Editing Rancho Mirage, California (section)

==Geography==
[[File:santa_rosa_mountains_rancho_mirage.jpg|thumb|right|[[Santa Rosa Mountains (California)|Santa Rosa Mountains]] from Bighorn Overlook]]
[[File:San_Jacintos_from_Sunnylands_2-22-14a_(12794379365).jpg|thumb|right|[[San Jacinto Mountains]] from Sunnylands]]

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|24.8|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|24.4|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.4|sqmi|km2}}, or 1.57%, is water, including the 10-story Desert Island Hotel-Golf Resort built on an island surrounded by a 25-acre artificial lake.

[[Whitewater River (California)|Whitewater River]] (Agua Blanco), a perennial stream, flows through the city in a southeasterly direction before discharging into the [[Salton Sea]]. Another creek, the Magnesia Spring Creek, is located in Magnesia Spring Canyon where the 40&nbsp;ft. tall waterfall Magnesia Falls also is found. A flood along Magnesia Spring Creek's [[alluvial fan]] in 1979 led to one death and $7 million in damages. Concrete-lined spillways have since been installed by the [[U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]]. Earthquakes are also somewhat common, and on July 8, 1986, an earthquake led to the destruction of 20 buildings and homes, along with big damages to roads and other structures.{{sfn|Mallette|2011|p=10}}

A number of street names are named for celebrities, entertainers, and presidents who resided in the city, including [[Gerald Ford]] Drive, [[Ginger Rogers]] Road, [[Frank Sinatra]] Drive (formerly Wonder Palms Road{{sfn|Mallette|2011|p=24}}{{sfn|Mallette|2011|p=29}}), [[Bob Hope]] Drive (formerly Rio del Sol{{sfn|Mallette|2011|pp=27, 29–30}}), [[Kaye Ballard]] Lane, [[Danny Kaye]] Road, [[Dinah Shore]] Drive, [[Dean Martin]] Drive, and [[Bing Crosby]] Drive.{{sfn|Niemann|2006|pp=166–167}}{{sfn|Whalen|2009|p=204}} Bing Crosby established the Blue Skies Village Mobile Home Park in 1953 and named its streets after celebrities such as [[Burns and Allen]], [[Jack Benny]], [[Greer Garson]], [[Claudette Colbert]], and [[Barbara Stanwyck]].{{sfn|Young|2011|p={{page needed|date=November 2021}}}}

A stretch of [[California State Route 111]] in Rancho Mirage has earned the moniker "Restaurant Row" as there are over thirty eateries located between Bob Hope Drive and Frank Sinatra Drive. A number of these are located at the River at Rancho Mirage, a 30-acre outdoor shopping center.{{sfn|Mahler|2005|pp=130–131}} The area surrounding The River is also known as Downtown Rancho Mirage.{{sfn|Mallette|2011|p=95}}{{sfn|Mallette|2011|p=125}} On a per-capita basis, the city is home to one eatery for every 240 residents, making it the city in the Coachella Valley with the most restaurants per capita.{{sfn|Mallette|2011|p=95}}

===Ecology===
====Flora====
The native flora is characterized by cacti and shrubs. [[Creosote bush]], [[Ambrosia dumosa|Bur sage]], [[Cercidium floridum|Palo verde]], [[Desert willow]], [[Acacia greggii|Cat's claw]], [[Prosopis glandulosa|Mesquite]], [[Screwbean]], and [[Brittle bush]] are some naturally occurring plant species.{{sfn|Clevenger|1980|pp=3–4}} The [[California fan palm]], which is the only palm tree native to the region, is found in areas of freshwater sources, including by Magnesia Spring Creek and [[Whitewater River (California)|Whitewater River]].{{sfn|Kremer|2019|p=61}}

Over 1,000 wild plant species are found in the Coachella Valley. Besides desert flowers, cacti, and palm trees, there are [[Ephemeral plant|ephemeral]] flowers, [[ferns]], [[vines]], and [[shrubs]]. The vast majority of these species are able to live through extended periods of non to little precipitation, including local cacti species as the [[California barrel cactus]], which is the biggest of the 20 native species of cacti in the Coachella Valley. Several of the local desert species are edible, including [[cactus fruit]]s from the [[Beaver tail cactus]], California barrel cactus, and the [[Prickly pear cacti]]. Fruits and flowers from several [[Yucca]] species are also edible, as well as the [[seed pods]] and blossoms of the [[Mesquite]]. Some local species are poisonous, including [[Jimsonweed]] and [[Locoweed]]. Springs and streams are home to species such as the [[California fan palm]], which is North America's largest palm species, along with other common tree species in [[oasis]] environments such as the [[Willow]], [[Fremont's cottonwood]], [[California sycamore]], [[Prosopis velutina|Honey-pod mesquite]], and [[Alnus rhombifolia|White alder]]. Other species include the [[Psorothamnus spinosus|Smoke tree]], [[Cercidium floridum|Palo verde]], [[Ironwood]], [[Desert willow]], [[Epipactis gigantea|Stream orchid]], [[Creosote bush]], [[Burrobush]], [[Brittlebush]], [[Sand verbena]], [[Oenothera primiveris|Desert primrose]], and [[Desert sunflower]].{{sfn|Cornett|2008|pp=29–30}}

