Parker Valley

Aerial view south of the Parker Valley, with California right/west and Arizona left/east.

TheParker Valleyis located along the LowerColorado Riverwithin theLower Colorado River Valleyregion, in southwesternArizonaand southeasternCalifornia.

Its natural habitats are within theSonoran Desert(Arizona) andColorado Desert(California) ecoregions.Riparian zonehabitatson the river includeMesquite Bosques.The river has supported irrigated agricultural conversion of the valley's landscape.

Geography

Three major drainages of the Colorado River enter in the Parker Valley region. TheBill Williams RiverandBouse Washhave confluences with the Colorado in the northern valley area, from watersheds on the east.Tyson Washcrosses the La Posa Plain and enters downstream, with its watershed east of the river in the Colorado River Indian Reservation.

In California, theVidal Valleyand theWhipple Mountainsborder the Parker Valley on the northwest, and thePalo Verde Valleyon the southwest. In Arizona theBuckskin Mountainsborder the valley on the north, theCactus PlainandDome Rock Mountainsborder it on the east.

Populated places

Settlements within Parker Valley include:ParkerandPostonin Arizona; andEarpandBig Riverin California.It is at the northern area of theColorado River Indian Reservationon the Colorado River, and is also at the northern perimeter of theLa Posa Plain.

• 
  The long Parker Valley (green) along the Colorado River in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California, shown running north–south on left side of Arizona topographic map.
• 
  View of entire region: the larger valley just south, is the Yuma Valley area containingYuma, Arizona.
  The Yuma Valley is shown merging into theEl Centro, Californiaregion at the south of theSalton Sea

See also

• Valleys of the Lower Colorado River Valley

References

• U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Parker Valley
• Arizona Atlas & Gazetteer, DeLorme, c. 2002, p. 70.