Ivanpah Dry Lake Earthcache
A
cache
by supertbone
Hidden:
4/7/2008
Size:
 (Not chosen)
Difficulty: 
Terrain:
(1 is easiest, 5 is hardest)
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Ivanpah Dry Lake is located near Primm, Nevada, on the border of
California and Nevada in the Ivanpah Valley along to Interstate 15.
It can be best seen while descending down from Mt. Pass to Primm.
The lake lies almost mostly in California and partially in Nevada,
and covers an area of approximately 35 square miles. On the north
edge of the lake lies the Nevada Welcome Center which marks the
California-Nevada state line. It is a very popular place for land
sailing.
A dry lake (also called a playa) is a dry, vegetation-free, flat
area at the lowest part of an undrained desert basin. It is a
location where ephemeral lakes form during wet periods, and is
underlain by stratified clay, silt, and sand, and commonly, soluble
salts. Dry lakes occur in intermountain basins throughout the arid
southwestern United States. Although they may appear as featureless
plains, they are rich in features and characteristics that can
reveal information about climates, past and present. Many dry lakes
in the Mojave region were the location of lakes and marshes during
the last glacial period. These perennial water bodies completely
dried up about 8,000 years ago. Today they flood only after
seasonal storms provide flashflood waters, or in some cases,
springs discharge large quantities of groundwater onto the dry
lake.
Sediments are distributed across the surface of a dry lake by thin
sheets of water that flow down slope , or by sediment entrained in
standing water and redistributed by wave action. Most years these
areas are dry, or water may only cover the lowest portion of the
lake or near water sources, such as near springs or where ephemeral
streams discharge onto the playa surface. Between wet periods the
surface of the playa typically completely dries out and may even
become desiccated, forming polygonal cracks and fissures as
clay-rich sediments dry out. The mud-cracked, desiccated sediments
on the dry lake can be a primary source of dust during windstorms.
Many dry lakes in the desert southwest display giant polygonal
fissures attributed to the drying out of sediments at depth; these
fissures are attributed to both the ongoing climatic drying of the
region and to extraction of groundwater. Dry lake surfaces are
quite dynamic environments and change during each flooding
event.
On playas where the groundwater table is at or near the surface,
soluble salts will precipitate, forming ephemeral crusts that may
or may not survive subsequent wetting episodes. The high salt and
clay content of playa surface mud, and the dry and hot conditions
that prevail most of the year, prevent plants from becoming
established. However, the surface of a playa may not be completely
homogeneous. Sand may accumulate in channels, fill in desiccation
fissures, or accumulate around spring mounds; these areas may allow
plant communities to become established.
Dry lakes typically form in closed basins or where drainages may be
blocked by faulting, lava flows, or buildup of alluvial fans. Their
location within a basin may provide evidence whether the basin is
tectonically active. The asymmetry of the valley, mountains, and
playa are all dictated by active faults. In addition, coalescing
alluvial fans may create catchments that result in the formation of
small dry lakes.
Logging Requirements: Park in the public
parking lot and head to the area near the posted coordinates. The
posted coordinates will take you to an area just outside the Mojave
National Preserve. The information you seek can be found without
crossing into the preserve, but you can get a better experience of
the dry lake if you do. Unless you have a
permit to enter the Mojave National Preserve please do not enter
it. There is a fence and signs marking the boundary. Free permits
can be obtained by calling the BLM at (760)
326-7000.
1) Describe the soil in the area.
2) How does the geology contribute to the sport of land
sailing?
Bonus) Post a photo of your party at the posted coordinates.
Logs that do not meet ALL of the above
requirements will be deleted.
Additional Hints (
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Logged Visits (
248 total. Visit the Gallery (154 images)
)
Warning.
Spoilers may be included in the descriptions or links.
Cache find counts are based on the last time the page generated.
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 November 16 by Team Pluto (1081 found)
We're on our way home to the Sacramento area after a long weekend in Las Vegas with friends TeamBnE and Owlandpussycat. Owlandpussycat left a little earlier than us, so here we are about to enter back into California with TeamBnE. This is a cool spot. Thanks for the learnin'!!!
[view this log]
| November 16 by Hawaiian Ninja (2880 found)
Was on my way back to Las Vegas from Modesto. Got to the area for a little pit stop and saw this neat earthcache in the neighborhood. Wish I would have been here during the day when the land sails were out, but visiting around midnight would have to do for now. Email sent with the needed info. TFTC.
[view this log]
| November 11 by 3cd's (3397 found)
In town to watch the Foreigner concert at the arena. My wife was shopping so I grabbed a few caches in the area. Including this one. TFTC. Email will be sent and pic will be uploaded soon
[view this log] | November 11 by SLO Trekker (1784 found)
Grabbing some caches on the way to Las Vegas. We didn't make it until after dark, so it was hard to see the lake bed but we looked around near the coordinates. We should be able to get some nice views on the way home. E-mail sent, and will upload a photo soon. TFTC
[view this log]
| November 8 by goldengirl1 (104 found)
On my way home to CA after visiting my daughter in Vegas...Stopped in Prim for a few quick caches and experinced the flat, dry, hard lake bed while walking out to "just over the fence". Then as I started on down the freeway I got the added pleasure of actually seeing 2 people land sailing! What a sight. Looks like a fun sport. And this seems to be the prefect place to do it since it's aways windy out there.
[view this log] | |
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Current time: 11/21/2009 11:08:51 PM
Last Updated: 11/21/2009 10:58:21 AM
Rendered: From Database
Coordinates are in the WGS84 datum
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