Imperial Valley

Imperial Valley, agricultural area in the low-lying Colorado Desert of southeastern California, extending into Mexico, called the “Winter Garden” of America. Since the construction of the 80-mi (129-km) All-American Canal irrigation and soil reclamation projects in the 1940s and 1950s, the valley has become a highly fertile farm region producing alfalfa, melons, tomatoes, lettuce, and sugar beets. Even the January temperature averages 53°F (12°C).