Imperial Valley - wikipedia Imperial Valley Imperial Valley The Imperial Valley below the Salton Sea. The US - Mexican border is a diagonal line in the lower left of the image. Map of Imperial Valley Location California, United States Long - axis direction Northwest - Southeast Long - axis length 50 miles ( 80 km ) Geography Coordinates 32 ° 44 ′ 51 '' N 114 ° 57 ′ 48 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 32.74750 ° N 114.96333 ° W ﻿ / 32.74750 ; - 114.96333 Coordinates : 32 ° 44 ′ 51 '' N 114 ° 57 ′ 48 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 32.74750 ° N 114.96333 ° W ﻿ / 32.74750 ; - 114.96333 Population centers Brawley, Calexico, El Centro, Imperial Traversed by Interstate 8, State Route 78, State Route 86, State Route 111 The Imperial Valley lies in California 's Imperial County. It is located in southeastern Southern California, and is the site of an urban area largely centered on the city of El Centro. The Valley is bordered by the Colorado River to the east and, in part, the Salton Sea to the west. Farther west lies the San Diego and Imperial County border. To the north is the Coachella Valley region of Riverside County, which together with Imperial Valley form the Salton Trough, or the Cahuilla Basin, also the county line of Imperial and Riverside counties, and to the south the international boundary with the U.S. state of California and Baja California. The culture of the area blends those of the United States and Mexico, due to its regional history and geographic location along the international border. The Imperial Valley economy is based on agriculture. Imperial Valley was so named by the Imperial Land Company, in hopes of attracting settlers. Having done that it is now the home of the El Centro metropolitan area and also an economic center of California 's government defined `` South Border ''. Locally, the terms `` Imperial Valley '' and `` Imperial County '' are used synonymously. Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Climate 2 Population 2.1 Regions 2.2 Imperial Valley cities 2.2. 1 Cities over 10,000 population 2.2. 2 Cities under 10,000 population 2.2. 3 Towns over 1,000 population 2.2. 4 Towns under 1,000 population 2.3 Urban areas of the region 3 Economics 3.1 Tourism 3.2 Sites of interest 3.2. 1 Fort Yuma 3.2. 2 Blue Angels 3.2. 3 Imperial Valley Expo & Fairgrounds 3.2. 4 Algodones Sand Dunes 3.2. 5 Colorado River 3.2. 6 Salvation Mountain 3.2. 7 Anza - Borrego Desert State Park 3.2. 8 Fossil Canyon and Painted Gorge 3.2. 9 Imperial NWR 3.2. 10 Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR 3.2. 11 Mexicali 3.3 Agriculture 4 Renewable energy 5 Demographics 5.1 Politics 6 Education 6.1 Schools in the Imperial Valley 7 Transportation 7.1 Major highways 7.2 Public transportation 7.3 Airports 8 Culture 9 Notables 10 See also 11 Footnotes 12 Further reading 13 External links Geography Bighorns in Anza - Borrego Salton Sea The Imperial Valley extends southward for 50 miles ( 80 km ) from the southern end of the Salton Sea into Mexico. Part of a trough stretching from the Coachella Valley to the Gulf of California, it is almost entirely below sea level -- 235 feet ( 72 m ) below at the edge of the Salton Sea. Its hot desert climate is characterized by daily temperature extremes. It was once part of the Gulf of California, from which it was cut off by the dam - like deposits of the Colorado River Delta Fan as it carved out the Grand Canyon. Bordered by sand dunes and barren mountains, it was uninhabited until 1901, when the Imperial Canal was opened and diverted Colorado River water into the valley through Mexico. Flood - waters in 1905 -- 07 destroyed the irrigation channels and created the Salton Sea now filled by the New River and irrigation run - off. The rivers in the southern part of the Salton Sea river basin flow south to north. The valley is bordered by the Colorado River to the east and, in part, the Salton Sea to the west. Farther west lies the border with San Diego County and to the south the international boundary between the US state of California and Baja California, Mexico. To the north is the boundary with Riverside County and the Coachella Valley, which with the Imperial Valley form the `` Cahuilla Basin '' or the `` Salton Trough ''. Climate The Imperial Valley often has summer temperatures well over 100 ° F ( 38 ° C ), but from late October until mid-April the temperature is relatively mild and can sometimes even reach low temperatures not expected in a desert. During winter months the Valley averages more than eight hours of sunshine a day, receiving the most sunlight of any place in the United States. Historically, the lowest minimum temperature ever recorded in the Imperial Valley was 16 ° F ( − 9 ° C ) on January 22, 1937. The highest maximum temperature ever recorded was 121 ° F ( 49 ° C ) on July 28, 1995. The lowest maximum temperature was 42 ° F ( 6 ° C ), recorded on January 24, 1949, and the highest minimum temperature was 92 ° F ( 33 ° C ) on June 30, 1946. The highest monthly mean temperature was 95.9 ° F ( 35.5 ° C ), recorded in August 1969 and the lowest mean temperature was 42.3 ° F ( 5.7 ° C ) in