Verdi Lake, Nevada
Encyclopedia
Verdi Lake is a glacial tarn
in the Ruby Mountains
, in Elko County
in the northeastern part of the state of Nevada
. It is located at the head of Talbot Canyon at approximately 40°38.9′N 115°21.2′W, and at an elevation of 10,220 feet (3115 m). It has an area of approximately 6 acres (2.4 hectares), and a depth of up to 86 feet (26 m).
Verdi Lake is unusual in two respects. It is the highest lake in the Ruby Mountains, and is therefore the last to thaw out in the spring. Also, it does not normally have a surface outlet. Lake water seeps into the soil and emerges as a spring several hundred yards down Talbot Canyon. This is the major source of flow to Talbot Creek, which after exiting the mountains passes near the community of Lamoille
, merges with Lamoille Creek, which then meanders down Lamoille Valley and merges with the main branch of the Humboldt River
.
Tarn (lake)
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn. A corrie may be called a cirque.The word is derived from the Old Norse word tjörn meaning pond...
in the Ruby Mountains
Ruby Mountains
The Ruby Mountains comprise one of the many mountain ranges of the Great Basin in the western United States. They are the predominant range in Elko County, in the northeastern section of the state of Nevada. To the north is Secret Pass and the East Humboldt Range, and from there the Rubies run...
, in Elko County
Elko County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 45,291 people, 15,638 households, and 11,493 families residing in the county. The population density was 3/sq mi . There were 18,456 housing units at an average density of 1/sq mi...
in the northeastern part of the state of Nevada
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...
. It is located at the head of Talbot Canyon at approximately 40°38.9′N 115°21.2′W, and at an elevation of 10,220 feet (3115 m). It has an area of approximately 6 acres (2.4 hectares), and a depth of up to 86 feet (26 m).
Verdi Lake is unusual in two respects. It is the highest lake in the Ruby Mountains, and is therefore the last to thaw out in the spring. Also, it does not normally have a surface outlet. Lake water seeps into the soil and emerges as a spring several hundred yards down Talbot Canyon. This is the major source of flow to Talbot Creek, which after exiting the mountains passes near the community of Lamoille
Lamoille, Nevada
Lamoille is a rural unincorporated community in Elko County in the northeastern section of the state of Nevada in the western United States. It is located about east of Elko at the base of the Ruby Mountains at an elevation of and is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area.The early...
, merges with Lamoille Creek, which then meanders down Lamoille Valley and merges with the main branch of the Humboldt River
Humboldt River
The Humboldt River runs through northern Nevada in the western United States. At approximately long it is the second longest river in the Great Basin, after the Bear River. It has no outlet to the ocean, but instead empties into the Humboldt Sink...
.