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>Map >Satellite In this area is a series of buttes and cliffs, 15 - 45 meters (50 - 150 feet) in height, that contain shell beds dating to the late Miocene or early Pliocene. The fossil fauna includes oysters and gastropods of shallow marine-gulf origin. They are found in the Imperial formation, which includes clay-stones and sandstones as well as the shell reefs. Vegetation in the area is a sparse creosote bush scrub with Atriplex hymenelytra. Integrity: Off-road vehicles have caused considerable damage to the vegetation and, presumably, to the fauna. Use: Research, educational, observational. April 1977
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2008 Steven Louis Hartman
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