| Coachella Valley Preserve | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
Indio Hills, a California Fan Palm oasis, andSan Gorgonio Mountain | |
Map of theUnited States | |
| Location | Riverside County, California,United States |
| Nearest city | Palm Desert, California |
| Coordinates | 33°49′52″N116°18′34″W / 33.831205°N 116.309518°W /33.831205; -116.309518[1] |
| Governing body | U.S. Bureau of Land Management |
| Website | Coachella Valley Preserve |
TheCoachella Valley Preserve is a protected area in theCoachella Valley located east ofPalm Springs nearPalm Desert, California. It protects parts of theIndio Hills and its surrounding areas. It contains theCoachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge, theIndio Hills Palms Park Property, and theThousand Palms Oasis Preserve. All are in theColorado Desert section of theSonoran Desert and adjacent to theLower Colorado River Valley region.[2][3][4][5]
TheCoachella Valley Preserve, a 2,206-acre (8.93 km2) area, is maintained by the non-profitNature Conservancy. The Indio Hills Palms Park Property is managed by theCalifornia Department of Parks and Recreation.
The area is one of the few in the desert with anoasis fed by naturalsprings that supports the onlyCalifornia native palm, theWashingtonia filifera, or California Fan Palm. TheSan Andreas Fault, visible from the valley floor as a line of greenery along the base of the hills, captures groundwater that nurtures the palms. The 1,000 Palms Oasis grove is easily reached by foot from the trailhead.[6]
Naturally occurringartesianponds provide habitat for theDesert pupfish, a small,endangered species of freshwater fish - roughly the size of a young goldfish. These ponds are part of the self-guided tour among the California Fan Palm groves.
TheCoachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a restricted accesshabitat for theCoachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard, listed as anendangered species in California, a threatened species in theUnited States and theIUCN classifies it as endangered.
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