Algodones dunes
The Algodones Dunes (English Algodones Dunes ) are about 72 km (45 miles) long and up to 9.7 km (6 miles) wide dune field in southeast California ( Imperial County ); the dunes rise up to 90 m (approx. 300 feet) above the level of Interstate Highway 8 there. They are roughly between the cities of Niland in the northeast and Los Algodones , one of the northernmost cities in Mexico, and run parallel to the southwest slope of the Chocolate Mountains . They are a part of the Colorado Desert and have a 25 mm average annual precipitation at 18.3 ° C mean annual temperature vollarides desert climate on. The sand probably comes from the beach of the former Cahuilla Lake in the Imperial Valley . The dunes were mainly formed by the strong northwest winds in winter. The western dunes are primarily characterized by coarser sand. In the east there are secondary dunes made of fine sand, which is constantly being driven further east and under the mountain range.
In the south, on the Mexican border, the Interstate Highway Interstate 8 from San Diego to Arizona crosses the area, parallel to the first primitive road built through the dunes, the Old Plank Road from 1915. The Yuma railway line runs its full length through the dune field - Los Angeles , which was built by Southern Pacific Transportation in the 1870s and is now only used for freight transport by the Union Pacific Railroad . Two localities are registered in the Algodones dunes, Glamis in the center and Ogilby on the south-eastern edge. They are dependent and their residents are not officially recorded. Both villages were created during the construction of the railway and are now meaningless. With the exception of a few private properties, all of the dunes are federally owned and managed by the Bureau of Land Management .
description
The Algodones Dunes are roughly divided from east to west by California State Route 78 . The part north of the highway with an area of around 105 km² has been designated as the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness since 1994 , a wilderness area and thus a nature reserve of the strictest class in the United States. The California gopher tortoise , the toad lizard Phrynosoma mcallii and the fringed- toe iguana Uma notata live in the sanctuary and the rest of the dunes . The scarab beetle Pseudocotalpa andrewsi is endemic to the Algodones dunes .
The southern part of the dunes is approved for dune buggies , motorcycles, off-road vehicles and quads . On peak days, more than 100,000 motocross fans cavort in the dune area . Estimates assume 1.4 million visitors annually. Several campsites were set up in the south of the Algodones dunes for accommodation. The dune area approved for motocross is also known as the Glamis Sand Dunes or Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA). It is the most famous off-road site in southern California.
To the south of the area, the border between the United States and Mexico runs through the dunes. To fortify the border against illegal immigrants, drug and people smuggling, a special construction was developed, which consists of narrow, five meter high elements. They can be moved in relation to each other and so can be raised to the height of the variable dunes.
Web links
- Official map of the area (English)
- Information on weather and climate in Glamis (English)
- dirtopia.org: Glamis Sand Dunes in an Off-Road Encyclopedia
- wilderness.net: North Algodones Dunes Wilderness
Coordinates: 32 ° 58 ′ N , 115 ° 5 ′ W