ils .   ▁ ▁Salt b ush ▁shr ub lands ▁( A tri plex ▁sp .), ▁with ▁an ▁under store y ▁of ▁grass es ▁and ▁for bs , ▁was ▁the ▁dominant ▁plant ▁community ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁European ▁settlement .   ▁ ▁However ▁severe ▁de ple tion ▁of ▁the ▁salt b ush ▁has ▁occurred ▁after ▁years ▁of ▁over stock ing , ▁damage ▁by ▁rabb its ▁and ▁the ▁broad - scale ▁agricult ure ▁of ▁recent ▁dec ades , ▁particularly ▁in ▁areas ▁along ▁the ▁river ▁and ▁proxim ate ▁to ▁ir rig ation ▁can als .   ▁The ▁pla ins ▁surrounding ▁Hay ▁feature ▁a ▁complex ▁system ▁of ▁shall ow ▁cre ek ▁b eds ▁and ▁dry ▁la kes , ▁inter sp ers ed ▁by ▁wind - created ▁sand - rid ges ▁where ▁Cy press - pine ▁( Call it ris ▁sp .) ▁is ▁often ▁found ▁growing . ▁ ▁Cl imate ▁Hay ▁has ▁a ▁semi - ar id ▁climate ▁( BS k ) ▁with ▁warm ▁to ▁hot ▁sum mers ▁and ▁cool ▁winter s . ▁Cl imate ▁records ▁have ▁been ▁kept ▁for ▁Hay ▁since ▁ 1 8 7 7 . ▁ ▁Tem per ature ▁extrem es ▁are ▁quite ▁marked ▁over ▁the ▁full ▁year : ▁the ▁average ▁maximum ▁temperature ▁in ▁January ▁is ▁ ▁and ▁the ▁average ▁minimum ▁temperature ▁in ▁July ▁is ▁. ▁ ▁The ▁highest ▁temperature ▁recorded ▁at ▁Hay ▁was ▁ ▁on ▁ 5 ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 3 ; ▁the ▁lowest ▁recorded ▁was ▁ ▁on ▁ 3 ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁The ▁average ▁annual ▁ra