February 1939. The 85 - year average annual rainfall is 2.93 inches ( 74 mm ) with June being the driest month. The only recorded snowfall in the Valley occurred on December 12, 1932. Snow began falling at 8 : 45 p.m. and by 5 a.m. the next day 2.5 inches ( 6 cm ) had been recorded. In the southwest portion of Imperial Valley, 4 inches ( 10 cm ) of snow was reported that day. This was the only snowfall of record to cover the entire valley. Population This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( February 2015 ) Imperial County Courthouse in El Centro The El Centro Metropolitan Area is home to 163,972 residents, according to a 2008 US Census estimate, and encompasses the whole Imperial County. The area is in the far southeast region of the State of California. Major population centers are Brawley, Calexico, and El Centro, which is the county seat. Imperial County had the largest percentage increase in population in California between 2008 and 2009 in the state, according to the California Department of Finance. The county had a population growth rate of 2.2 percent between July 1, 2008, and July 1, 2009. The county 's growth rate has consistently been one of the top 10 out of 58 counties in California for the past six years. Last year 's growth rate was 2.43 percent. El Centro is the largest industrial center of the Imperial Valley, being the center of shipping exports as well as being home to retail, transportation, wholesale, and agricultural industries. There are also two international border crossings nearby for commercial and noncommercial vehicles. The city 's population was 37,835 at the 2000 census. The 2006 population is 40,563. The city is 50 feet ( 20 m ) below sea level and the largest city in the United States below sea level. Fifty percent of the jobs in El Centro come from the service and retail sector. Regions Imperial Valley can loosely categorize its cities and communities into three regions : the Salton Beach Towns, Desert Cities, and the El Centro area ( urbanized Imperial ). The Salton Sea Beach Towns have the smallest cities but were resorts in their heyday and have since shrunk in population and size due to the current state of the Salton Sea. The cities and communities of the desert region are outliers in that they are away from urbanized Imperial and tend to be smaller in population than the cities surrounding El Centro. Cities of the El Centro area tend to be larger than those of the desert and Salton regions. Imperial Valley cities Cities over 10,000 population Bombay Beach sign along Highway 111 Brawley Calexico El Centro ( county seat ) Imperial Cities under 10,000 population Calipatria Holtville Westmorland Towns over 1,000 population Salton Sea Beach Fertilizing in the Imperial Valley, 1972. Photo by Charles O'Rear. Desert Shores Heber Niland Salton City Seeley Towns under 1,000 population Bombay Beach Ocotillo Palo Verde Salton Sea Beach Winterhaven Urban areas of the region The El Centro, CA MSA is a multicore metropolitan region containing several urban areas. While most urban areas are located in the metropolitan area, the Yuma, AZ CA - AZ urban area spills over into Winterhaven. Populations are from the U.S. Census Bureau. Population rank Name State ( s ) Type ( UA / UC ) 2009 population Yuma CA - AZ UA 94,842 El Centro CA UA 56,006 Calexico CA UC 32,158 Brawley CA UC 22,747 Economics Imperial County 's economy consists predominantly of government, agriculture, and retail trade that represents approximately 70 % of total county employment. Government services account for over one - third of total employment. Agriculture accounts for one - fourth of jobs with major crops of alfalfa, lettuce, sugar beets and carrots. Retail growth has been experienced due to increased population in the Imperial and Mexicali Valleys. In 2005, the Imperial Valley Mall opened, attracting shoppers from the Valley area, including residents and tourists across the border from Mexicali, greatly contributing to the county 's retail sales. Tourism This section contains content that is written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view. ( July 2012 ) The Algodones Dunes Off - road vehicle traffic on the dunes during the Presidents Day weekend, 2007 Tourism is considered the secondary industry of the Imperial Valley. Many visitors come to the area to visit the Salton Sea ( California 's largest inland lake, which serves as a dumpout point for the overflow and drainage from the IID canal system and ditch drainage ) and the Algodones Dunes. The New River and the Alamo River flow from the border city of Mexicali northward to the Salton Sea. Another popular destination is the Salton Sea mud pots and volcanoes. These mud pots and volcanoes are located in an open field on the eastern side of the Salton Sea. The mud is just above ambient temperature and you can walk right up to the vents. However, this is a natural system and temperatures will vary. Caution is advised. The location is host to a number of gray cones reaching heights of six feet ( 2 m ) and depressions filled with bubbling mud. These features are the result of the geothermal activity in the area. Off - roading on