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Lower Colorado/Lower Gila River Valleys

Ecoregion in Sonoran Desert in AZ, CA

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The Lower Colorado/Lower Gila River Valleys ecoregion includes the low elevation corridors along the Colorado and lower Gila rivers. An area of riverine alluvium and river- and fan-terraces, large parts of the ecoregion are in agriculture. Elevations range from about 70 feet where the Colorado River leaves Arizona, to over 1000 feet on slopes in the north. Riparian and wetland habitats have been extensively altered. Exotic plants such as tamarisk now cover riverbanks that were once shaded by cottonwoods, willows, and mesquite. Only a few oxbows remain with some freshwater marshes and remnants of riparian vegetation. Creosotebush and white bursage occupy upland areas. The climate is almost frost-free and crops include wheat, barley, hay and alfalfa, cotton, lettuce, citrus, broccoli, and melons.

— EPA

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