Amargosa River
Encyclopedia
The Amargosa River is an intermittent waterway, 185 miles (297.7 km) long, in southern Nevada
and eastern California
in the United States
. It drains a high desert region, the Amargosa Valley
in the Amargosa Desert
northwest of Las Vegas
, into the Mojave Desert
, and finally into Death Valley
where it disappears into the ground aquifer
. Except for a small portion of its route in the Amargosa Canyon in California and a small portion at Beatty, Nevada
, the river flows above ground only after a rare rainstorm washes the region. A 26 miles (41.8 km) stretch of the river between Shoshone
and Dumont Dunes
is protected as a National Wild and Scenic River. At the south end of Tecopa Valley the Amargosa River Natural Area protects the habitat
.
s that occur after cloudburst
s, most of the course of the Amargosa River is dry on the surface. The flow is generally underground except for stretches near Beatty and near Tecopa, California
, in the Amargosa Canyon. In the canyon, the river passes through the Amargosa River Natural Area, a region of dense greenery and prolific wildlife made possible by the presence of water.
The river rises at about 1200 feet (365.8 m) above sea level
in Nye County, Nevada
, along the southern side of Pahute Mesa
in the Nellis Air Force Range. Thirsty Canyon Wash enters at the river's source, and when carrying water, the river flows from there southwest into Oasis Valley. Running parallel to U.S. Route 95
near the Bullfrog Hills
to the west (right), the river receives Sober-Up Gulch from the right and then Beatty Wash from the left bank. Another 3 miles (4.8 km) or so downstream, the river flows through Beatty, Nevada
, and turns south-southeast through the Amargosa Narrows into the Amargosa Desert
. At this point, Bare Mountain
lies to the left and the Grapevine
and Funeral
Mountains of the Amargosa Range
lie to the right. Downstream of the Narrows, still flowing roughly parallel to Route 95, the river passes Big Dune, which is on the river's left. Shortly thereafter it passes the town of Amargosa Valley
on the left, leaves Nevada, and enters Inyo County, California
. In this stretch, it receives Forty Mile Wash from the left.
Running roughly parallel to California Route 127
, the river passes through Death Valley Junction
. Shortly thereafter it receives Carson Slough, which drains Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
, from the left. Soon the river passes between the Resting Spring Range
to the left and the Greenwater Range
to the right before reaching Shoshone
. Below Shoshone, the river continues roughly parallel to Route 127 to Tecopa
. Downstream of Tecopa, it passes under the Old Spanish Trail Road
and through the Amargosa Canyon between the Sperry Hills
on the right and the Dumont Hills
on the left, enters San Bernardino County, California
, and flows by Dumont Dunes
in the northern Mojave Desert
. Turning west, the river crosses under Route 127 and enters Death Valley National Park
between the south end of the Amargosa Range on the right and the Avawatz Mountains
on the left.
Turning northwest and then north, the river re-enters Inyo County, passing between the Owlshead Mountains
on the left and the Ibex Hills
on the right and receives Confidence Wash and Rhodes Wash, both from the right.
In this stretch, the river runs roughly parallel to Harry Wade Road and, further north, to California Route 178
and West Side Road. The river receives Willow Creek from the right and ends in Badwater Basin, about 282 feet (86 m) below sea level, between the Black Mountains
on the right and the Panamint Range
on the left. Disappearing into the ground, it feeds the aquifer
that is the remnant of prehistoric Lake Manly
.
(USGS) monitors the flow of the Amargosa River at a gauge station
near the Old Spanish Trail Road, 0.2 mile (0.321868 km) west of Tecopa. The average flow of the river at this station is 3.8 cuft/s. This is from a drainage area of 3090 square miles (8,003.1 km²), much of which is noncontributing and all of which represents about 60 percent of the total Amargosa River drainage basin
. The maximum flow recorded there was 10600 cuft/s on August 16, 1983, and the minimum flow was 0 cuft/s on some days in some years.
word, amargo, for "bitter", probably shortened from agua amargosa, "bitter water". The river is an ancient stream, following an antecedent canyon
. Evidence of human habitation along the river goes back more than 10,000 years. In addition to prehistoric Lake Manly in Death Valley, the middle river valley was submerged during the late Pleistocene
by prehistoric Lake Tecopa.
The canyon floor along the Amargosa Range has remnants of indigenous habitations that are protected by the Bureau of Land Management
. The Old Spanish Trail
followed the course of the river in the 19th century. From 1907 to 1941, the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad
followed the lower course of the river serving remote Death Valley communities.