ATV 's is another popular activity during the winter months. Heber Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area is located south of El Centro and is primarily an off - roading destination. The valley sand dune recreation area draws hundreds of thousands of off - road enthusiasts on good weekends. Bird - watching is a popular activity, with abundant natural habitat and rare species. The Imperial Valley has an array of excellent golf courses for all levels. Golf courses are in Holtville, Brawley and El Centro. Sites of interest Fort Yuma Fort Yuma is located on the banks of the Colorado River in Winterhaven, California. First established after the end of the Mexican -- American War in 1848, it was originally located in the bottoms near the Colorado River, less than 1 - mile ( 1.6 km ) below the mouth of the Gila River. It was to defend the newly settled community of Yuma, Arizona on the other side of the Colorado River and the nearby Mexican border. In March 1851 the post was moved to a small elevation on the Colorado 's west bank, opposite the present city of Yuma, Arizona, on the site of the former Mission Puerto de Purísima Concepción. This site had been occupied by Camp Calhoun, named for John C. Calhoun, established in 1849. Fort Yuma was established to protect the southern emigrant travel route to California and to attempt control of the warlike Yuma Indians in the surrounding 100 - mile ( 160 km ) area. Blue Angels Blue Angels NAF El Centro is the winter home of the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, The Blue Angels. NAF El Centro historically kicks off the Blue Angels ' season with their first air show, traditionally held in March. Imperial Valley Expo & Fairgrounds The Imperial Valley Expo & Fairgrounds is home to the California Mid-Winter Fair and Fiesta, which is the local county fair. It is also home to the Imperial Valley Speedway, a ⁄ mile ( 600 m ) race track. Algodones sand Dunes The name Algodones Dunes refers to the entire geographic feature, while the administrative designation for that portion managed by the Bureau of Land Management is the `` Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area '' ( sometimes called the `` Glamis Dunes '' ). The Algodones Sand Dunes are the largest mass of sand dunes in California. This dune system extends for more than 40 miles ( 60 km ) along the eastern edge of the Imperial Valley agricultural region in a band averaging 5 miles ( 8 km ) in width. A major east - west route of the Union Pacific railroad skirts the eastern edge. The dune system is divided into 3 areas. The northernmost area is known as Mammoth Wash. South of Mammoth Wash is the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness established by the 1994 California Desert Protection Act. This area is closed to motorized use and access is by hiking and horseback. The largest and most heavily used area begins at Highway 78 and continues south just past Interstate 8. The expansive dune formations offer picturesque scenery, a chance to view rare plants and animals, and a playground for ATV and off - roading enthusiasts. The dunes are also popular in film - making and have been the site for movies such as Return of the Jedi. Colorado River Colorado River The Colorado River is a popular destination for water sports including fishing, boating, water - skiing, and jet - skiing. The Colorado River is a river in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately 1,450 miles ( 2,330 km ) long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The natural course of the river flows from north of Grand Lake, Colorado into the Gulf of California. For many months out of the year, however, no water actually flows from the United States to the gulf, due to human consumption. Salvation mountain Salvation Mountain ( location 33 ° 15 ′ 14.9 '' N 115 ° 28 ′ 21.4 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 33.254139 ° N 115.472611 ° W ﻿ / 33.254139 ; - 115.472611 ) is a colorful artificial mountain north of Calipatria, California, near Slab City. It is made from adobe, straw, and thousands of gallons of paint. It was created by Leonard Knight to convey the message that `` God Loves Everyone ''. Mr. Knight refused substantial donations of money and labor from supporters who wished to modify his message of universal love to favor or disfavor particular groups. Anza - borrego desert state park Vista of Anza Borrego Anza - Borrego Desert State Park, portions of which are located in Imperial County, is the largest state park in California. 