Sonoran Desert

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Sonoran Desert
Saguaro National Park - Flickr - Joe Parks.jpg
Saguaro National Park in Arizona
Sonoran Desert map.svg
Sonoran desert
Ecology
Realm Nearctic
Biome Deserts and xeric shrublands
Borders
List
Bird species246 [1]
Mammal species120 [1]
Geography
Area222,998 km2 (86,100 sq mi)
Countries
States
Coordinates 32°15′N112°55′W / 32.250°N 112.917°W / 32.250; -112.917
Rivers Colorado River
Climate type Hot desert (BWh)
Conservation
Conservation status Relatively Stable/Intact [2]
Habitat loss10.5% [1]
Protected39% [1]

The Sonoran Desert (Spanish : Desierto de Sonora) is a hot desert and ecoregion in North America that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the Southwestern United States (in Arizona and California). It is the hottest desert in both Mexico and the United States. [3] It has an area of 260,000 square kilometers (100,000 sq mi).

Contents

In phytogeography, the Sonoran Desert is within the Sonoran floristic province of the Madrean Region of southwestern North America, part of the Holarctic realm of the northern Western Hemisphere. The desert contains a variety of unique endemic plants and animals, notably, the saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) and organ pipe cactus (Stenocereus thurberi).

The Sonoran Desert is clearly distinct from nearby deserts (e.g., the Great Basin, Mojave, and Chihuahuan deserts) because it provides subtropical warmth in winter and two seasons of rainfall (in contrast, for example, to the Mojave's dry summers and cold winters). This creates an extreme contrast between aridity and moisture. [4]

Location

The Sonoran desert wraps around the northern end of the Gulf of California, from Baja California Sur (El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve in central and Pacific west coast, Central Gulf Coast subregion on east to southern tip), north through much of Baja California, excluding the central northwest mountains and Pacific west coast, through southeastern California and southwestern and southern Arizona to western and central parts of Sonora. [5]

It is bounded on the west by the Peninsular Ranges, which separate it from the California chaparral and woodlands (northwest) and Baja California desert (Vizcaíno subregion, central and southeast) ecoregions of the Pacific slope. The Gulf of California xeric scrub ecoregion lies south of the Sonoran desert on the Gulf of California slope of the Baja California Peninsula.

To the north in California and northwest Arizona, the Sonoran Desert transitions to the colder-winter, higher-elevation Mojave, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau deserts.

The coniferous Arizona Mountains forests are to the northeast. The Chihuahuan Desert and Sierra Madre Occidental pine–oak forests are at higher elevations to the east. To the south the Sonoran–Sinaloan transition subtropical dry forest is the transition zone from the Sonoran Desert to the tropical dry forests of the Mexican state of Sinaloa. [5]

Sub-regions

The desert's sub-regions include the Colorado Desert of southeastern California; and the Yuma Desert east of the north-to-south section of the Colorado River in southwest Arizona. In the 1957 publication Vegetation of the Sonoran Desert, Forrest Shreve divided the Sonoran Desert into seven regions according to characteristic vegetation: Lower Colorado Valley, Arizona Upland, Plains of Sonora, Foothills of Sonora, Central Gulf Coast, Vizcaíno Region, and Magdalena Region. [6] Many ecologists consider Shreve's Vizcaíno and Magdalena regions, which lie on the western side of the Baja California Peninsula, to be a separate ecoregion, the Baja California desert.

Within the southern Sonoran Desert in Mexico is found the Gran Desierto de Altar, with the El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve, encompassing 2,000 square kilometres (770 sq mi) of desert and mountainous regions. [7] The biosphere reserve includes the only active erg dune region in North America. The nearest city to the biosphere reserve is Puerto Peñasco ('Rocky Point') in the state of Sonora, Mexico.

Sub-regions

Sonoran Desert sub-regions include:

Climate

The Sonoran desert has an arid subtropical climate and is considered to be the most tropical desert in North America. [8] In the lower-elevation portions of the desert, temperatures are warm year-round, and rainfall is infrequent and irregular, often less than 90 mm (approx. 3.5") annually. The Arizona uplands are also warm year-round, but they receive 100–300 mm (approx. 4–12") of average annual rainfall, which falls in a more regular bi-seasonal pattern. [2]

According to the Köppen climate classification system, the majority of the Sonoran Desert has a hot desert climate (BWh). Hot semi-arid climate (BSh) exists on some of the higher elevation mountains within the desert, as well as in a continuous swath on the eastern and northeastern fringes as elevations gradually rise toward the Madrean Sky Islands in the east and the Mogollon Rim in the northeast. There are also a few small areas of cold semi-arid climate (BSk) and even hot-summer Mediterranean climate ("Csa") on only the highest mountain peaks within the region.

