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Salton Sea topographic map
Click on the map to display elevation.
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Salton Sea
The Gulf of California would extend as far north as the city of Indio, were it not for the delta created by the Colorado River. Over three million years, through all of the Pleistocene, the river's delta expanded until it cut off the northern part of the gulf. Since then, the Colorado River has alternated between emptying into the basin, creating a freshwater lake, and emptying into the gulf, leaving the lake to dry and turn to desert. Wave-cut shorelines at various elevations record a repeated cycle of filling and drying over hundreds of thousands of years. The most recent freshwater lake was Lake Cahuilla, also known as the Blake Sea after American professor and geologist William Phipps Blake. It covered over 2,000 square miles (5,200 km2), six times the area of the Salton Sea.
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About this map
Name: Salton Sea topographic map, elevation, terrain.
Location: Salton Sea, Imperial County, California, United States (33.10833 -116.07614 33.52326 -115.60321)
Average elevation: 9 m
Minimum elevation: -73 m
Maximum elevation: 897 m
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Calipatria
United States > California > Imperial County
At an elevation of 180 feet (55 m) below sea level, Calipatria is the lowest incorporated city in the Western Hemisphere. The city currently claims to have the "tallest flagpole (184 feet) where the flag flies at sea level" at 184 feet (56 m), so their American flag will always fly above sea level. According…
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Brawley
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Brawley is located in the Colorado Desert and Lower Colorado River Valley regions. The city's elevation, like other Imperial Valley towns, is below sea level.
Average elevation: -37 m
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Gear up for your next adventure:
As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
