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Upper Coachella Valley and Hills

Ecoregion in Sonoran Desert, CA

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The Upper Coachella Valley and Hills ecoregion is surrounded by mountains, except to the south where it descends toward the agricultural lands and Salton Sea of Ecoregion 81f. Alluvial deposits cover most of the ecoregion, mantled by sand deposits in some areas. On the northeastern side of the San Andreas Fault, some sandstone and conglomerate underlie the low, rolling Indio Hills and Mecca Hills. Elevations range from sea level in the southeast to about 1,800 feet in the Mecca Hills. Soil temperatures are hyperthermic and soil moisture regimes are aridic. In some of the canyons of the Indio Hills, native California fan palms occur. In sandy areas, the Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard is one of several animal and plant species threatened or endangered because of habitat loss. The southwestern part of the ecoregion is mostly urbanized in the Palm Springs/Palm Desert area. It is a transitional desert region with some affinities to the Mojave Basin and Range ecoregion (14) to the north.

— EPA

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