| Fish Lake Valley | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Aerial image | |
  Fish Lake Valley | |
| Length | 25 miles (40 km) |
| Width | 8 miles (13 km) |
| Geography | |
| Location | United States,Esmeralda County, NV,Mono &Inyo Counties, CA |
| Borders on | White Mountains-W, SW & S Silver Peak Range-E & SE Monte Cristo Range-NE Nev Rte 773 &Excelsior Mountains-NW |
| Coordinates | 37°41′40.88″N118°04′41.91″W / 37.6946889°N 118.0783083°W /37.6946889; -118.0783083 |
TheFish Lake Valley is a 25 miles (40 km) long[1]endorheicvalley[citation needed] in southwestNevada, one of many contiguous inward-draining basins collectively called theGreat Basin. Thealluvial valley lies just northwest ofDeath Valley and borders the southeast, and central-northeast flank of themassif of theWhite Mountains ofCalifornia. The southwestern portion of the valley lies inCalifornia, with the southern tip at the edge ofInyo County east of the Chocolate Mountains, and a significant portion of the south end of the valley floor including the ranching community ofOasis, inMono County.[specify] The valley is sparsely populated, primarily withranchers and indigenousPaiute. The valley's Post Office and commercial services are located in the town ofDyer.
Fish Lake Valley is a slightly southwest–northeast trending valley, in its northern and central section. It borders the White Mountains on the southwest and receives water fromCottonwood Creek and other small, permanent mountain streams. The extension of the mountains southeasterly provides a feeder valley with some small dry lakes and salt pans. The major section of the valley contains aborax mixed salt pan for 10 mi of the valley.[2]A smalldry lake is in the center, approximately 1.5 mi long. It is fed from the White Mountains, and the small subvalley southeastwards.Alluvial fans are west of the dry lake, withNevada State Route 264 in the hills to the northwest that also feed southeast and eastwards. To the east and southeast, theSilver Peak Range borders the valley with no alluvial fans, and is the smaller massif probably block faulted from the White Mountains, and thrublock faulting creating the smaller feeder valley on the White Mountains' southeast, (theFurnace Creek Fault Zone).
The center-north of the valley has very narrow fans, and broken salt flats, that end at the valley's central dry lake. Lower elevation hills and peaks at the north of the Silver Peak Range are the east and northeast border.Coaldale, Nevada on east–westU.S. Route 6 in Nevada is located at the northern border of the Fish Lake Valley.
Nevada State Route 264 enters the valley's center west at the foothills of the White Mountains and at Dyer turns southeast at the feeder valley and foothills of the mountains; its terminus point isOasis, Mono County, California.Nevada State Route 773 intercepts Route 264 in the hills on the Fish Lake Valley northwest border.U.S. Route 6 at Coaldale, Nevada is in the hills adjacent the valley's north border.
Fish Lake & Fish Lake Marsh
Map
Great Basin watersheds | ||
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