Chuckwalla Valley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chuckwalla Valley |
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 Chuckwalla Valley
Location in California
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| Length | 48 mi (77 km) WNW-ESE |
| Width | 16 mi (26 km) |
| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region | Mojave Desert |
| County | Riverside |
| Communities | Desert Center and Eagle Mountain |
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List
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The Chuckwalla Valley is a large valley located in eastern Riverside County, California. It gets its name from the chuckwalla, a type of large lizard that lives in the dry deserts of the Southwestern United States. This valley is a fascinating part of California's desert landscape.
Discovering Chuckwalla Valley
The Chuckwalla Valley is found in the southeastern part of California. It's a low-lying area that connects the Mojave Desert with the Colorado Desert. The Colorado Desert is actually the northern part of the much larger Sonoran Desert.
Unique Desert Features
This region is known for its special desert features. You'll find "bajada" areas here, which are gently sloping plains made of rock and gravel at the base of mountains. There are also many sand dunes, which are hills of sand shaped by the wind.
The valley also has lakes that are often dry. These are called "intermittent" lakes because they only fill with water sometimes, usually after heavy rain. Sometimes, the water in these lakes can be salty.
Dry Lakes of the Valley
Chuckwalla Valley is home to a few interesting dry lakes. In the east-southeast part of the valley, you'll find Ford Dry Lake. In the center-northwest, there's Palen Dry Lake. This lake is at the southern end of a smaller valley called Palen Valley.
The southern part of Chuckwalla Valley widens out. Here, you can find Danby Dry Lake. This dry lake stretches for about 13 miles (21 kilometers). These dry lakes show how little rain this desert area receives.
