Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard
Map showing the location of Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Map showing the location of Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Map of the United States
LocationRiverside County, California, United States
Nearest cityPalm Desert, California
Coordinates33°47′54″N 116°19′07″W / 33.7983°N 116.3186°W / 33.7983; -116.3186[1]
Area3,709 acres (15.01 km2)
Established1985
Governing bodyU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
WebsiteCoachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a 3,709-acre (15.01 km2) protected area in Riverside County, California's Coachella Valley. It lies within the unincorporated community of Thousand Palms, just north of Palm Desert. The refuge contains the majority of critical habitat for the Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard (Uma inornata) within the Coachella Valley Preserve and Indio Hills Palms State Reserve.

Refuge habitat

The habitat of this threatened species is restricted to the refuge's dune system and a few other small areas. This dune system is in jeopardy as development threatens sand sources and the Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard's travel corridors.

Access

The refuge, managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, provides for the only significant habitat acreage that is not available for multiple recreating uses by the public. The Coachella Valley Refuge is almost entirely closed to the public to protect the federally listed threatened Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard. However, there is a trail that runs through a section of the refuge available for horseback riders.

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

  1. ^ "Coachella Valley Map" (PDF). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.