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.

Ocotillo

Fouquieria splendens, more commonly known as the Ocotillo, is a very distinctive plant. Looking like a bundle of dead sticks for most of the year, the Ocotillo springs to life when rain falls. It is an indicator species of the Colorado Desert.

Palm Oasis

The California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera) is the only palm native to the state. It only grew naturally in isolated groves in the Colorado Desert, usually near faults or fissures that allowed groundwater to percolate upwards towards the surface.

Playa

Owing to topography, geology and lower rainfall totals, playas are not as common in the Colorado desert as they are in the Mojave.

Carnegia Gigantia

Saguaro are most often associated with Arizona but a few hearty specimens are native to California. They naturally occur in the easternmost stretches of the state, hugging the Colorado River.

How Low Can You Go?

The Salton Trough is the second lowest depression in California, and the United States, after Death Valley. Depending on its level, the surface of the lake sits anywhere from 220 to 230 feet below sea level.

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