In March 2009, as part of the Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act, a 26 miles (41.8 km) stretch of the river between Shoshone and Dumont Dunes was protected as a Wild and Scenic River.
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and eastern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It drains a high desert region, the Amargosa Valley
Amargosa Valley
The Amargosa Valley is a Nevada landform east of the Amargosa Range that is the eponym for the town of Amargosa Valley, Nevada. The Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad ran through the valley from 1906 to 1940.-Solar thermal plant:...
in the Amargosa Desert
Amargosa Desert
The Amargosa Desert is located in Nye County in western Nevada, United States, along the California–Nevada border. It is largely coincident with the geographic Amargosa Valley....
northwest of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, into the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
, and finally into Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
where it disappears into the ground aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
. Except for a small portion of its route in the Amargosa Canyon in California and a small portion at Beatty, Nevada
Beatty, Nevada
Beatty is a census-designated place along the Amargosa River in Nye County in the U.S. state of Nevada. U.S. Route 95 runs through the CDP, which lies between Tonopah, about to the north, and Las Vegas, about to the southeast. State Route 374 connects Beatty to Death Valley National Park, about ...
, the river flows above ground only after a rare rainstorm washes the region. A 26 miles (41.8 km) stretch of the river between Shoshone
Shoshone, California
Shoshone is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California, United States. Shoshone is located on the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad east of Epaulet Peak, at an elevation of 1585 feet . The population was 31 at the 2010 census, down from 52 at the 2000 census.The town was founded in 1910...
and Dumont Dunes
Dumont Dunes
Dumont Dunes is an area of the Mojave Desert containing large sand dunes, located approximately 31 miles north of Baker, California on California State Route 127. Bordered by steep volcanic hills and the slow running Amargosa River, the region is easily recognized from a distance by its distinctive...
is protected as a National Wild and Scenic River. At the south end of Tecopa Valley the Amargosa River Natural Area protects the habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
.
Course
Except during flash floodFlash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields...
s that occur after cloudburst
Cloudburst
A cloudburst is an extreme amount of precipitation, sometimes with hail and thunder, which normally lasts no longer than a few minutes but is capable of creating flood conditions.-Etymology:There are similar names for such events in other languages...
s, most of the course of the Amargosa River is dry on the surface. The flow is generally underground except for stretches near Beatty and near Tecopa, California
Tecopa, California
Tecopa is a census-designated place in the Mojave Desert, in Inyo County, California, United States. Tecopa is located south-southeast of Shoshone, at an elevation of . The population was 150 at the 2010 census, up from 99 at the 2000 census.One of Tecopa's popular features is its natural hot...
, in the Amargosa Canyon. In the canyon, the river passes through the Amargosa River Natural Area, a region of dense greenery and prolific wildlife made possible by the presence of water.
The river rises at about 1200 feet (365.8 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
in Nye County, Nevada
Nye County, Nevada
-National protected areas:* Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Death Valley National Park * Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest * Spring Mountains National Recreation Area -Demographics:...
, along the southern side of Pahute Mesa
Pahute Mesa
Pahute Mesa is one of four major nuclear test regions within the Nevada Test Site , and is divided into two sections: Area 19 and Area 20...
in the Nellis Air Force Range. Thirsty Canyon Wash enters at the river's source, and when carrying water, the river flows from there southwest into Oasis Valley. Running parallel to U.S. Route 95
U.S. Route 95
U.S. Route 95 is a north–south U.S. highway in the western United States. Unlike many other US highways, it has not seen deletion or replacement on most of its length by an encroaching Interstate highway corridor, due to its mostly rural course...
near the Bullfrog Hills
Bullfrog Hills
The Bullfrog Hills are a small range of mountains in southern Nye County, Nevada. The historic Rhyolite, Nevada, mining district was in the Bullfrog Hills, and the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad crossed the hills to its Rhyolite station via the Bullfrog Goldfield Railroad The Bullfrog, Nevada,...
to the west (right), the river receives Sober-Up Gulch from the right and then Beatty Wash from the left bank. Another 3 miles (4.8 km) or so downstream, the river flows through Beatty, Nevada
Beatty, Nevada
Beatty is a census-designated place along the Amargosa River in Nye County in the U.S. state of Nevada. U.S. Route 95 runs through the CDP, which lies between Tonopah, about to the north, and Las Vegas, about to the southeast. State Route 374 connects Beatty to Death Valley National Park, about ...
, and turns south-southeast through the Amargosa Narrows into the Amargosa Desert
Amargosa Desert
The Amargosa Desert is located in Nye County in western Nevada, United States, along the California–Nevada border. It is largely coincident with the geographic Amargosa Valley....
