Which desert in western North America includes the Salton Sea and Coachella Valley?
Answer
Colorado Desert
The Colorado Desert in southeastern California includes the Salton Sea and Coachella Valley.
It is generally regarded as the northwestern subdivision of the Sonoran Desert. The region lies mostly below about 1,000 metres, and its low elevation contributes to very high summer temperatures. The Colorado River historically helped shape parts of its landscape, including the Imperial Valley.
The Salton Sea is a large inland saline lake formed in 1905 after irrigation canals diverted Colorado River water into the Salton Sink. It is not a natural ocean inlet. The Coachella Valley, meanwhile, contains major communities and agricultural areas supported by irrigation.
Because the Colorado Desert is a subdivision of the Sonoran, sources may describe the same landscape at different geographic scales. The specific regional name remains Colorado Desert.