Amargosa Valley

Amargosa Valley
Valley
Big Dune in the Amargosa Valley with the Funeral Mountains beyond
Name origin: Amargosa River
Country	United States
State	Nevada
Coordinates	36°38′N 116°24′W / 36.633°N 116.400°WCoordinates: 36°38′N 116°24′W / 36.633°N 116.400°W
Area	900 sq mi (2,331 km^2) [1]
600 square miles (1,600 km^2) of the Amargosa Desert is the southern two-thirds of the Amargosa Valley.[1]

The Amargosa Valley is a valley within the Amargosa Desert, located in Nye County, southwestern Nevada.

Geography

The Amargosa Valley is northeast of Death Valley and parallel to the border with California. It is east of the Amargosa Range and Funeral Mountains.

The valley is the headwaters of the Amargosa River. A small western portion of the valley is within Death Valley National Park.

History

Amargosa Valley is the eponym for the town of Amargosa Valley, Nevada.

The Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad ran through the valley from 1906 to 1940, for borax mining operations.^[2]

Solar thermal plant

Controversy over water rights resulted in 2009 when Solar Millennium, a German company, announced plans to build a solar thermal energy plant in the Amargosa Valley. It would require 20% of the groundwater available in the valley's aquifer.^[3]

References

1. Walker, George E; Eakin, Thomas E (March 1963). "Geology and Ground Water of Amargosa Desert, Nevada-California" (pdf). Ground-Water Resources - Reconnaissance Series 14. Nevada Dept of Conservation and Natural Resources. p. 4. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
2. "The Great Desert Railroad Race" Documentary written and produced by Ted Faye
3. "Alternative Energy Projects Stumble on a Need for Water" article by Todd Woody in The New York Times September 29, 2009

• Pilgrims in the desert : the early history of the east Mojave desert and Baker, California area by Le Hayes and the Mojave River Valley Historical Association, Mojave River Valley Historical Association, (2005) ISBN 0-918614-16-3 ISBN 978-0-918614-16-2

External links