Browse Map

Explore away

Explore Map Collection

Check out our basemaps

Print a Map Plus

Generate a high-quality PDF

Field Guide

Discover local flora, fauna, geology, and more

Local Flora & Fauna

Learn the ecology of your area

Local Geology

Learn the geologic formation at your feet

Get Started or Sign In

Welcome

Continue with Apple

Already have an account? Sign In

MAP

Topo

Measure

Topo

Ecoregions

Public Lands

...

BASEMAPS

Default Weather

Temperature

Smoke

...

WEATHER

Middle Gila/Salt River Floodplains

Ecoregion in Sonoran Desert, AZ

Print Map

Generate High-Quality PDF

The Middle Gila/Salt River Floodplains ecoregion includes the middle reaches of these rivers, consisting of basin-floor deposits with riverine alluvium and river terraces. Elevations range from about 600 feet in the typically dry Painted Rock Reservoir, to about 1900 feet in the Avra Valley. Parts of the ecoregion are in agriculture with crops of barley, hay and alfalfa, and cotton. The riparian and wetland habitats have been extensively altered. Invasive plants such as tamarisk now cover riverbanks that were once shaded by cottonwoods, willows, and mesquite. Agricultural return flows and municipal sewage discharges feed the rivers. The Gila River, from its confluence with the Salt River to Painted Rock Reservoir, has low dissolved oxygen and elevated levels of pesticides, metals, inorganics, and nutrients.

— EPA

Taxonomy

Classified As

Ecoregion