Gila Mountains (Yuma County)
Encyclopedia
The Gila Mountains is a mountain range
in southwestern Arizona
in the northwestern Sonoran Desert
.
The Gila Mountains of Yuma County
are a northwest-southeast trending mountain system, about 26 miles long; the fault-blocked mountain range is attached on the south to the Tinajas Altas Mountains which continue southeast into Sonora
, Mexico for another 30 miles. The northwest end of the mountains border the southeast Laguna Mountains (Arizona)
; the Gila River flows through the Gila Valley
between them, then meets the Colorado.
The Gila Mountains are at the confluence of the Colorado
and Gila River
s in the Lower Colorado River Valley
. The Gila River flows northwest, north around the mountain's north end, then west six miles to the Colorado. On the northeast side of the Gila Range, the low-elevation basin, Dome Valley is created between the Muggins Mountains
and the Muggins Mountains Wilderness
to the northeast. The block faulted mountain series ends at this confluence location and the Muggins Mountains are at the southern and southwest end of an extensive plain that transitions north towards the Castle Dome Plain and Castle Dome Mountains
. This plain is the location of the US Army Yuma Proving Ground on this east-west alluvial plain
.
The highest peak in the arid and rugged Gila Mountains is Sheep Peak at 3156 feet (962 m). The mountain range lies east of Yuma
and the community of Fortuna Foothills
lies on the northwest mountain range foothills, (named for the Fortuna Mine). The mountain range is located in the western portion of the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range
which is used by the MCAS, the Marine Corps Air Station
, Yuma.
.
in the US goes through a two-tiered highway section through Telegraph Pass at the north end of the range. The I-8 roadcuts in this area of Telegraph Pass expose some of the oldest metamorphic rocks in the state of Arizona, outside of rocks exposed at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in southwestern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
in the northwestern Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
.
The Gila Mountains of Yuma County
Yuma County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*70.4% White*2.0% Black*1.6% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.8% Two or more races*20.8% Other races*59.7% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
are a northwest-southeast trending mountain system, about 26 miles long; the fault-blocked mountain range is attached on the south to the Tinajas Altas Mountains which continue southeast into Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
, Mexico for another 30 miles. The northwest end of the mountains border the southeast Laguna Mountains (Arizona)
Laguna Mountains (Arizona)
The Laguna Mountains are a small, approximately circular mountain range of extreme southwest Arizona at the northeast of Yuma and east of Winterhaven, California on the Colorado River...
; the Gila River flows through the Gila Valley
Gila Valley (Yuma County)
The Gila Valley of Yuma County, Arizona is a small valley surrounding the Gila River at its confluence with the Colorado River, the Colorado being the border between California and Arizona, and locally southwest of Yuma – Baja California, and Sonora states, Mexico.The valley extends only ...
between them, then meets the Colorado.
The Gila Mountains are at the confluence of the Colorado
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
and Gila River
Gila River
The Gila River is a tributary of the Colorado River, 650 miles long, in the southwestern states of New Mexico and Arizona.-Description:...
s in the Lower Colorado River Valley
Lower Colorado River Valley
The Lower Colorado River Valley is the river region of the lower Colorado River of the southwestern United States in North America that rises in the Rocky Mountains and has its outlet at the Colorado River Delta in the northern Sea of Cortez in northwestern Mexico, between the states of Baja...
. The Gila River flows northwest, north around the mountain's north end, then west six miles to the Colorado. On the northeast side of the Gila Range, the low-elevation basin, Dome Valley is created between the Muggins Mountains
Muggins Mountains
The Muggins Mountains is a mountain range in southwest Arizona east of Yuma, Arizona, northeast of the Gila Mountains , and east of the Laguna Mountains...
and the Muggins Mountains Wilderness
Muggins Mountains Wilderness
The Muggins Mountains Wilderness is a wilderness area in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is located approximately east of Yuma, Arizona in the Muggins Mountains and adjacent to the agricultural Dome Valley and Gila River. The wilderness area is made up of the highest peak in the southern section of...
to the northeast. The block faulted mountain series ends at this confluence location and the Muggins Mountains are at the southern and southwest end of an extensive plain that transitions north towards the Castle Dome Plain and Castle Dome Mountains
Castle Dome Mountains
The Castle Dome Mountains are a mountain range in Yuma County, Arizona, within the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. Castle Dome peak, the high point of the range, is a prominent and distinctive landmark. The peak is high, and is located at . Castle Dome was named by American soldiers at old Fort...
. This plain is the location of the US Army Yuma Proving Ground on this east-west alluvial plain
Alluvial plain
An alluvial plain is a relatively flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms...
.
The highest peak in the arid and rugged Gila Mountains is Sheep Peak at 3156 feet (962 m). The mountain range lies east of Yuma
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041....
and the community of Fortuna Foothills
Fortuna Foothills, Arizona
Fortuna Foothills is a census-designated place in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The population was 20,478 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Yuma Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
lies on the northwest mountain range foothills, (named for the Fortuna Mine). The mountain range is located in the western portion of the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range
Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range
The Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range is a bombing range in the U.S. state of Arizona that runs along the Mexican border....
which is used by the MCAS, the Marine Corps Air Station
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma or MCAS Yuma is a United States Marine Corps air station which is the home to multiple squadrons of AV-8B Harrier IIs of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 and Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 , an air combat adversary...
, Yuma.
Ecology
A variety of flora and fauna are represented in the Gila Mountains. Trees include Dalea spinosa and Bursera microphyllaBursera microphylla
Bursera microphylla, known by the common name Elephant Tree, is a tree in genus Bursera. It grows into a distinctive sculptural form, with a trunk resembling that of an elephant. The Elephant Tree is quite rare...
.
Interstate 8
One of the oldest sections of the Interstate Highway SystemInterstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
in the US goes through a two-tiered highway section through Telegraph Pass at the north end of the range. The I-8 roadcuts in this area of Telegraph Pass expose some of the oldest metamorphic rocks in the state of Arizona, outside of rocks exposed at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Mountain acquisition controversy
A recent controversy involves acquisition of parts of the Gila Mountains by the city of Yuma, Arizona. The controversy is protection versus land use by agencies. The mountains are presently in the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range.See also
- Tule MountainsTule MountainsThe Tule Mountains is a mountain landform in Yuma County, Arizona. There is a diverse flora and fauna population within the Tule Mountains; one of the notable trees found in this mountain range is the Elephant tree, Bursera microphylla.- References :...
- Valley and range sequence-Southern Yuma CountyValley and range sequence-Southern Yuma CountyThe Valley and range sequence-Southern Yuma County is a 3-Valley sequence of NW–by–SE trending block faulted valleys and mountains...
- List of mountain ranges of Yuma County, Arizona
- List of mountain ranges of Arizona
- List of LCRV Wilderness Areas (Colorado River)