The Yuha Desert
The Western Imperial Valley is home to the Yuha Desert, a subset of the greater Sonoran Desert region. This desert only receives an average of 2.92 inches of rain, each, per year, making it one of the hottest and driest deserts in North America, coming in second to Death Valley. Although the Yuha Desert experiences harsh summer conditions this desert space has been and still remains home to indigenous peoples, a variety of unique plants, and animals. As well as prehistoric and historic cultural sites, including ancient fossilized oyster shell beds, the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, and some of North America’s oldest surviving examples of stamped earthen art – geoglyphs. Researchers come from all over the world to study our unique area, exploring its unique history, animals, and geology.
FIRST PEOPLES
This area represents the eastern extreme of Kumeyaay territory, marking the transition between it and of the region’s other indigenous tribes. Evidence of the Kumeyaay’s presence in the Yuha Desert is still alive and very present. For millennia, these early peoples not only survived but thrived in this demanding and ever-changing landscape. The Kumeyaay call themselves the First Peoples, and if you were to ask them today, you would be told it is because they have been here “since the beginning.”
DESERT PLANTS
The Yuha Desert features a variety of unique plants like flowers, cacti, and trees that have adapted to this harsh environment with wide shallow roots for maximum water absorption and retention. Notable flora include: the Ocotillo, Prickly Pear Cactus, Barrel Cactus, Cholla, Creosote Bush, Brittlebush, Yucca, Mesquite Tree, and Agave.
HABITATS IN FLUX
Desert animals have also adapted to these extreme conditions; adaptation is crucial to survive and thrive in a constantly changing environment. Some of the unique desert animals that call the Yuha Desert their home are: the desert tortoise, flat-tailed horned lizard, desert iguana, jackrabbit, coyote, roadrunner, and red-tailed hawk, just to name a few.
POINTS OF INTEREST:
■ Yuha Buttes – The Yuha Buttes provide tremendous views of the Yuha Desert, they are a crucial part of this desert’s history and ecosystem and are home to many unique desert species. The Buttes feature multiple historical and cultural sites including geoglyphs, fossilized oyster beds, and a historic well that once served indigenous people and explorers traveling through the desert. The Yuha Buttes also hold geological evidence of when the Imperial Valley was part of the Gulf of California and the creation of Ancient Lake Cahuilla by the wild untamed Colorado River.
■ Yuha Geoglyph – The Yuha Geoglyph is a unique piece of history and a record of the past. The meaning of the Yuha Geoglyph is unknown, but archaeologists believe its presence may be tied to Kumeyaay rituals and ceremonies. Today, it has been fenced off due to previous vandalism and to preserve the Kumeyaay’s rich history in the Yuha Desert.
■ Yuha Wells – Yuha means “there is water” in Kumeyaay, which further demonstrates evidence of the original inhabitants of this region. Already known to the Kumeyaay as a source of water in the dry desert, De Anza named this site “Santa Rosa de las Lajas,” which translates to “Santa Rosa of the Flat Rocks.” This site was used on March 8, 1774, by Juan Bautista De Anza’s first exploration expedition. The wells were not ready to use upon arrival, De Anza and his men had to deepen the wells in order to get the water flowing again.