Climate data for 7 WNW Sundad, AZ, Elevation 945 ft (288 m), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981-2022
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °F (°C)82.1
(27.8)		90.7
(32.6)		98.8
(37.1)		103.6
(39.8)		111.5
(44.2)		117.6
(47.6)		120.6
(49.2)		116.2
(46.8)		114.1
(45.6)		105.4
(40.8)		96.6
(35.9)		83.7
(28.7)		120.6
(49.2)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)68.0
(20.0)		71.4
(21.9)		78.4
(25.8)		85.7
(29.8)		94.0
(34.4)		103.2
(39.6)		106.5
(41.4)		105.4
(40.8)		100.4
(38.0)		89.8
(32.1)		77.0
(25.0)		66.6
(19.2)		87.3
(30.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)39.0
(3.9)		42.0
(5.6)		47.3
(8.5)		52.6
(11.4)		60.5
(15.8)		69.2
(20.7)		77.8
(25.4)		78.0
(25.6)		70.5
(21.4)		57.4
(14.1)		45.3
(7.4)		37.8
(3.2)		56.5
(13.6)
Record low °F (°C)18.1
(−7.7)		24.3
(−4.3)		29.0
(−1.7)		38.1
(3.4)		44.3
(6.8)		52.8
(11.6)		62.4
(16.9)		64.5
(18.1)		51.2
(10.7)		36.5
(2.5)		25.8
(−3.4)		19.9
(−6.7)		18.1
(−7.7)
Average precipitation inches (mm)0.74
(19)		0.71
(18)		0.55
(14)		0.13
(3.3)		0.08
(2.0)		0.03
(0.76)		0.68
(17)		0.78
(20)		0.52
(13)		0.39
(9.9)		0.43
(11)		0.62
(16)		5.64
(143)
Average snowfall inches (cm)0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)
Average relative humidity (%)40.637.731.923.120.417.527.432.030.628.132.140.530.1
Average dew point °F (°C)30.1
(−1.1)		31.2
(−0.4)		32.4
(0.2)		29.8
(−1.2)		33.5
(0.8)		37.0
(2.8)		53.8
(12.1)		57.7
(14.3)		51.0
(10.6)		38.6
(3.7)		31.2
(−0.4)		28.9
(−1.7)		38.0
(3.3)
Source: PRISM [9]

Flora

The Sonoran Desert near Tucson, Arizona during winter. Sonoradesert 1.JPG
The Sonoran Desert near Tucson, Arizona during winter.

Many plants not only survive, but thrive in the harsh conditions of the Sonoran Desert. Many have evolved specialized adaptations to the desert climate. The Sonoran Desert's bi-seasonal rainfall pattern results in more plant species than any other desert in the world. [2] The Sonoran Desert includes plant genera and species from the agave family, palm family, cactus family, legume family, and numerous others. Many of these adaptations occur in food crops. Mission Garden is a living agricultural museum that showcases foods that have been grown in the Sonoran Desert for over 4000 years.

The Sonoran is the only place in the world where the famous saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) grows in the wild. [10] Cholla (Cylindropuntia spp.), beavertail (Opuntia basilaris), hedgehog (Echinocereus spp.), fishhook (Ferocactus wislizeni), prickly pear (Opuntia spp.), nightblooming cereus (Peniocereus spp.), and organ pipe (Stenocereus thurberi) are other taxa of cacti found here. Cacti provide food and homes to many desert mammals and birds, with showy flowers in reds, pinks, yellows, and whites, blooming most commonly from late March through June, depending on the species and seasonal temperatures.

Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) and bur sage (Ambrosia dumosa) dominate valley floors. Indigo bush (Psorothamnus fremontii) and Mormon tea are other shrubs that may be found. Wildflowers of the Sonoran Desert include desert sand verbena (Abronia villosa), desert sunflower (Geraea canescens), and evening primroses.

Velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina) Prosopis velutina Anza-Borrego.jpg
Velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina)

Ascending from the valley up bajadas, various subtrees such as velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina), palo verde (Parkinsonia florida), desert ironwood (Olneya tesota), desert willow (Chilopsis linearis ssp. arcuata), and crucifixion thorn (Canotia holacantha) are common, as well as multi-stemmed ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens). Shrubs found at higher elevations include whitethorn acacia (Acacia constricta), fairy duster, and jojoba. In the desert subdivisions found on Baja California, cardon cactus, elephant tree, and boojum tree occur. [11]

Washingtonia filifera in Anza Borrego Desert State Park Washingtonia filifera Anza-Borrego.jpg
Washingtonia filifera in Anza Borrego Desert State Park

The California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera) is found in the Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert, the only native palm in California, among many other introduced Arecaceae genera and species. It is found at spring-fed oases, such as in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. [12]

Fauna

The Sonoran Desert is home to a wide variety of fauna that have adapted and thrive in the hot, arid desert environment, such as the Gila monster, bobcat, mule deer, antelope jackrabbit, burrowing owl, greater roadrunner, western diamondback rattlesnake, and elf owl. There are 350 bird species, 20 amphibian species, over 100 reptile species, 30 native fish species, and over 1000 native bee species found in the Sonoran. [13] The Sonoran Desert area southeast of Tucson and near the Mexican border is vital habitat for the only population of jaguars living within the United States. [14] The Colorado River Delta was once an ecological hotspot within the Sonoran desert due to the Colorado river in this otherwise dry area, but the delta has been greatly reduced in extent due to damming and use of the river upstream. Species that have higher heat tolerance are able to thrive in the conditions of the Sonoran Desert. One such insect species that has evolved a means to thrive in this environment is Drosophila mettleri , a Sonoran Desert fly. This fly contains a specialized P450 detoxification system that enables it to nest in the cool region of exudate moistened soil. Thus, the fly is one of few that can tolerate the high desert temperatures and successfully reproduce.

Human population

The Sonoran Desert is home to the cultures of over 17 contemporary Native American tribes, with settlements at American Indian reservations in California and Arizona, as well as populations in Mexico.

The largest city in the Sonoran Desert is Phoenix, Arizona, with a 2017 metropolitan population of about 4.7 million. [15] Located on the Salt River in central Arizona, it is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States. In 2007 in the Phoenix area, desert was losing ground to urban sprawl at a rate of approximately 4,000 square meters (1 acre) per hour. [16]

The next largest cities are Tucson, in southern Arizona, with a metro area population of just over 1 million, [17] and Mexicali, Baja California, with a similarly sized metropolitan population of around 1,000,000. The metropolitan area of Hermosillo, Sonora, has a population close to 900,000. Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, in the southern part of the desert, has a population of 375,800. [18]

California

The Coachella Valley, located in the Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert, has a population of 365,000. Several famous Southern California desert resort cities such as Palm Springs and Palm Desert are located here.

The entrance to Palm Springs, California via Highway 62 Gateway to the Springs.jpg
The entrance to Palm Springs, California via Highway 62

During the winter months, from November to April, the daytime temperatures in the Coachella Valley range from 70 °F (21 °C) to 90 °F (32 °C) and corresponding nighttime lows range from 46 °F (8 °C) to 68 °F (20 °C) making it a popular winter resort destination. Due to its warm year-round climate citrus and subtropical fruits such as mangoes, figs, and dates are grown in the Coachella Valley and adjacent Imperial Valley. The Imperial Valley has a total population of over 180,000 and has a similar climate to that of the Coachella Valley. Other cities include Borrego Springs, Indio, Coachella, Calexico, El Centro, Imperial, and Blythe.

United States–Mexico border region

Straddling the Mexico–United States border, the Sonoran desert is an important migration corridor for humans and animals. The harsh climate conditions and border militarism mean that the journey can be perilous, usually moving at night to minimize exposure to the heat. [19]

Protected areas

Mexican goldpoppies in the Sonoran Desert National Monument Sondes.jpg
Mexican goldpoppies in the Sonoran Desert National Monument

There are many National Parks and Monuments; federal and state nature reserves and wildlife refuges; state, county, and city parks; and government or nonprofit group operated natural history museums, science research institutes, and botanical gardens and desert landscape gardens.