500 miles ( 800 km ) of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and miles of hiking trails provide visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the Colorado Desert. The park is named after Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish name borrego, or bighorn sheep. The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti and sweeping vistas. Visitors may also have the chance to see greater roadrunners, golden eagles, kit foxes, southern mule deer and Peninsular bighorn sheep, as well as desert iguanas, chuckwallas, and sidewinders. Fossil Canyon and Painted Gorge Located near Ocotillo, California in the Coyote Mountains, Fossil Canyon and the surrounding area is a great place for rock hounding and fossil hunting. The fossils here are not dinosaurs, but ancient shells, coral, and oysters from the Miocene epoch when the area was underwater. The Painted Gorge, located on the eastern side of the Coyote Mountains, consists of sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks. Heat and movement over time has created fantastic shapes and colors. Oranges, reds, purples, and mauves mixed with browns and blacks create a palette of color as the sun illuminates and plays shadows upon this geologic wonder. Imperial NWR Mesquite point at Imperial NWR The Imperial National Wildlife Refuge protects wildlife habitat along 30 miles ( 50 km ) of the lower Colorado River in Arizona and California, including the last un-channeled section before the river enters Mexico. The river and its associated backwater lakes and wetlands are a green oasis, contrasting with the surrounding desert mountains. It is a refuge and breeding area for migratory birds and local desert wildlife. Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge is located 40 miles ( 60 km ) north of the Mexican border at the southern end of the Salton Sea in California 's Imperial Valley. Situated along the Pacific Flyway, the refuge is the only one of its kind, located 227 feet ( 69 m ) below sea level. Because of its southern latitude, elevation and location in the Colorado Desert, the refuge experiences some of the highest temperatures in the nation. Daily temperatures from May to October generally exceed 100 ° F ( 38 ° C ) with temperatures of 116 -- 120 ° F ( 47 -- 49 ° C ) recorded yearly. Mexicali The border city of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, offers big - city amenities like museums, a zoo, a sports convention center, and an international airport. Visitors cross by foot or car from Calexico, California in the United States every day. Restaurants and taco stands, pharmacies, bars and dance clubs are part of the draw for the city 's tourists. Many shops and stalls selling Mexican crafts and souvenirs are also located in walking distance from the border. Also many residents from California, Arizona and Nevada look for medical and dental services in Mexicali, because they tend to be less expensive than those in the United States. Mexico 's drinking age of 18 ( vs. 21 in the United States ) makes it a common weekend destination for many high school and college - aged Southern Californians. The town was near the epicenter of the 2010 Baja California earthquake ( on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010 ). Agriculture The New River Fields of Imperial Valley, Salton Sea, ( 2008 ) Although this region is in the Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert, with high temperatures and low average rainfall of 3 inches ( 76 mm ) per year, the economy is heavily based on agriculture due to irrigation, which is supplied wholly from the Colorado River via the All - American Canal. Thousands of acres of prime farmland have transformed the desert into one of the most productive farming regions in California with an annual crop production of over $1 billion. Agriculture is the largest industry in the Imperial Valley and accounts for 48 % of all employment. An environmental cost is that, south of the canal, the Colorado River no longer flows above ground at all for much of the year into Mexico. A vast system of canals, check dams, and pipelines carry the water all over the valley, a system which forms the Imperial Irrigation District, or IID. The water distribution system includes over 1,400 miles ( 2,300 km ) of canal and with 1,100 miles ( 1,800 km ) of pipeline. The number of canal and pipeline branches number roughly over a hundred. Imported water and a long growing season allow two crop cycles each year, and the Imperial Valley is a major source of winter fruits and vegetables, cotton, and grain for U.S. and international markets. Alfalfa is another major crop produced in the Imperial Valley. The agricultural lands are served by a constructed agricultural drain system, which conveys surface runoff and subsurface drainage from fields to the Salton Sea, which is a designated repository for agricultural runoff, with environmental considerations not yet solved. All - American Canal All - American Canal Bridge Alamo Canal Coachella Canal Imperial Irrigation District Imperial Land Company California Development Company Renewable energy This image captures about 15 kilometers ( 9.3 mi ) of the All - American Canal just west of Yuma, Arizona. The photo is taken of the southern section of the Algodones Dunes. Imperial Valley has become a `` hot - bed '' of renewable energy projects, both solar and geothermal. This is driven in part by California 's mandate to generate 33 % of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, the valley 's excellent sun resources, the high unemployment, its proximity to large population centers on the coast, and large tracts of otherwise unusable desert land. Much of the land suitable for green energy is owned by the federal government ( Bureau of Land