An endorheic basin is defined as a region in which the river network is completely isolated from the world ocean: the water flowing in the rivers never reaches the sea. Overexploitation of these finite hyrdologic resources poses significant challenges for cave managers in the arid west. Graphic by Kmusser at Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Read MoreThe Great Basin is characterized by numerous arid to semi-arid basins with unconsolidated alluvial aquifers separated by mountain ranges often comprised of carbonate aquifers. Population is concentrated within 100 miles of Salt Lake City and in the Las Vegas area and is growing rapidly. In the less populated areas, ranching, mining, and irrigated farming are the main economies.
Defining the Great Basin begins with a choice: are you looking at the way the water flows (hydrographic), the way the landscape formed (geologic), or the resident plants and animals (biologic)? Each of these definitions will give you a slightly different geographic boundary of the Great Basin, but the hydrographic definition is the most commonly used.
The Hydrographic Great Basin is a 200,000 square mile area that drains internally. All precipitation in the region evaporates, sinks underground or flows into lakes (mostly saline). Creeks, streams, or rivers find no outlet to either the Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific Ocean. The region is bounded by the Wasatch Mountains to the east, the Sierra Nevada to the west, and the Snake River Plain to the north. The south rim is less distinct. The Great Basin includes most of Nevada, half of Utah, and sections of Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, and California. The term "Great Basin" is slightly misleading; the region is actually made up of many small basins. The Great Salt Lake, Pyramid Lake, and the Humboldt Sink are a few of the "drains" in the Great Basin.
The Basin and Range region is the product of geological forces stretching the earth's crust, creating many north-south trending mountain ranges. These ranges are separated by flat valleys or basins. These hundreds of ranges make Nevada the most mountainous state in the country.
The Great Basin Desert is defined by plant and animal communities. The climate is affected by the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains. It is a temperate desert with hot, dry summers and snowy winters. The valleys are dominated by sagebrush and shadescale. The biologic communities on the mountain ranges differ with elevation, and the individual ranges act as islands isolated by seas of desert vegetation. Because the Great Basin exhibits such drastic elevation changes from its valleys to its peaks, the region supports an impressive diversity of species, from those adapted to the desert to those adapted to forest and alpine environments.
Great Basin National Park preserves a small representative piece of this entire region.
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A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Partly sunny. High near 84, with temperatures falling to around 76 in the afternoon. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. South southwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Established by congress in 2006, the Great Basin National Heritage Area is a federally designated National Heritage Area in White Pine County, Nevada and Millard County, Utah. The area was defined to recognize and promote the scenic and cultural resources associated with this central portion of the Great Basin.
In 2016, concurrent with the NSS Convention in Ely, the heritage area's partnership arm helped fund a mural recognizing Absolom Lehman's explorations in the Lehman Caves of Great Basin National Park. Designed by NSS cave artist, Carolina Shrewsbury, the mural is now permanently installed on Highway 50 in downtown Ely.
The National Heritage Area includes Great Basin National Park and portions of Humboldt-Toiyabe and Fishlake National Forests, as well as Fort Deseret, Sevier Lake and the Topaz War Relocation Center.
WCC Ball Cap
Wearing a ball cap? Oh, that's a whole vibe. It's like saying, "I'm strong, but I'm not here for your speleo-approval." It's the kind of quiet power that doesn't scream for attention, but when it walks into the room, everyone knows it's the real deal. No need to flaunt or flex when you've got that kind of effortless strength, right?
Yet, while being grounded and focused on what truly matters, you can still shine at your next grotto meeting by declaring your subtle support of the Western Cave Conservancy!
