since 2010 has been the site of the Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, a professional-grade track that can be rented by clubs and individuals. The 1980s saw a surge of growth in Desert Center as jojoba gained popularity. The brackish water, sandy soil, and dry weather make the area ideal for cultivation of this hardy desert plant whose oil is used chiefly in cosmetic products. In the early 1990s, Stanley Ragsdale commissioned the planting of several hundred palm trees in strange patterns on the town's frontage with Interstate 10. When asked why, he said he always wanted a "tree-ring circus". Since his death in 1999, the trees have been left unattended and many have died. a large portion of the town has been purchased by a Riverside resident and is in escrow. Services The community is served by State Route 177 and Interstate 10. Most wireline phone numbers in Desert Center and Lake Tamarisk are served by Verizon Communications from the (760) 227-xxxx exchange. Additionally, Desert Center is served by Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) via the (760) 205 and (760) 437 exchanges (per the Telecordia Local Exchange Routing Guide). , a Caltrans maintenance station existed at 29476 Ragsdale Road. Local schoolchildren are part of the Desert Center Unified School District. Elementary and middle school students attend Eagle Mountain School in Eagle Mountain, California, while high school students are bussed daily to Blythe, California. Palo Verde Valley Transit Agency operates lifeline transportation services to Indio and Blythe for local residents. Lake Tamarisk Lake Tamarisk is a community about one and three quarter miles north of Interstate 10 off Kaiser Road at , and on the Desert Center 7.5-minute quadrangle. The community has a golf course with low greens fees. Both the Lake Tamarisk Library and Riverside County Fire Department Station 49 are located in Lake Tamarisk. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of , all of it land. In the vicinity of Desert Center are the Chuckwalla Mountains, Corn Springs, Eagle Mountain (Kaiser Steel's former iron mine), and Chiriaco Summit and museum. Climate As the name suggests, the town is in a desert—a hot desert (Köppen BWh). Demographics The 2010 United States census reported that Desert Center had a population of 204. The population density was 6.7 people per square mile (2.6/km). The racial makeup of Desert Center was 164 (80.4%) White (76.5% Non-Hispanic White),