Management ). As of April 2008, the BLM has received 163 applications to build renewable energy projects on 1,600,000 acres ( 6,500 km ) in California, `` almost all of them are planned for the Imperial Valley and the desert region north of the valley. '' Stirling Energy Systems is currently building one of the world 's largest solar thermal plants, 10 square miles ( 26 km ) with 38,000 `` sun catchers, '' it will power up to 600,000 homes once it is fully operational by around 2015. CalEnergy currently runs a geothermal plant that generates 340 megawatts, enough power for 300,000 homes, and could tap into more for up to 2.5 million homes. In addition, in 2012 Synthetic Genomics bought an 81 acre site in the Imperial Valley to produce algae fuel with their engineered algae strains, as well as other algae products such as food. Demographics The Imperial and Mexicali Valleys share a common international bond of both American and Hispanic cultures. On the U.S. side, the majority of residents are of Mexican - American or Latino heritage, while the Mexican side has been greatly influenced by American culture by the U.S. for many decades. The entire valley has multi-racial representation of Africans, Europeans, east and south Asians, and Native Americans. As of the census of 2000, there were 142,361 people, 39,384 households, and 31,467 families residing in the county. The population density was 34 people per square mile ( 13 / km2 ). There were 43,891 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile ( 4 / km2 ). The racial makeup of the county was 49.4 % white, 4.0 % black or African American, 1.9 % Native American, 2.0 % Asian, 0.1 % Pacific Islander, 39.1 % from other races, and 3.7 % from two or more races. 72.2 % of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 65.7 % spoke Spanish and 32.3 % English as their first language. Laguna Salada, Mexicali Valley, Imperial Valley, Salton Sea and Coachella Valley ( left -- right ) There were 39,384 households out of which 46.7 % had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7 % were married couples living together, 17.1 % had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1 % were non-families. 17.1 % of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1 % had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.33 and the average family size was 3.77. In the county the population was spread out with 31.4 % under the age of 18, 9.9 % from 18 to 24, 30.4 % from 25 to 44, 18.2 % from 45 to 64, and 10.0 % who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.4 males. Imperial County vote by party in presidential elections Year GOP DEM Others 2016 26.4 % 12,704 67.9 % 32,667 5.7 % 2,720 2012 33.1 % 12,777 65.2 % 25,136 1.7 % 652 2008 36.1 % 14,008 62.2 % 24,162 1.7 % 650 46.4 % 15,890 52.4 % 17,964 1.2 % 420 2000 43.3 % 12,524 53.5 % 15,489 3.2 % 924 36.8 % 9,705 55.3 % 14,591 8.0 % 2,104 38.6 % 9,759 43.9 % 11,109 17.6 % 4,450 1988 55.2 % 12,889 43.8 % 10,243 1.0 % 233 1984 62.0 % 13,829 36.9 % 8,237 1.1 % 235 1980 55.9 % 12,068 36.9 % 7,961 7.2 % 1,550 1976 49.9 % 10,618 48.2 % 10,244 1.9 % 400 1972 62.1 % 14,178 34.9 % 7,982 3.0 % 689 Politics Imperial County is a Democratic stronghold in Presidential, Congressional, and local elections. The last Republican to win a majority in the county was George H.W. Bush in 1988. On November 4, 2008, Imperial County voted 69.7 % for Proposition 8, which amended the California Constitution to ban same - sex marriages, showing more support for the proposition than any other strongly Democratic county. Imperial County is in California 's 51st congressional district, represented by Democrat Juan Vargas. In the state legislature, the county is in the 56th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Eduardo Garcia, and the 40th Senate District, represented by Democrat Ben Hueso. The median income for a household in the county was $31,870, and the median income for a family was $35,226. Males had a median income of $32,775 versus $23,974 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,239. About 19.4 % of families and 22.6 % of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.7 % of those under age 18 and 13.6 % of those age 65 or over. Education Schools in the Imperial Valley The Imperial Valley has many schools to offer education ; high schools, middle / junior high school, elementary schools, and college. Central Union High School, Southwest High School, Calexico High School Holtville High School, Imperial High School, and Brawley Union High School are some of the high schools Imperial Valley has to offer. Imperial Valley College, located in Imperial, California, and SDSU Imperial Valley Extension, located in Calexico, California, are the colleges the Imperial Valley has to offer. The valley also offers a partnership between the local community college, Imperial Valley College, and SDSU 's extension which offers a four - year bachelor 's degree for students in the area. The program was formally named imperial Valley Partnership University. This partnership was intended to provide students in the valley the opportunity to stay within the area while being able to acquire a