Indian Wells Valley is an arid north-south basin in east-central
California. In the geologic sense, it is a southern extension of
Owens Valley to the north, with the recent volcanics of the
Coso Range being the separator. It is defined by a major fault on the west side of the valley. Unlike Owens Valley, it is bound by a fault to the south, the
Garlock Fault (within the El Paso Mountains). This valley is part of the northwesternmost
Mojave Desert plant community and
ecoregion.
The largest city in the valley is
Ridgecrest. Other locations include
Inyokern,
Indian Wells, and communities associated with the
China Lake Naval Weapons Center, the primary industry in the valley.
California State Route 14
State Route 14 (SR 14) is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California that connects Los Angeles to the northern Mojave Desert. The southern portion of the highway is signed as the Antelope Valley Freeway. The route connects In ...
and
US Highway 395 are the main transportation corridors through the valley.
See also
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Tehachapi Wind Resource Area
The Tehachapi Wind Resource Area (TWRA) is a large wind resource area along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi Mountains in California. It is the largest wind resource area in California, encompassing an area of approximately and ...
External links
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Groundwater Quality in the Indian Wells Valley, California United States Geological Survey
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Valleys of the Mojave Desert
Valleys of Inyo County, California
Valleys of Kern County, California
Valleys of San Bernardino County, California
Mojave Desert
Ridgecrest, California
Valleys of California