Imperial Valley

 

fertile region in the Colorado Desert, SE Calif., extending S into NW Mexico. Once part of the Gulf of California, most of the region is below sea level; its lowest point is −232 ft (−71 m) at the southern shore of the Salton Sea. Receiving only c.3 in. (7.6 cm) of rain annually, the valley experiences extremely high temperatures (115°F/46°C) and has a great daily temperature range. Having one of the longest growing seasons in the United States (more than 300 days), the valley can, with irrigation, support two crops a year; it was first irrigated in 1901. Several disastrous floods on the Colorado River in 1905–6 inundated the area; not until 1936, with the completion of Hoover Dam, was the valley safe from floods. Approximately 1 million acres (404,700 hectares) have been irrigated, chiefly by the All-American Canal. The valley is an important source of winter fruits and vegetables for the northern areas of the United States; cotton, dates, grains, and dairy products are also important. Brawley, Calexico, and El Centro, Calif., are the main U.S. cities in the valley; Mexicali, Mexico, also in the valley, is the center of Mexico's important cotton-growing district.

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The Imperial Valley is a region of southeastern California (USA) located, in part, between the Colorado River and the Salton Sea, which is California's largest saltwater lake. Major population centers are El Centro and Brawley in California, and the twin border towns of Calexico and Mexicali. Locally, the terms "Imperial Valley" and "Imperial County" are used synonymously.

Other regions in the vicinity of the Imperial Valley include the Coachella Valley and the Mexicali Valley (Baja California, Mexico), both of which lie within the Salton Sea watershed. In Mexico, this area of the Baja California peninsula is referred to as the Valle de Mexicali.

Although this region is a desert, with high temperatures and low rainfall of three inches (seventy-five mm) per year, the economy is heavily based on agriculture due to the availability of irrigation water, which is supplied wholly from the Colorado River via the All-American Canal.

Spanish explorer Melchior Díaz was one of the first Europeans to visit the area in 1540, and probably sent at least scouting parties into the valley proper. Three centuries later, the northern half of the valley was annexed by the U.S., while the southern half remained under Mexican rule. Small scale settlement in natural acquifer areas occurred in the early 1800s (the present-day site of Mexicali), but most permanent settlement (Anglo Americans in the U.S. side, Mexicans in the other side) was after 1900.

A vast system of canals, check dams, and pipelines carry the water all over the valley, a system which forms the Imperial Irrigation District, or IID. The water distribution system includes over 1,400 miles of canal and with 1,100 miles of pipeline. The number of canal and pipeline branches number roughly over a hundred.

Imported water and a long growing season allow two crop cycles each year, and the Imperial Valley is a major source of winter fruits and vegetables, cotton, and grain for U.S. and international markets. Alfalfa is another major crop produced in the Imperial Valley. The agricultural lands are also served by a constructed agricultural drain system, which conveys surface runoff and subsurface drainage from fields to the Salton Sea, which is a designated repository for agricultural runoff.

A secondary industry of the Imperial Valley region is tourism. Many visitors come to the area to visit the Salton Sea (California's largest inland lake, which serves as a dumpout point for the overflow and drainage from the IID canal system and ditch drainage) and the Algodones Dunes. The New River flows from the border city of Mexicali northward to the Salton Sea.

Most of the Imperial Valley is in fact below sea level, including all of its major population centers. Due to this fact, a lot of dust and other airborne pollutants hover in the air and do not move out of the valley. The dust, pesticides, and "smog" from vehicles and burning fields causes an increased risk of asthma in the local residents. Commonly, winds blow from the western mountains; especially during the winter.

Both sides of the Imperial Valley share a common international bond of both Anglo-American and Hispanic cultures. On the U.S. side, the majority of residents are of Mexican American or Latino heritage, while the Mexican side was greatly influenced by American culture by the U.S. for many decades. And the entire valley has multi-racial representation of Africans, Europeans, east and south Asians, and Native Americans.

Imperial Valley is crossed by Interstate 8, and California State Highways 7, 78, 86, 98, 111 and 115, and Mexican routes 2 and 5 with access to border entry ports to the US side.

Trivia

Portions of the 2005 film Jarhead were filmed in the Imperial Valley because of its similarity to the desert terrain of Iraq. Mountains that were visible in the background during filming were digitally removed during postproduction.[1]

Popular movies filmed in the Imperial Valley and its nearby dunes are Return of the Jedi, Stargate, The Scorpion King, and Into the Wild.

External links

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 33.1° -115.5°
  • WikiSatellite view at - WikiMapia
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
• Imperial Valley Press Online
• Imperial Valley Living
• Imperial County Centennial
• Imperial Valley College
• Imperial Valley Economic Development
• Imperial Irrigation District
• Concretions from Imperial Valley
• The Progress Newspaper

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Dams and aqueducts (see US Bureau of Reclamation)	Shadow Mountain Dam • Granby Dam • Glen Canyon Dam • Hoover Dam • Davis Dam • Parker Dam • Palo Verde Diversion Dam • Imperial Dam • Laguna Dam • Morelos Dam • Colorado River Aqueduct • San Diego Aqueduct • Central Arizona Project Aqueduct • All-American Canal • Coachella Canal • Redwall Dam
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Designated areas	Glen Canyon National Recreation Area • Lake Mead National Recreation Area

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