California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran
Desert, which extends across southwest North America. The
Colorado Desert region encompasses approximately 7 million acres
(2,800,000 ha), reaching from Northwest Mexico border regions in
the south to the higher-elevation Mojave Desert in the north and
from the Colorado River in the east to the Laguna Mountains of
the Peninsular Ranges in the west. The area includes the heavily
irrigated Coachella and Imperial Valleys. The Colorado Desert is
home to many unique flora and fauna, many of which can be found
nowhere else on the planet. Geography and geology  The Colorado
Desert region encompasses approximately 7 million acres (28,000
km2), reaching from the Northwest Mexico border region in the
south to the higher-elevation Mojave Desert in the north and
from the Colorado River in the east to the Laguna Mountains of
the Peninsular Ranges in the west. The desert encompasses
Imperial County and includes parts of San Diego County,
Riverside County, and a s