Vidal Valley
Encyclopedia
Vidal Valley is a 20 mile (32 km) long valley in the far eastern Colorado Desert
bordering the Colorado River
. Most of the valley is in eastern San Bernardino County
, California
, but the outfall on the Colorado is in northeast Riverside County
. Vidal Valley forms the large border of the south side of the east-west block of the Whipple Mountains
massif
, the landform that forces the Colorado to flow southeast, then back southwest.
The Colorado River Aqueduct
crosses the midpoint of the valley at Vidal Junction, California
. The Vidal Valley also lies due east of the Danby Dry Lake
landform.
on the northeast and the Riverside Mountains
on the south. The valley drains mostly northwest-to-southeast, with its outfall into a southwest-flowing section of the Colorado River. The north of the valley is bordered on the west by the Turtle Mountains, and the south side of the Chemehuevi Valley.
The center point of the valley, both east-west and north-south is at Vidal Junction
located at U.S. Route 95 in California
and California State Route 62
. Vidal Junction is located at 34°11′20"N 114°34′26"W.
, ecoregion
, and plant community transition zone to the higher Mojave Desert
on the north from the lower-elevation Colorado Desert
on the south.
, mostly occupied by the Colorado River Indian Reservation
. As desert wash
es, typically little or no water flows at the outfall points into the Colorado River, except during rainstorm events. Both the Vidal Valley and the Bouse Wash are in the north of the Imperial Reservoir
Watershed.
The headwater region of the valley is north of Vidal Junction; the water divide
is east of the Turtle Mountains, and due west of the east-west trending Whipple Mountains block. North of the water divide is the southside of Chemehuevi Valley and Chemehuevi Wash
.
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Watersheds
Colorado Desert
California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert, which extends across southwest North America. The Colorado Desert region encompasses approximately , reaching from the Mexican border in the south to the higher-elevation Mojave Desert in the north and from the Colorado River in...
bordering the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
. Most of the valley is in eastern San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, but the outfall on the Colorado is in northeast Riverside County
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
. Vidal Valley forms the large border of the south side of the east-west block of the Whipple Mountains
Whipple Mountains
The Whipple Mountains, 'Avii Kur'utat in the Mojave language, are located in eastern San Bernardino County, California. They are directly west of the Colorado River, Parker Dam, and Lake Havasu; south of Needles, California; north of Parker, Arizona and Vidal, California; and northeast of Vidal...
massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
, the landform that forces the Colorado to flow southeast, then back southwest.
The Colorado River Aqueduct
Colorado River Aqueduct
The Colorado River Aqueduct, or CRA, is a water conveyance in Southern California in the United States, operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California . The aqueduct impounds water from the Colorado River at Lake Havasu on the California-Arizona border west across the Mojave...
crosses the midpoint of the valley at Vidal Junction, California
Vidal Junction, California
Vidal Junction, California is a small town site in the Sonoran Desert in unincorporated San Bernardino County, California, United States.The town is near the California/Arizona state line immediately west of Parker at the intersection of U.S. Route 95 and State Route 62 a short distance north of...
. The Vidal Valley also lies due east of the Danby Dry Lake
Danby Lake
Danby Lake is a dry lake bed in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, northwest of Blythe. The lake is approximately long and at its widest point.-External links:*...
landform.
Geography
Vidal Valley is bordered by the Whipple MountainsWhipple Mountains
The Whipple Mountains, 'Avii Kur'utat in the Mojave language, are located in eastern San Bernardino County, California. They are directly west of the Colorado River, Parker Dam, and Lake Havasu; south of Needles, California; north of Parker, Arizona and Vidal, California; and northeast of Vidal...
on the northeast and the Riverside Mountains
Riverside Mountains
The Riverside Mountains are a mountain range in Riverside County, California. The town of Vidal, California is located in the West Riverside Mountains.-Geography:The Riverside Mountains are in the Colorado Desert, in the Lower Colorado River Valley region...
on the south. The valley drains mostly northwest-to-southeast, with its outfall into a southwest-flowing section of the Colorado River. The north of the valley is bordered on the west by the Turtle Mountains, and the south side of the Chemehuevi Valley.
The center point of the valley, both east-west and north-south is at Vidal Junction
Vidal Junction, California
Vidal Junction, California is a small town site in the Sonoran Desert in unincorporated San Bernardino County, California, United States.The town is near the California/Arizona state line immediately west of Parker at the intersection of U.S. Route 95 and State Route 62 a short distance north of...
located at U.S. Route 95 in California
U.S. Route 95 in California
In the U.S. state of California, U.S. Route 95 traverses through the far eastern edges of both Riverside and San Bernardino counties. US 95 serves Blythe and Needles and junctions with SR 62 at Vidal Junction....
and California State Route 62
California State Route 62
State Route 62 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California.-Route description:This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System...
. Vidal Junction is located at 34°11′20"N 114°34′26"W.
Natural history
The Vidal Valley is in the climateClimate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
, ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
, and plant community transition zone to the higher Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
on the north from the lower-elevation Colorado Desert
Colorado Desert
California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert, which extends across southwest North America. The Colorado Desert region encompasses approximately , reaching from the Mexican border in the south to the higher-elevation Mojave Desert in the north and from the Colorado River in...
on the south.
Watersheds
The Vidal Valley watershed enters the Colorado River opposite the Bouse Wash Watershed in western Arizona. Both watersheds enter the Parker ValleyParker Valley
The Parker Valley of the Lower Colorado River is located at Parker, Arizona-Earp, California, . It is at the northern area of the Colorado River Indian Reservation on the Colorado River, and is also at the northern perimeter of the La Posa Plain...
, mostly occupied by the Colorado River Indian Reservation
Colorado River Indian Reservation
The Colorado River Indian Reservation is 189 miles west of Phoenix, Arizona, on highway 95. It lies in western La Paz County, Arizona, southeastern San Bernardino County, California, and northeastern Riverside County, California. It has a total land area of 432.22 sq mi , and most of it lies...
. As desert wash
Arroyo (creek)
An arroyo , a Spanish word translated as brook, and also called a wash is usually a dry creek or stream bed—gulch that temporarily or seasonally fills and flows after sufficient rain. Wadi is a similar term in Africa. In Spain, a rambla has a similar meaning to arroyo.-Types and processes:Arroyos...
es, typically little or no water flows at the outfall points into the Colorado River, except during rainstorm events. Both the Vidal Valley and the Bouse Wash are in the north of the Imperial Reservoir
Imperial Reservoir
The Imperial Reservoir is an artificial lake formed by the construction of the Imperial Diversion Dam across the Colorado River in the Lower Colorado River Valley of Imperial County, California, and Yuma County, Arizona...
Watershed.
The headwater region of the valley is north of Vidal Junction; the water divide
Water divide
A drainage divide, water divide, divide or watershed is the line separating neighbouring drainage basins...
is east of the Turtle Mountains, and due west of the east-west trending Whipple Mountains block. North of the water divide is the southside of Chemehuevi Valley and Chemehuevi Wash
Chemehuevi Wash
The Chemehuevi Wash is a large wash of northeast San Bernardino County in the southeast Mojave Desert. The wash enters the center-west bank of Lake Havasu on the California–Arizona border...
.
External links
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Watersheds