Colorado Desert

The Colorado or “low” desert is a westward extension of the Sonoran Desert. This is a sub-tropical desert with very high summer temperatures, a nearly frost-free winter and a hyper-arid climate year round. Nonetheless, the Colorado Desert is host to an amazing array of flora and fauna as well as an ever expanding human footprint.

Shrinking Sea
Shrinking Sea
The Salton Sea was created by accident in 1905 when the Colorado River was allowed to flow unimpeded into the Salton Trough for approximately 2 years. It has been shrinking slowly in recent years as water for agriculture in the Imperial Valley has been redirected to the south coast to supply a growing population .
Sunrise in Anza Borrego
Sunrise in Anza Borrego
Ocotillo frame this sunrise in Anza Borrego State Park.
Thousand Palms Oasis
Thousand Palms Oasis
Thousand Palms Oasis in the Coachella Valley is a place where one can bask under palms and sunshine while gazing up at snow-covered peaks that rise some 2 vertical miles above.
Toxic Waters
Toxic Waters
A combination of factors, including pollution and agricultural runoff, conspire with high summer temperatures to create hypoxic conditions in the Salton Sea. Fish die-offs are the unpleasant result.
Turtle Mountains
Turtle Mountains
The Turtle Mountains are sometimes mapped as being in the Mojave. In actuality, they are located in a transition zone between the Colorado and Mojave Deserts. As such, they contain a high biological diversity and flora and fauna indicative of both regions.
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