Sonoran Desert protected areas include

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chihuahuan Desert</span> Largest desert in North America

The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert ecoregion designation covering parts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It occupies much of far West Texas, the middle to lower Rio Grande Valley and the lower Pecos Valley in New Mexico, and a portion of southeastern Arizona, as well as the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau. It is bordered on the west by the Sonoran Desert, the Colorado Plateau, and the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, along with northwestern lowlands of the Sierra Madre Oriental range. Its largest, continual expanse is located in Mexico, covering a large portion of the state of Chihuahua, along with portions of Coahuila, north-eastern Durango, the extreme northern part of Zacatecas, and small western portions of Nuevo León. With an area of about 501,896 km2 (193,783 sq mi), it is the largest hot desert in North America. The desert is fairly young, existing for only 8000 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anza-Borrego Desert State Park</span> State park in California, United States

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is a California State Park located within the Colorado Desert of Southern California, United States. The park takes its name from 18th century Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and borrego, a Spanish word for sheep. With 585,930 acres (237,120 ha) that includes one-fifth of San Diego County, it is the largest state park in California and the third largest state park nationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado Desert</span> Subdivision of the larger Sonoran Desert, California

Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert located in California, United States, and Baja California, Mexico. It encompasses approximately 7 million acres, including the heavily irrigated Coachella, Imperial and Mexicali valleys. It is home to many unique flora and fauna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baja California desert</span> Desert ecoregion of the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico

The Baja California desert is a desert ecoregion of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. This ecoregion occupies the western portion of the Baja California peninsula, and occupies most of the Mexican states of Baja California Sur and Baja California. It covers 77,700 square kilometers. The climate is dry, but its proximity of the Pacific Ocean provides humidity and moderates the temperature. The flora mostly consists of xeric shrubs and over 500 species of recorded vascular plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium</span> Botanical garden in Palm Springs, California, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuma Desert</span> Part of the Sonoran Desert

The Yuma Desert is a lower-elevation section of the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States and the northwest of Mexico. It lies in the Salton basin. The desert contains areas of sparse vegetation and has notable areas of sand dunes. With an average annual rainfall of less than 8 inches (200 mm), it is among the harshest deserts in North America. Human presence is sparse throughout; the largest city is Yuma, Arizona, on the Colorado River and the border of California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living Desert Zoo and Gardens</span> Botanical garden and zoo in Riverside County, California

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, formerly the Living Desert Museum, is a non-profit zoo and desert botanical garden located in Palm Desert, Riverside County, California, United States. The Living Desert is home to over 500 animals representing over 150 species and welcomes over 500,000 visitors annually. Situated in the Sonoran Desert of the Coachella Valley and Santa Rosa Mountains foothills near Palm Springs, California, The Living Desert is set on 1,200 acres, with 80 developed as zoo and gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lechuguilla Desert</span> Landform in southwestern Arizona

The Lechuguilla Desert is a small desert located in southwestern Arizona near the U.S.-Mexico border. It is considered to be part of the Lower Colorado Valley region of the Sonoran Desert. It lies in a north–south direction between the Gila Mountains and the Cabeza Prieta Mountains, and almost entirely in the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range. The desert is named after the lechuguilla plant, known scientifically as Agave lecheguilla, which occurs exclusively in the Chihuahuan desert many hundreds of miles to the east. The desert is also on the north border of the Gran Desierto de Altar of Sonora, Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gran Desierto de Altar</span> Region of the Sonoran Desert

The Gran Desierto de Altar is one of the major sub-ecoregions of the Sonoran Desert, located in the State of Sonora, in northwest Mexico. It includes the only active erg dune region in North America. The desert extends across much of the northern border of the Gulf of California, spanning more than 100 kilometres (62 mi) east to west and over 50 kilometres (31 mi) north to south. It constitutes the largest continuous wilderness area within the Sonoran Desert.

<i>Bursera microphylla</i> Species of flowering plant

Bursera microphylla, known by the common name elephant tree in English or 'torote' in Spanish, is a tree in the genus Bursera. It grows into a distinctive sculptural form, with a thickened, water-storing or caudiciform trunk. It is found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Colorado River Valley</span> Landform in Arizona and California

The Lower Colorado River Valley (LCRV) is the river region of the lower Colorado River of the southwestern United States in North America that rises in the Rocky Mountains and has its outlet at the Colorado River Delta in the northern Gulf of California in northwestern Mexico, between the states of Baja California and Sonora. This north–south stretch of the Colorado River forms the border between the U.S. states of California/Arizona and Nevada/Arizona, and between the Mexican states of Baja California/Sonora.

