COACHELLA VALLEY

part of the Colorado Desert, extending northwestward for 45 mi (72 km) from the Salton Sea (a shallow saline lake) through Riverside County, southern California, U.S. The valley is 15 mi wide and lies between the Little San Bernardino Mountains (east) and the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains (west). Irrigation, notably from the Coachella Canal, has created a productive agricultural region, specializing in date gardens and also supporting citrus fruits, truck crops, cotton, and alfalfa. The city of Coachella sprawls in the heart of the valley and is a shipping point for its produce. In the northern part are popular desert resorts, including Palm Springs. The valley had two names before 1900: Cahuilla, after the Cahuilla Indians who inhabited the vicinity; and Conchilla (Spanish: little shell), referring to the existence of fossil shells in the area. Erroneous spelling of the latter name on an official map resulted in the current name.