Sentinel Plain
Encyclopedia
The Sentinel Plain is an extensive northwest-southeast trending plain
south of the Gila River Valley
in southwestern Arizona
, USA. It is centered on the community of Sentinel, Arizona located on Interstate 8, approximately 35 miles (56 km) west of Gila Bend
.
The Sentinel Plain is about 40 miles (64 km) long and on the north-northwest, it borders the Hyder Valley
and the farming community of Hyder
on the Gila River
. To the northeast is Painted Rock Reservoir and the Painted Rock Mountains. The south and southwest of the Sentinel Plain is bordered by the Crater Range; the east and southeast is bordered by the White Hills
, and the Saucedo Mountains. Midway Wash drains into the center of the plain southeast-northwesterly, but disappears into the ground about 10 miles southeast from the Gila River. The west and southwestern border of the plain contains the northwest-flowing Tenmile Wash
-(which also succumbs to ground disappearance, but adjacent to the Gila), and the northwest trending Crater Range.
Plain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
south of the Gila River Valley
Gila River Valley
The Gila River Valley is a multi-sectioned valley of the Gila River, mostly in Arizona. The Gila River forms in western New Mexico and flows west across southern-eastern, south-central, and southwestern Arizona; it changes directions across the state, and defines specific areas and valleys...
in southwestern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, USA. It is centered on the community of Sentinel, Arizona located on Interstate 8, approximately 35 miles (56 km) west of Gila Bend
Gila Bend, Arizona
Gila Bend , founded in 1872, is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The town is named for an approximately 90-degree bend in the Gila River, which is close to but not precisely at the community's current location...
.
The Sentinel Plain is about 40 miles (64 km) long and on the north-northwest, it borders the Hyder Valley
Hyder Valley
The Hyder Valley is a 20 mile long valley section of the Gila River Valley at Hyder on the Gila River. The valley is located north of Gila River in southwest Arizona in the northwestern Sonoran Desert...
and the farming community of Hyder
Hyder, Arizona
Hyder is a ghost town and farming community in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It and surrounding areas houses several different types of fish, shrimp, and other types of farms, one school , and two gas stations/general markets...
on the Gila River
Gila River
The Gila River is a tributary of the Colorado River, 650 miles long, in the southwestern states of New Mexico and Arizona.-Description:...
. To the northeast is Painted Rock Reservoir and the Painted Rock Mountains. The south and southwest of the Sentinel Plain is bordered by the Crater Range; the east and southeast is bordered by the White Hills
White Hills, Arizona
White Hills is an unincorporated community in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. White Hills is northwest of Dolan Springs.-History:In 1892, Henry Shaffer discovered silver deposits in the area, with the help of local American Indians. The resulting mining efforts led to the creation of the...
, and the Saucedo Mountains. Midway Wash drains into the center of the plain southeast-northwesterly, but disappears into the ground about 10 miles southeast from the Gila River. The west and southwestern border of the plain contains the northwest-flowing Tenmile Wash
Tenmile Wash
Tenmile Wash is an ephemeral wash and watercourse about long in the northern Sonoran Desert of south-central Arizona. It forms the eastern drainage of a two drainage system of dry washes into the Gila River Valley; both flow northwesterly, and the western drainage is the San Cristobal Wash...
-(which also succumbs to ground disappearance, but adjacent to the Gila), and the northwest trending Crater Range.
See also
- Sentinel Plain volcanic fieldSentinel Plain volcanic fieldSentinel Plain volcanic field, also known as the Sentinel-Arlington Volcanic Field, is a monogenetic volcanic field in Arizona, USA. The basalt is alkali.-Notable Vents:-External links:*...