A Century of Progress
by Ben Ikenson
IN 1907, SAN DIEGO COUNTY stretched from the Pacific inland to what is now the Arizona border. That year, its sparsely populated eastern expanse carved off into a county of its own. The towns — Imperial, Calexico, Brawley, El Centro — soon spawned a rough-and-tumble legacy that, if made into a motion picture, may have featured squint-eyed Clint Eastwood’s Man With No Name and an Ennio Morricone soundtrack.
Now, after a hundred years of good, bad, and sometimes ugly, California’s youngest county is poised to prosper. Although naturally hot, arid and parched, the inhospitable landscape has been transformed into one of the top 10 agricultural counties in the U.S. Nearly half a million acres yield food crops thanks to a large irrigation system that diverts and delivers water from the Colorado River and a sunny climate that allows farmers to enjoy year-round production.
The moniker “nation’s winter salad bowl” is justly deserved. However, this county boasts many charms beyond the picturesque and pastoral vegetable fields. The lifestyle and recreation benefits are irresistible to a host of newcomers and snowbirds eager to exchange big cities and suburbia for outdoor adventure and a temporary respite or permanent change of address in easygoing Imperial. Here are a few of the attractions the area holds for residents and visitors alike.
The Salton Sea
The Salton Sea, a 376-square-mile saline lake, straddles Imperial’s northern border with Riverside County. The lower-than-sea-level body was created just in time for the establishment of Imperial County. Of course, this was not by design. In 1905, heavy rains caused the waters of the Colorado River to breach a dike in a then-primitive irrigation system. For two years, the overflow carved a new water course meandering more than 50 miles to the west and eventually pooling in the basin of ancient Lake Cahuilla. When the raging Colorado River was finally tamed, its wake included two new rivers and the roughly 35-mile-long, 15-foot-wide saline lake — California’s largest inland body of water.
Today, the Salton Sea, although experiencing some challenges due to rising salinity and other factors, remains a worthy destination for a wide range of recreationists, from boaters and anglers to campers, hikers and other nature lovers. It is one of the last remaining U.S. stopovers on the Pacific Flyway — the route migratory birds take from Alaska to Patagonia. As such it’s a great boon to the birds and the many enthusiasts who make sport of spotting them.
BECAUSE THE LATE CONGRESSMAN Sonny Bono generated significant interest in protecting the ecological value of the Salton Sea, a national wildlife refuge was named in his honor. Encompassing more than 35,000 acres of salt marsh, freshwater marsh and open water, the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to see waterfowl and shorebirds. From November to February, the federal preserve provides home for as many as 30,000 geese and 60,000 ducks. Many endangered species, such as the Yuma clapper rail and the California brown pelican, benefit from the protected habitat at the refuge.
Imperial / Algodones Sand Dunes
An austere sandscape that covers about 45 miles in length and six in width, the Algodones Sand Dunes are the largest natural dune ecosystem in the U.S. One theory holds that the dunes were formed by windblown sands from the ancient beaches of Lake Cahuilla. While many are drawn to the off-roading opportunities afforded by the Bureau of Land Management on the dunes, they are offset, to some degree, by environmental groups trying to protect the rare ecosystem which is home to some species found nowhere else on the planet. It is an outlandish place where only rare beetles and hearty perennial plants thrive.
DID YOU KNOW? The Algodones Sand Dunes provided backdrop for scenes in the original Star Wars movie.
Chinese Food? In the Desert? In Mexico?
Imperial also benefits from proximity to its cosmopolitan Mexican sister city, Mexicali, just 15 miles to the south. This bustling capital of Baja California, among Old Mexico’s most beautiful regions, was established in 1903, only four years before Imperial County. The areas have grown up together. On the U.S. side of the border, Calexico is a sleepy suburb, an affordable retirement town that calls itself “one of California’s best-kept secrets.” Of course, even birdwatchers, golfers and other sun-baked Imperialites need a night on the town once in a while, and Mexicali, with its one million-plus population, provides for a great foray.
Mexicali is considered one of its nation’s most racially diverse cities. Residents of European, Arab, African, and Asian descent contribute to an intriguing cultural milieu. In fact, Mexicali has its own Chinatown where some of the best Chinese cuisine in the hemisphere is prepared. Those in the know in Calexico routinely cross the border for an evening of fine dining.
Cattle Call
Each November, cowboys far and near converge on the town of Brawley, 10 miles north of Imperial, for its annual week-long Cattle Call. A celebration of the pioneering spirit that forged a livelihood for early Imperial County, the event includes bluegrass and mariachi music, a chili cook-off, a parade, and many other family-friendly activities. Of course, the most popular is the Cattle Call Rodeo, one of California’s largest professional rodeos. With many forms of competition, from calf roping to steer wrestling to adrenalinecharged bull-riding, this is a panorama of traditional cowboy competitions.
Imperial, El Centro
The Imperial County seat of El Centro and its eponymous neighbor Imperial provide an abundance of housing options at what may be the state’s most affordable prices. Taxes are also surprisingly low, and the populace and their lifestyle are as warm as the climate. Business opportunities abound and should the desire arise to travel beyond this desert wonderland, the easily navigable airport efficiently connects Imperial County to the more harried world beyond.
SkyWest United Express serves Imperial County with daily flights to and from Los Angeles.