====Fauna====
[[File:Scorpion_rancho_mirage.jpg|thumb|right|180px]]
The fauna consists of over 20 species of mammals. Some native carnivores include the [[Gray fox]], [[Coyote]], [[Ringtail cat]], [[Bobcat]], and the [[Desert Kit Fox]].{{sfn|Clevenger|1980|p=4}} Other species include the [[Southwestern Willow Flycatcher]], [[Bell's Vireo]], [[Prairie Falcon]], and the [[Ovis canadensis nelsoni|Peninsular Bighorn Sheep]].<ref name="Rancho Mirage 2017 General Plan"/><ref name="yumpu.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/36579898/conservation-and-open-space-city-of-rancho-mirage|title = Conservation and Open Space |publisher=City of Rancho Mirage}}</ref> Another notable species of wildlife is the endemic [[Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard]]. The [[Sonoran Desert]] has eleven species of [[rattlesnakes]] - more than anywhere else in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://wc.pima.edu/~bfiero/tucsonecol109/boxes/rattlesnake.htm |title=Rattlesnake facts<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=July 11, 2021 |archive-date=July 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721012557/http://wc.pima.edu/~bfiero/tucsonecol109/boxes/rattlesnake.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other notable species include the [[Gila monster]], [[Chuckwalla]], [[Horned lizard]], [[Desert iguana]], [[Vulture]], [[Desert tortoise]], [[Scorpion]], and [[Javelina]]. [[American black bear|Black bears]] are rare, however, they inhabit the surrounding mountains and have been sighted on numerous occasions.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bears live among us in the desert, here's a history of sightings |url=https://www.desertsun.com/picture-gallery/news/environment/2019/11/06/bears-live-among-us-desert-heres-history-sightings/2508241001/ |work=The Desert Sun |date=November 6, 2019 }}</ref> Four species of Scorpion are found in the Coachella Valley, none of which are considered dangerous to humans.<ref>Rundel, Philip W. and Arthur C. Gibson (2005). ''Ecological Communities and Processes in a Mojave Desert Ecosystem''. Cambridge University Press. Page 229. ISBN 9780521021418.</ref>{{sfn|Cornett|2008|p=35}} The most common species is the Dune scorpion or Desert sand scorpion (Paruroctonus mesaensis) but the valley is also home to the Giant hairy scorpion ([[Hadrurus arizonensis]]), which is the largest species of scorpion in the United States.<ref>Schoenherr, Allan A. (1992). ''A Natural History of California''. University of California Press. Page 504. ISBN 9780520909915.</ref>{{sfn|Blough|2019|p={{page needed|date=November 2021}}}}

Rancho Mirage has adopted the [[Ovis canadensis nelsoni|Peninsular Bighorn Sheep]] as its "community icon"<ref name="Rancho Mirage 2017 General Plan"/> and its official city symbol.<ref name=deTurenne20020102>{{cite news |last1=de Turenne |first1=Veronique |title=Bighorns Being Fenced Out to Save Their Lives |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jan-02-me-19720-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=January 2, 2002 }}</ref>{{sfn|Mahler|2005|p=125}} The city has also adopted a bighorn ram as its official city logo.{{sfn|Mallette|2011|p=7}} The Peninsular Bighorn Sheep has been on the U.S. federal list of endangered species since 1998 (or 2004{{sfn|Mallette|2011|p=7}}). In 2002, the city invested $1.2 million in constructing a 3.5-mile fence to separate the rams from civilization. The 8-ft. mesh fence was installed between the [[California State Route 111]] and the peaks of the [[Santa Rosa Mountains (California)|Santa Rosa Mountains]]. When the city was incorporated in 1973, 1,200 sheep lived in the [[Peninsular Ranges]] which consist of the [[San Jacinto Mountains|San Jacinto]] and Santa Rosa Mountains. By 1995, the number of sheep was 276 but reached 400 in 2002.<ref name=deTurenne20020102/>