<i>Condea emoryi</i> Species of flowering plant

Condea emoryi, the desert lavender, is a large, multi-stemmed shrub species of flowering plant in Lamiaceae, the mint family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tinajas Altas Mountains</span> Landform in Yuma County, Arizona and Sonora, Mexico

The Tinajas Altas Mountains are an extremely arid northwest–southeast trending mountain range in southern Yuma County, Arizona, approximately 35 mi southeast of Yuma, Arizona. The southern end of the range extends approximately one mile into the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora on the northern perimeter of the Gran Desierto de Altar. The range is about 22 mi in length and about 4 mi wide at its widest point. The highpoint of the range is unnamed and is 2,766 feet above sea level and is located at 32°16'26"N, 114°02'48"W. Aside from the portion of the range in Mexico, the entirety of the range lies within the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range. They lie at the heart of the traditional homeland of the Hia C-eḍ O'odham people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deserts of California</span> Region of California

The deserts of California are the distinct deserts that each have unique ecosystems and habitats. The deserts are home to a sociocultural and historical "Old West" collection of legends, districts, and communities, and they also form a popular tourism region of dramatic natural features and recreational development. Part of this region was even proposed to become a new county due to cultural, economic and geographic differences relative to the rest of the more urban region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve</span> UNESCO biosphere reserve in Sonora, Mexico

El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site managed by the federal government of Mexico, specifically by Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources, in collaboration with the state governments of Sonora and the Tohono O'odham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flora of the Colorado Desert</span>

Flora of the Colorado Desert, located in Southern California. The Colorado Desert is a sub-region in the Sonoran Desert ecoregion of southwestern North America. It is also known as the Low Desert, in contrast to the higher elevation Mojave Desert or High Desert, to its north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alto Golfo de California Biosphere Reserve</span> UNESCO biosphere reserve in Sonora, Mexico

Alto Golfo de California Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve located in the state of Sonora in extreme northwestern Mexico. Thee 1,652,110 hectares (6,378.8 sq mi) reserve comprises the El Pinacate y Gran Desierto reserve and the Bahia Adair on the Gulf of California border. Geological volcanic formations with craters, dunes, oasis and beaches, and the diversity of plant associations determine its special landscape. The reserve was established in 1993 by the President of Mexico as Reserva de la Biosfera del Alto Golfo de California y Delta del Río Colorado and extended in 1995.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "The Atlas of Global Conservation". maps.tnc.org. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  2. 1 2 3 "Sonoran desert". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  3. ↑ "The hottest surface temperatures on earth". American Meteorological Society. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  4. ↑ A Delicate Balance. National Park Service. 15 November 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ – Zoo, Botanical Garden and Art Gallery". www.desertmuseum.org. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Sonoran Desert: An Overview of the Sonoran Desert by William G. McGinnies". 21 January 2003. Archived from the original on 21 January 2003. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  7. ↑ "Pinacate Rocky Point Puerto Peñasco Sonora Mexico". Archived from the original on 2011-02-02. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  8. ↑ Fleming, Theodore H.; Valiente-Banuet, Alfonso (2021-11-30). Columnar Cacti and Their Mutualists: Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation. University of Arizona Press. ISBN   978-0-8165-4742-5.
  9. ↑ "PRISM" . Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  10. ↑ "The Saguaro Cactus" (PDF). nps.gov. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  11. ↑ MacMahon, J. A. Deserts. 1986, 638 pages
  12. ↑ Hogan, C. M. 2009. California Fan Palm: Washingtonia filifera, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg Archived 2009-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ Surviving the Sonoran Archived 2010-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ The Jaguar in the Borderlands of Arizona, New Mexico and Northern Mexico: Conservation – Threats & Strategies Archived 2009-03-30 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2019-01-31.
  16. ↑ Make No Small Plans, Adelheid Fischer, ASU Research magazine. Accessed on line October 15, 2007
  17. ↑ Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 (CBSA-EST2006-01) Archived September 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , United States Census Bureau, 2007-04-05. Accessed 2007-09-11
  18. ↑ "Población en municipios de zonas metropolitanas". SEMARNAT. 2015.
  19. ↑ Arizona: Naming the dead from the desert, BBC News, 17 January 2013
  20. ↑ The Sonoran Desert National Monument was created in 2001 in Arizona, to enhance protection of the unique resources of the Sonoran Desert, with 2,008 square kilometers (496,000 acres).
    :Reference: Sonoran Desert National Monument Archived 2009-01-26 at the Wayback Machine , Bureau of Land Management, U. S. Department of the Interior. Accessed on line June 17, 2009.

Parks and recreation areas

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