Algodones Dunes
Algodones Dunes | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 32°55′N 115°3′W / 32.917°N 115.050°W | |
Location | Sonoran Desert, Imperial County, California, United States |
Dimensions | |
• Length | 45 miles (72 km) |
• Width | 6 miles (9.7 km) |
The Algodones Dunes is a large sand dune field, or
Location
The dunes are located west of the Chocolate Mountains in Imperial County, and are crossed by Interstate 8 and State Route 78, which passes through the old train stop of Glamis at the eastern edge of the dune field. The northwestern end is located at 33°8′53″N 115°19′29″W / 33.14806°N 115.32472°W about 11 miles (18 km) east of Calipatria, California, and the southeastern end is located at 32°41′4″N 114°46′7″W / 32.68444°N 114.76861°W near Los Algodones in Mexico, about 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Yuma, Arizona. The dunes are also now separated at the southern end by agricultural land from the much more extensive Gran Desierto de Altar, to which they once were linked as an extreme peripheral "finger". The only significant human-made structures in the area are the All-American Canal that cuts across the southern portion from east to west and the Coachella Canal on the western edge.
History
Because the
The dunes have frequently been a barrier to human movement in the area. Foot travelers frequently diverted south into Mexico, and in 1877 the
Current recreational use
Environmental protection groups (notably the
Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. Potential natural vegetation Types, the Algodones Dunes would have a Desert (vegetation absent) (46) vegetation type and a Great Basin Shrubland (7) vegetation form.[6] Research indicates that there is significant reduction in the diversity and abundance of species in dune areas subject to heavy ORV traffic.[7] A two-year survey of dune insects revealed over 1100 species were present, at least 60 of which were new to science.[8]
Endemic species
As they are the largest dune ecosystem in the
- The Endangered Species Act and as an endangered species under the California Endangered Species Act.[9][10] The plant germinates only during years of sufficient rainfall. In one such year, 2003, over 71,000 plants were estimated to be present in the open areas of the dunes, and it is suspected at least that many more in the closed areas.[11]
Among insects, there are dozens of species found only in Algodones or its neighboring areas, including:
- Pseudocotalpa andrewsi — (a scarab beetle)
- Pseudocotalpa sonorica — (a scarab beetle)
- Anomala hardyorum — (a scarab beetle)
- Megasoma sleeperi — (a scarab beetle)
- Trigonoscuta rothi — (a weevil)
- Lepismadora algodones — the Algodones sand jewel beetle
- Agrilus harenus — (a buprestid beetle)
- Prasinalia imperialis — (a buprestid beetle)
- Ageniella arenicola — (a spider wasp)
- Ageniella pernia — (a spider wasp)
- Microbembex elegans — (a sand wasp)
- Stictiella villegasi — (a sand wasp)
- Plenoculus n. sp. — (a crabronid wasp)
- Perdita algodones — (an andrenid bee)
- Perdita frontalis — (an andrenid bee)
- Perdita glamis — (an andrenid bee)
- robber fly)
In August 2006, federal wildlife officials decided not to list these species under the Endangered Species Act, due primarily to insufficient documentation of their distribution and phenology; biological survey work is planned to address this.[12]
Movie setting
The dunes were used to film parts of
Climate
According to the
Climate data for 6 S Glamis, Imperial County, CA | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 69.1 (20.6) |
73.0 (22.8) |
79.4 (26.3) |
86.4 (30.2) |
94.9 (34.9) |
103.2 (39.6) |
107.1 (41.7) |
106.4 (41.3) |
101.5 (38.6) |
90.1 (32.3) |
77.3 (25.2) |
67.8 (19.9) |
88.1 (31.2) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 43.3 (6.3) |
47.2 (8.4) |
51.8 (11.0) |
57.5 (14.2) |
65.4 (18.6) |
72.9 (22.7) |
79.3 (26.3) |
80.9 (27.2) |
74.6 (23.7) |
62.3 (16.8) |
51.0 (10.6) |
42.5 (5.8) |
60.8 (16.0) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.46 (12) |
0.49 (12) |
0.39 (9.9) |
0.07 (1.8) |
0.04 (1.0) |
0.01 (0.25) |
0.20 (5.1) |
0.43 (11) |
0.24 (6.1) |
0.27 (6.9) |
0.16 (4.1) |
0.52 (13) |
3.28 (83) |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
39.5 | 37.2 | 33.0 | 26.7 | 24.3 | 21.6 | 29.0 | 33.3 | 31.1 | 31.3 | 34.3 | 39.2 | 31.7 |
Average dew point °F (°C) | 31.9 (−0.1) |
33.9 (1.1) |
35.7 (2.1) |
35.8 (2.1) |
40.4 (4.7) |
44.0 (6.7) |
56.2 (13.4) |
60.5 (15.8) |
53.8 (12.1) |
43.6 (6.4) |
35.4 (1.9) |
30.8 (−0.7) |
41.9 (5.5) |
Source: PRISM Climate Group[15] |
References
- ^ "National Natural Landmarks - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
Year designated: 1966
- ^ a b Where Did the Sand Dunes Come From? Bureau of Land Management. Archived 2007-02-04 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on February 18, 2007.
- ^ "Algodones Dunes - GLAMIS". www.biologicaldiversity.org. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ "ISDRA Sand Dune Guide". www.duneguide.com. Archived from the original on 4 April 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ Sandsports at Off-Road.com. Archived 2006-11-01 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on February 18, 2007.
- ^ "U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)". Data Basin. Retrieved 2019-07-10.
- ^ Van Dam, A.R. & Van Dam, M.H. (2008) Impact of Off-Road Vehicle use on dune endemic Coleoptera. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 101:411-417. DOI: 10.1603/0013-8746(2008)101[411:IOOVUO]2.0.CO;2
- ^ Wasbauer, M.S., Kimsey. L.S. (2009) The Pompilidae of the Algodones Dunes, California, with description of new species (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae). The Pan-Pacific Entomologist, 86(1): 2-9, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3956/2009-30.1
- ^ Bureau of Land Management, El Centro Field Office. Retrieved on February 18, 2007.
- ^ California Department of Fish and Game. Retrieved February 18, 2007
- ^ "American Sand Association :: Biological". Archived from the original on 2007-02-16. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) Retrieved on February 18, 2007. - ^ "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List 16 Insect Species From the Algodones Sand Dunes, Imperial County, CA, as Threatened or Endangered". Federal Register. 71 (160): 47765–47771. 2006.
- ^ Dangelo, Joe. "Deftones Brave the Elements to Shoot Minerva Video". MTV. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- ^ "USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map". United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 2019-07-04. Retrieved 2019-07-10.
- ^ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". www.prism.oregonstate.edu. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
External links
- Bureau of Land Management site for the Imperial Sand Dunes
- Bureau of Land Management site for the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness
- Center for Biological Diversity
- "Algodones Dunefield, California". NASA Earth Observatory. Archived from the original on 2006-09-30. Retrieved 2006-05-01.
- wilderness.net: North Algodones Dunes Wilderness
- Glamis Picture Gallery
- Glamis Sand Dunes on Dirtopia
- Imperial Sand Dunes on DuneGuide.com Archived 2009-01-25 at the Wayback Machine
- Glamis Dunes website of information, forums and links
- Glamis Camping Information