrought.^[4]

Agriculture remains a large part of the Cummings Valley economy, including greenhouses and vineyards.^[5]

Stallion Springs and the California Correctional Institution are both located in Cummings Valley.

The dominant geographical feature in Cummings Valley is Cummings Mountain to the southeast.^[6] Many portions of the valley retain their valley oak-dominated, natural savannah state.^[7] Other oaks in Cummings Valley include black oaks.^[8]

Notes

1. Among these Irish immigrants was John Hickey who was Cummings Valley's first school teacher and would later become Tehachapi's second mayor.^[1]