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Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R040XD029CA
Frequently Flooded, Confined Ephemeral Stream
Accessed: 08/17/2024
General information
Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.
MLRA notes
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 040X–Sonoran Basin and Range
MLRA Statement:
Major land resource area (MLRA) 31 is the Lower Colorado Desert. This area is in the extreme southeastern part of California, in areas along the Colorado River, and in Western Arizona. The area is comprised of rough, barren, steep, and strongly dissected mountain ranges, generally northwest to southwest trending that are separated by intermontane basins. Elevation ranges from approximately 275 feet below sea level at the lowest point in the Salton Trough to 2700 feet along low northwest to southeast trending mountain ranges. The average annual precipitation is 2 to 6 inches with high temporal and spatial variability. Winter temperatures are mild, summer temperatures are hot, and seasonal and diurnal temperature fluctuations are large. Monthly minimum temperature averages range from 40 to 80 degrees F (4 to 27 degrees C). Monthly maximum temperature averages range from 65 to 110 degrees F (18 to 43 degrees C) (WRCC 2002). Temperatures are rarely below 28 degrees F, and extremely rarely fall below 24 degrees F. Precipitation is bimodal, with approximately 20 to 40 percent of annual precipitation falling between July and September. This summer rainfall, in combination with very hot temperatures and very few to no days of hard freeze are what characterize this MLRA and distinguish it from the Mojave Desert (MLRA 30).
XD LRU concept:
The XD LRU is an extremely hot and dry portion of the MLRA. Mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches or less where the majority of the precipitation can arrive in only a couple storm events during any given year. The very few hard freezing days allows this region to have Plant Hardiness Zones of 9b or warmer. This LRU covers most of the Lower Colorado Desert except elevations above 500 m where Plant Hardiness Zones are less than 9b.
Ecological site concept
This ecological site is associated with first-order ephemeral streams, which occur in confined drainageways that dissect stable fan remnants and ballenas with desert pavement surfaces. These drainageways have frequent, low-intensity flash flood events. The soils are very deep, very gravelly sandy loams. Most of the surface is covered by course gravel and cobbles, but patches of sand deposits exist. These patches are colonized and maintained by vegetation. Production Reference Value (RV) is 365 pounds per acre and ranges from 133 to 525 pounds per acre depending on annual precipitation. The site is dominated by ironwood (Olneya tesota), creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), and brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) and big galleta (Pleuraphis rigida) are important species. Elevations range from 460 to 2230 feet, with slopes between 0 to 15 percent.
Data ranges in the physiographic data, climate data, water features, and soil data sections of this Ecological Site Description are based on major and minor components, since it is often only associated with minor components.
This description was copied from and is equivalent to R031XY029CA. There is ongoing LRU concept development and designation where a request was made by the Region 8 Ecological Site Specialist to avoid using the default XY LRU.
Associated sites
R030XD002CA |
Desert Pavement This ecological site is a MLRA 30 hyperthermic desert pavement site on adjacent fan remnants, above the R031XY029CA ESD, with desert ironwood dominated drainageways. A distinct boundary between MLRA 30 (Mojave desert) and MLRA 31 (Sonora desert) is hard to define. |
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R030XD004CA |
Low-Production Hyperthermic Hills This ecological site is a MLRA 30 ESD, on steep sideslopes of fan remnants (ballenas). It is situated above the R031XY029CA drainageways. |
R040XD034CA |
Gravelly, Braided, Ephemeral Stream This ecological site is on rarely flooded fan aprons with brittlebush and creosote bush. |
Similar sites
R040XD021CA |
Very Gravelly Wash This ecological site is also on drainageways among desert pavement, but the drainageways are smaller and desert ironwood is not present. |
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R040XD010CA |
Valley Wash This frequently flooded ephemeral stream is in large drainageways near the valley bottoms, with blue paloverde, catclaw acacia, and some desert willow. |
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
(1) Olneya tesota |
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Shrub |
(1) Larrea tridentata |
Herbaceous |
(1) Pleuraphis rigida |
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