The fauna consists of species adapted to desert, temperature extremes, and to lack of moisture. 450 [[vertebrate]] species have been recorded in the Coachella Valley including 347 species of birds, 58 species of mammals, 40 species of reptiles, and eight species of amphibians. The largest native mammal, the Bighorn sheep, can reach 200 pounds in weight. Large predators include the [[Bobcat]], [[Mountain lion]], [[Kit fox]], [[Ring-tailed cat]], [[Coyote]], and [[Gray fox]]. Some other species include the [[Antelope ground squirrel]], [[Roadrunners]], [[Side-blotched lizard]], and several species of scorpions, centipedes, and rattlesnakes. Some bird species, including the [[White-crowned sparrow]] and [[Ruby-crowned kinglet]], spend winters in the Coachella Valley before flying to colder climates during the hot summer months. The Coachella Valley is home to four endangered or threatened species, including the [[Desert pupfish]], [[Desert tortoise]], [[Desert slender salamander]], and the [[Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard]].{{sfn|Cornett|2008|pp=33–34}} Threatened or endangered species in Rancho Mirage include the Peninsular Bighorn sheep, Fringe-toed lizard, Desert tortoise, [[Southwestern willow flycatcher]], Desert slender salamander, [[Peregrine falcon]], and [[Least Bell's vireo]].<ref name="Rancho Mirage 2017 General Plan">{{cite web |publisher=City of Rancho Mirage |year=2017 |title=Rancho Mirage 2017 General Plan |url=https://1elrsd35mlri2z7zmm3qkz2t-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Chapter_5_Conservation_and_Open_Space.pdf }}</ref>

=== Climate ===
Rancho Mirage's climate is a [[hot desert climate]], with hot and dry summers, often with temperatures reaching {{convert|120|F|C}}. Winters are short and mild, with chances of night [[frost]] occurring only in December and January. Annual precipitation ranges between {{convert|3.5-5.5|in|mm}} and is often the result of winter rainstorms.{{sfn|Clevenger|1980|p=3}} Rancho Mirage is one of nine cities situated in the Coachella Valley, a {{convert|55|mi|km|-long|adj=mid}} valley that is an extension of the [[Sonoran Desert]] to the southeast. It is located in the [[Colorado Desert]], a name used for the California section of the Sonoran Desert. Climatically, Rancho Mirage is dominated by hot temperatures and perception that averages less than ten inches a year. Even in the coldest month, January, temperatures below {{convert|40|F|C}} are rare.{{sfn|Cornett|2008|pp=25–26}}

The climate of the Coachella Valley is influenced by the surrounding geography. High mountain ranges on three sides and a south-sloping valley floor all contribute to its unique and year-round warm climate, with the warmest winters in the western United States. Rancho Mirage has an arid climate; its average annual high temperature is {{convert|87|°F}} and average annual low is {{convert|63|°F}} but summer highs above {{convert|108|°F}} are common and sometimes exceed {{convert|120|°F}}, while summer night lows often stay above {{convert|82|°F}}. Winters are warm with daytime highs between {{convert|73|-|84|°F|°C}}. Under {{convert|5|in|mm}} of annual precipitation are average, with over 350 days of sunshine per year.{{sfn|Van Vechten|2010|p=1}}{{sfn|Solesbury|2018|p=224}}{{sfn|Dinzes|1993|p=40}}

<div style="width:70%;">
{{Weather box
|location =Boyd Deep Canyon Campground (1982–2012)
|single line = Y
|Jan high F = 69.8
|Feb high F = 72.1
|Mar high F = 78.6
|Apr high F = 85.3
|May high F = 93.4
|Jun high F =101.7
|Jul high F =105.6
|Aug high F =104.5
|Sep high F = 99.5
|Oct high F = 89.4
|Nov high F = 77.4
|Dec high F = 68.2
|year high F =87.1
|Jan low F = 49.5
|Feb low F = 51.3
|Mar low F = 54.7
|Apr low F = 58.8
|May low F = 64.8
|Jun low F = 71.6
|Jul low F = 79.0
|Aug low F = 78.6
|Sep low F = 74.3
|Oct low F = 66.4
|Nov low F = 56.1
|Dec low F = 48.4
|year low F =62.8
|precipitation colour=green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.68
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.80
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.40
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.07
|May precipitation inch = 0.04
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.01
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.29
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.48
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.37
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.21
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.29
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.61
|year precipitation inch =4.20
|source 1 = deepcanyon.ucnrs.org<ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Weather Data at Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center |url=http://deepcanyon.ucnrs.org/weather/CG-Long-term-Temps.xls |publisher=University of California |date=<!--undated--> |access-date=September 7, 2012}}</ref>
|date=September 2012 (Note: Mean temperatures were calculated independently by (Tmax+Tmin)/2)}}
</div>