bachelor 's degree for an affordable price without having to transfer to a distant four - year university. The program hosted its first cohorts in the Fall of 2012 and since then has offered various academic programs such as Criminal Justice, History, Liberal Studies, Psychology, Public Administration, and Spanish. Imperial Valley University Program, respectably known as IVUP, has not only offered affordable education and the opportunity to stay local for students in the Imperial Valley, but it has also provided priority registration, scholarship opportunities, and the ability to use resources from both the IVC 's and SDSU 's campuses. IVUP continues to expand in each academic term and actively does outreach throughout different high schools in the valley by performing presentations and one - on - one interviews with students who express interest. Transportation Major highways State Route 86 north of Salton City Interstate 8 State Route 7 State Route 78 State Route 86 State Route 98 State Route 111 State Route 115 Public transportation Greyhound Lines Imperial Valley Transit Yuma County Area Transit Amtrak Airports Imperial County Airport is the main airport in the county. It is primarily a general aviation airport with limited commercial flight service. The major nearby airport is the San Diego International Airport. Airport IATA code ICAO code City Calexico International Airport CXL KCXL Calexico Holtville Airport L04 none Holtville Imperial County Airport IPL KIPL Imperial Culture Robert A. Heinlein 's science fiction short story `` Water Is for Washing '' ( Argosy, November 1947 ) was based on the premise that an earthquake had catastrophically shattered the range of deposits separating the Imperial Valley from the Gulf of California, precipitating a tidal wave moving north to transiently drown these lowlands. At the beginning of the story, Heinlein uses the character of a bartender in El Centro to establish the danger of the quake and inundation : You 've heard about the 1905 flood, when the Colorado River spilled over and formed the Salton Sea ? But do n't be too sure about quakes ; valleys below sea level do n't just grow -- something has to cause them. The San Andreas Fault curls around this valley like a question mark. Just imagine the shake - up it must have taken to drop thousands of square miles below the level of the Pacific. Heinlein 's perspective character is a traveling businessman who had picked up two chance - encountered children and a vagrant while driving frantically to higher ground, and the dramatic arc centers on the efforts of the men to survive and save the youngsters from drowning. Due to its desert environment and proximity to Los Angeles, California, movies are sometimes filmed in the sand dunes outside the agricultural portions of the Imperial Valley. These have included American Sniper Return of the Jedi Independence Day Stargate The Scorpion King Patriot Games Into the Wild The Men who Stare at Goats La Bamba The original Flight of the Phoenix ( 1965 ) was filmed outside of Holtville. The Tom Cruise movie Losin ' It ( 1983 ) was filmed in Calexico. Additionally, portions of the 2005 film Jarhead were filmed here because of its similarity to the desert terrain of Iraq. Mountains that were visible in the background during filming were digitally removed during postproduction. Notables Cher, entertainer Mike Mohamed, NFL linebacker Edith Summers Kelley, author Sergio Romo, MLB pitcher Rudy Seánez, former MLB pitcher Robert Thomas, NFL linebacker See also 1940 El Centro earthquake 1979 Imperial Valley earthquake Imperial Valley Press O.M. Wozencraft -- `` Father of the Imperial Valley '' Footnotes Jump up ^ `` El Centro Economics ''. California Economic Strategy Panel. Jump up ^ Grand Canyon Sediment Deposit Jump up ^ Geography ^ Jump up to : Imperial Valley Climate ( from Wayback Machine ) Jump up ^ U.S. Census Bureau Urban Areas in California Jump up ^ Salton Sea mud pots & volcanoes Jump up ^ Imperial Valley Lifestyle Jump up ^ `` Fort Yuma ''. Retrieved 2009 - 08 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Blue Angels Official Website ''. Archived from the original on 2009 - 08 - 03. Retrieved 2009 - 08 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Imperial Valley Expo ''. Archived from the original on 2009 - 06 - 14. Retrieved 2009 - 08 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Algodones Sand Dunes ''. Retrieved 2009 - 08 - 05. ^ Jump up to : `` Fossil Canyon and Painted Gorge ''. Retrieved 2009 - 08 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Imperial NWR ''. Archived from the original on 2009 - 06 - 12. Retrieved 2009 - 08 - 04. Jump up ^ `` Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge ''. Retrieved 2009 - 08 - 04. ^ Jump up to : `` Calif. Desert Becomes Home For Renewable Energy '', Rob Schmitz, Morning Edition, April 3, 2009, NPR. Jump up ^ http://www.syntheticgenomics.com/media/press/052412.html Synthetic Genomics Press Release : May 24, 2012 Jump up ^ http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/index.html Jump up ^ `` Proposition 8 Map -- November 4, 2008, General Election -- California Secretary of State : ''. Archived from the original on August 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 08 - 17. Jump up ^ `` Registration by County ''. Archived from the original on 2009 - 10 - 12. Retrieved 2009 - 08 - 17. Jump up ^ `` California 's 51st Congressional District - Representatives & District Map ''. Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved April 7, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Members Assembly ''. State of California. Retrieved April 7, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Senators ''. State of California. Retrieved April 7, 2013. Jump up ^ http://www.ivup.org Jump up ^ http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt0418763/ Further reading Benny J. Andrés, Jr. Power and Control in the Imperial Valley : Nature, Agribusiness, and Workers in the California Borderland, 1900 -- 1940. College Station, TX : Texas A&M University Press, 2014. External links Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation City of El Centro Website City of Imperial Website From the Colorado River to the Salton Sea : The story of Imperial Valley 's Water ( slideshow ) U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System : Imperial Valley State of California Sacramento ( capital ) Topics Culture Food Music Myth Sports Demographics Earthquakes Economy Education Environment Geography Climate Ecology Flora Fauna Government Capitol Districts Governor Legislature Supreme Court Healthcare History Law National Historic Landmarks National Natural Landmarks NRHP listings Politics Congressional delegations Elections People Protected areas State Parks State Historic Landmarks Symbols Transportation Water Index of articles Regions Antelope Valley Big Sur California Coast Ranges Cascade Range Central California Central Coast Central Valley Channel Islands Coachella Valley Coastal California Conejo Valley Cucamonga Valley Death Valley East Bay ( SF Bay Area ) East County ( SD ) Eastern California Emerald Triangle Gold Country Great Basin Greater San Bernardino Inland Empire Klamath Basin Lake Tahoe Greater Los Angeles Los Angeles Basin Lost Coast Mojave Desert Mountain Empire North Bay ( SF ) North Coast North Coast ( SD ) Northern California Owens Valley Oxnard Plain Peninsular Ranges Pomona Valley Sacramento Valley Salinas Valley San Fernando Valley San Francisco Bay Area San Francisco Peninsula San Gabriel Valley San Joaquin Valley Santa Clara Valley Santa Clara River Valley Santa Clarita Valley Santa Ynez Valley Shasta Cascade Sierra Nevada Silicon Valley South Bay ( LA ) South Bay ( SD ) South Bay ( SF ) South Coast Southern Border Region Southern California Transverse Ranges Tri-Valley Victor Valley Wine Country Metro regions Metropolitan Fresno Los Angeles metropolitan area Greater Sacramento San Bernardino - Riverside metropolitan area San Francisco metropolitan area San Diego -- Tijuana Counties Alameda Alpine Amador Butte Calaveras Colusa Contra Costa Del Norte El Dorado Fresno Glenn Humboldt Imperial Inyo Kern Kings Lake Lassen Los Angeles Madera Marin Mariposa Mendocino Merced Modoc Mono Monterey Napa Nevada Orange Placer Plumas Riverside Sacramento San Benito San Bernardino San Diego San Francisco San Joaquin San Luis Obispo San Mateo Santa Barbara Santa Clara Santa Cruz Shasta Sierra Siskiyou Solano Sonoma Stanislaus Sutter Tehama Trinity Tulare Tuolumne Ventura Yolo Yuba Most populous cities Los Angeles San Diego San Jose San Francisco Fresno Sacramento Long Beach Oakland Bakersfield Anaheim Southern Border Region Counties San Diego Imperial Global city 1.3 million San Diego Major cities 100k - 250k Chula Vista Oceanside Escondido Carlsbad Cities and towns 25k - 100k El Cajon El Centro Encinitas Calexico Fallbrook Imperial Beach La Mesa La Presa National City Poway San Marcos Santee Spring Valley Vista Cities and towns under 25k Alpine Bombay Beach Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Bostonia Boulevard Brawley Casa de Oro - Mount Helix Calipatria Campo Camp Pendleton North Camp Pendleton South Coronado Crest Del Mar Descanso Desert Shores Fairbanks Ranch Harbison Canyon Heber Hidden Meadows Holtville Imperial Jacumba Hot Springs Jamul Julian Lakeside Lake San Marcos Lemon Grove Mount Laguna Niland Ocotillo Palo Verde Pine Valley Potrero Rainbow Ramona Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Salton City Salton Sea Beach San Diego Country Estates Seeley Solana Beach Valley Center Westmorland Winter Gardens Winterhaven Bodies of water Alamo River Agua Hedionda Lagoon Batiquitos Lagoon Buena Vista Lagoon Colorado River Mission Bay New River Salton Sea San Diego Bay San Diego River San Elijo Lagoon San Luis Rey River Santa Margarita River Sweetwater River Otay River Tijuana River ( Tijuana River Estuary ) Landforms Algodones Dunes Black Hills Black Mountain Blue Angels Peak Buena Vista Hills Cargo Muchacho Mountains ( Pilot Knob ) Chocolate Mountains Colorado Desert Cowles Mountain Coyote Mountain Coyote Mountains Cuyamaca Peak Double Peak Fish Creek Mountains Fletcher Hills Grapevine Hills Hot Springs Mountain In - Ko - Pah Mountains Jacumba Mountains Jamul Mountains Laguna Mountains Lake Cahuilla Little Mule