. At this point, Bare Mountain
Bare Mountain (Nevada)
The Bare Mountain Range is a mountain range in southern Nye County, Nevada, in the United States. Bare Mountain and Wildcat Peak are the high points of the range.-Range summary:...
lies to the left and the Grapevine
Grapevine Mountains
The Grapevine Mountains are located along the eastern border of California in the United States. The mountain range is about long and lies in a northwest-southeasterly direction along the Nevada-California state line. The range reaches an elevation of at Grapevine Peak, near Phinney Canyon on the...
and Funeral
Funeral Mountains
The Funeral Mountains are a short, arid mountain range in the United States along the California-Nevada border approximately 100 mi west of Las Vegas. The mountains are considered a subrange of the Amargosa Range that form the eastern wall of Death Valley.The Amargosa Desert lies along the...
Mountains of the Amargosa Range
Amargosa Range
The Amargosa Range is a mountain range in Inyo County, California and Nye County, Nevada. The range runs along most of the eastern side of California's Death Valley, separating it from Nevada's Amargosa Desert...
lie to the right. Downstream of the Narrows, still flowing roughly parallel to Route 95, the river passes Big Dune, which is on the river's left. Shortly thereafter it passes the town of Amargosa Valley
Amargosa Valley, Nevada
Amargosa Valley is an unincorporated community in Nye County, in the U.S. state of Nevada.-Description:The community is named for the Amargosa River which flows through the valley from its origination in Nevada to its terminus in Death Valley, California...
on the left, leaves Nevada, and enters Inyo County, California
Inyo County, California
-National protected areas:* Death Valley National Park * Inyo National Forest * Manzanar National Historic Site-Major highways:* U.S. Route 6* U.S. Route 395* State Route 127* State Route 136* State Route 168* State Route 178...
. In this stretch, it receives Forty Mile Wash from the left.
Running roughly parallel to California Route 127
California State Route 127
State Route 127 is a California state highway that connects Interstate 15 to Nevada State Route 373, passing through Death Valley National Park....
, the river passes through Death Valley Junction
Death Valley Junction, California
Death Valley Junction is a tiny Mojave Desert community in unincorporated Inyo County, California, at the intersection of SR 190 and SR 127, just east of Death Valley National Park. The zip code is 92328, the elevation is , and the population fewer than 20. The city limits sign reports a...
. Shortly thereafter it receives Carson Slough, which drains Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
The Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a protected wildlife refuge, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, located west-northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, in southern Nye County...
, from the left. Soon the river passes between the Resting Spring Range
Resting Spring Range
The Resting Spring Range is found in the eastern Mojave Desert of California near the Nevada state line in the United States. The range lies in a generally north-south direction to the west of the Nopah Range and southeast of the Amargosa Range and Greenwater Range.The mountains, in Inyo County on...
to the left and the Greenwater Range
Greenwater Range
The Greenwater Range is a mountain range located in the eastern Mojave Desert in Inyo County, California. They are located west of the section of California State Route 127 north of Shoshone, California.-Geography:...
to the right before reaching Shoshone
Shoshone, California
Shoshone is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California, United States. Shoshone is located on the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad east of Epaulet Peak, at an elevation of 1585 feet . The population was 31 at the 2010 census, down from 52 at the 2000 census.The town was founded in 1910...
. Below Shoshone, the river continues roughly parallel to Route 127 to Tecopa
Tecopa, California
Tecopa is a census-designated place in the Mojave Desert, in Inyo County, California, United States. Tecopa is located south-southeast of Shoshone, at an elevation of . The population was 150 at the 2010 census, up from 99 at the 2000 census.One of Tecopa's popular features is its natural hot...
. Downstream of Tecopa, it passes under the Old Spanish Trail Road
Old Spanish Trail (trade route)
The Old Spanish Trail is a historical trade route which connected the northern New Mexico settlements near or in Santa Fe, New Mexico with that of Los Angeles, California and southern California. Approximately long, it ran through areas of high mountains, arid deserts, and deep canyons. It is...
and through the Amargosa Canyon between the Sperry Hills
Sperry Hills
The Sperry Hills are a mountain range in San Bernardino County, California....
on the right and the Dumont Hills
Dumont Hills
The Dumont Hills are a mountain range in San Bernardino County, California.*Amargosa River...
on the left, enters San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
, and flows by Dumont Dunes
Dumont Dunes
Dumont Dunes is an area of the Mojave Desert containing large sand dunes, located approximately 31 miles north of Baker, California on California State Route 127. Bordered by steep volcanic hills and the slow running Amargosa River, the region is easily recognized from a distance by its distinctive...
in the northern Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
. Turning west, the river crosses under Route 127 and enters Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is a national park in the U.S. states of California and Nevada located east of the Sierra Nevada in the arid Great Basin of the United States. The park protects the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and contains a diverse desert environment of salt-flats, sand dunes,...
between the south end of the Amargosa Range on the right and the Avawatz Mountains
Avawatz Mountains
The Avawatz Mountains are located in San Bernardino County in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, USA.-Name:The name "Avawatz" is derived from the Mohave Indian term "Avi-Ahwat", or "red rock".-Geography:...
on the left.
Turning northwest and then north, the river re-enters Inyo County, passing between the Owlshead Mountains
Owlshead Mountains
The Owlshead Mountains are located at the southern end of Death Valley National Park near the border of the Fort Irwin Military Reservation in San Bernardino County, California, USA.-Geography:...
on the left and the Ibex Hills
Ibex Hills
The Ibex Hills are a mountain range in Inyo County, California....
on the right and receives Confidence Wash and Rhodes Wash, both from the right.
In this stretch, the river runs roughly parallel to Harry Wade Road and, further north, to California Route 178
California State Route 178
State Route 178 is a route that exists in two constructed segments. The gap in between segments is connected by various local roads and State Route 190 through Death Valley National Park....
and West Side Road. The river receives Willow Creek from the right and ends in Badwater Basin, about 282 feet (86 m) below sea level, between the Black Mountains
Black Mountains (California)
The Black Mountains are located in the southeastern part of Inyo County, California, in southeast Death Valley National Park.-Geography:The Black Mountains are essentially a continuation of the Amargosa Range, and lie in a generally north-south direction at the south-southwest end...
on the right and the Panamint Range
Panamint Range
The Panamint Range is a short rugged fault-block mountain range on the northern edge of the Mojave Desert, in Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, California, United States.-Geography:...
on the left. Disappearing into the ground, it feeds the aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
that is the remnant of prehistoric Lake Manly
Lake Manly
Lake Manly is a pluvial, former freshwater, endorheic, rift lake that filled the Death Valley basin of Inyo County, California through the Holocene before the area's climate changed to desert. Following its isolation from the Colorado River system, Lake Manly receded by evaporation with Badwater...
.
Discharge
The United States Geological SurveyUnited States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
(USGS) monitors the flow of the Amargosa River at a gauge station
Stream gauge
A stream gauge, stream gage or gauging station is a location used by hydrologists or environmental scientists to monitor and test terrestrial bodies of water. Hydrometric measurements of water surface elevation and/or volumetric discharge are generally taken and observations of biota may also be...
near the Old Spanish Trail Road, 0.2 mile (0.321868 km) west of Tecopa. The average flow of the river at this station is 3.8 cuft/s. This is from a drainage area of 3090 square miles (8,003.1 km²), much of which is noncontributing and all of which represents about 60 percent of the total Amargosa River drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
. The maximum flow recorded there was 10600 cuft/s on August 16, 1983, and the minimum flow was 0 cuft/s on some days in some years.
History
The name of the river comes from the SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
word, amargo, for "bitter", probably shortened from agua amargosa, "bitter water". The river is an ancient stream, following an antecedent canyon
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
. Evidence of human habitation along the river goes back more than 10,000 years. In addition to prehistoric Lake Manly in Death Valley, the middle river valley was submerged during the late Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
by prehistoric Lake Tecopa.
The canyon floor along the Amargosa Range has remnants of indigenous habitations that are protected by the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
. The Old Spanish Trail
Old Spanish Trail (trade route)
The Old Spanish Trail is a historical trade route which connected the northern New Mexico settlements near or in Santa Fe, New Mexico with that of Los Angeles, California and southern California. Approximately long, it ran through areas of high mountains, arid deserts, and deep canyons. It is...
followed the course of the river in the 19th century. From 1907 to 1941, the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad
Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad
The Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad, the T&T, was a class II railroad extending through remote reaches of the Mojave Desert from the Santa Fe Railway railhead at Ludlow, California, through Death Valley and Amargosa Valley, terminating at the Mining towns of Tonopah and Goldfield in the Great Basin...
followed the lower course of the river serving remote Death Valley communities.
In March 2009, as part of the Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act, a 26 miles (41.8 km) stretch of the river between Shoshone and Dumont Dunes was protected as a Wild and Scenic River.
See also