Mountains Margarita Peak Merriam Mountains Mount Soledad Mud Caves North Pinyon Mountains Oakzanita Peak Oat Hills Palo Verde Mountains Palomar Mountain Palomar Mountain Range Pine Hills Pinyon Mountains Salton Buttes San Felipe Hills San Marcos Mountains San Ysidro Mountains Santa Ana Mountains Santa Margarita Mountains Santa Rosa Mountains Sawtooth Mountains Sawtooth Range Superstition Hills Tierra Blanca Mountains Vallecito Mountains Viejas Mountain Volcanic Hills Yuha Buttes Yuha Desert Regions North County Borrego South Bay East County San Diego Imperial Valley Southern Border Region Municipalities and communities of Imperial County, California, United States County seat : El Centro Cities Brawley Calexico Calipatria El Centro Holtville Imperial Westmorland CDPs Bombay Beach Desert Shores Heber Niland Ocotillo Palo Verde Salton City Salton Sea Beach Seeley Winterhaven Unincorporated communities Acolita Alamorio Amos Andrade Anza Araz Junction Bard Bertram Bonds Corner Boulder Park Cactus Citrus View Clyde Coolidge Springs Coyote Wells Curlew Date City Dixieland Dunes Edgar Elmore Desert Ranch Estelle Felicity Fondo Frink Fuller Glamis Gordons Well Hovley Imperial Gables Iris Kane Spring Meloland Mesquite Moss Mount Signal Mundo Munyon Obregon Orita Paymaster Landing Perrys Corner Picacho Plaster City Pope Rico Rockwood Ross Corner Ruthven Sandia Slab City Tortuga Truckhaven Verdant Watermans Corner Wiest Wilsie Wister Indian reservations Fort Yuma Indian Reservation Torres - Martinez Indian Reservation Ghost towns Araz Barnes Bernice Bradtmoore Butlers California Camp Camp Gaston Carrizo Creek Station Colorado Concepcíon Eastside Gleason Hazelwood Hedges Highline Indian Wells Jaeger City Keystone Laguna Laparra Lano Mayflower Mobile No Mirage Ogilby Paringa Picacho Basin Pilot Knob Station Potholes Sackett 's Wells Sellew Shamrock Silsbee Squeaky Springs Tumco Colorado River system Jurisdictions United States Arizona California Colorado Nevada New Mexico Utah Wyoming Mexico Baja California Sonora Canyons Byers Canyon Gore Canyon Red Gorge Glenwood Canyon De Beque Canyon Horsethief Canyon Ruby Canyon Westwater Canyon Cataract Canyon Narrow Canyon Glen Canyon Grand Canyon Marble Canyon Granite Gorge Middle Granite Gorge Lower Granite Gorge Grand Wash Canyon Iceberg Canyon Virgin Canyon Boulder Canyon Black Canyon Pyramid Canyon Mohave Canyon Natural features River course Rocky Mountains Colorado River Basin Colorado Plateau Grand Lake Horseshoe Bend Sonoran Desert Mojave Desert Lower Colorado River Valley Mohave Valley Parker Valley Palo Verde Valley Colorado Desert Alamo River New River Salton Sea Imperial Valley Delta Montague Island Gulf of California / Sea of Cortez Tributaries Blue River Dirty Devil River Dolores River Escalante River Eagle River Fraser River Gila River Green River Gunnison River Kanab Creek Little Colorado River Paria River Roaring Fork River San Juan River Thunder River / Tapeats Creek Virgin River Las Vegas Wash Williams Fork Río Hardy Engineering Mainstem dams Shadow Mountain Granby Windy Gap Grand Valley Price - Stubb Glen Canyon Hoover Davis Parker Headgate Rock Palo Verde Imperial Laguna Morelos Major reservoirs Fontenelle Reservoir Flaming Gorge Reservoir Blue Mesa Reservoir Navajo Lake Lake Powell Lake Mead Lake Mohave Lake Havasu Imperial Reservoir Theodore Roosevelt Lake San Carlos Lake Aqueducts and canals Grand Ditch Colorado River Aqueduct San Diego Aqueduct Central Arizona Project All - American Canal Coachella Canal Water projects Boulder Canyon Project Colorado - Big Thompson Project Colorado River Storage Project Grand Valley AVA Yuma Project Designated areas Arches National Park Canyonlands National Park Colorado National Monument Dead Horse Point State Park Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Grand Canyon National Park Lake Mead National Recreation Area Rocky Mountain National Park Related topics Arizona v. California Colorado River Board of California Colorado River Compact Floyd Dominy Lee 's Ferry International Boundary and Water Commission Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Rapids and features U.S. Bureau of Reclamation William Mulholland GND : 4737241 - 2 NARA : 10038223 VIAF : 237467972 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imperial_Valley&oldid=841953729 '' Categories : Imperial Valley Valleys of Imperial County, California Geography of the Colorado Desert California Enterprise Zones Coachella Valley Colorado River Lower Colorado River Valley Valleys of California Regions of California Southern California Hidden categories : Coordinates on Wikidata All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from April 2015 Articles needing additional references from February 2015 All articles needing additional references Articles with a promotional tone from July 2012 All articles with a promotional tone Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Français Italiano עברית Nederlands Português Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 19 May 2018, at 06 : 00. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: where does the imperial valley get almost all of its water
Answer: Colorado River