Topics on this page:

Landforms
Climate
Geology
Botany
Inhabitants

Here is a report which might have been written before 1820 by a team of time travelers from today, comprised of a geologist, a geographer, a climatologist, an anthropologist and a botanist:

Map 1. Landforms of northwest Nevada From AAPG Geologic Map of CA/NV

Landforms

The northwestern Nevada area of about 33,000 square miles is mainly desert mountains and valleys (Map 1). In the southwestern corner there is a lake of about 200 square miles area at an elevation of about 6200 feet, surrounded by thick forest which is snow-covered from December until May. To the east is a series of desert mountains and valleys generally trending north-south. The lake is separated from the valley to the east by a mountain range generally around 9000 feet in elevation, although the tallest peak is almost 10,500 feet above sea level.

Draining the forested mountain range toward the east are three rivers and numerous creeks. All of the rivers end either in swampy sinks or lakes at an elevation slightly below 4000 feet; there is no drainage to the Pacific Ocean from this area.

There is one river entering the area from the east. It also ends in a sink at around 3800 feet.

Winds and precipitation normally come from the west, where storms originating in the Pacific Ocean cross a 10,000 foot plus mountain range and dump snow over the area. Sometimes the accumulation is several feet in one storm.

The area around the lake at the western end of the area of interest receives around 20 inches of preciptitation, mainly as snow in winter. There is little precipitation between May and October. There is snow cover for most of this time. Summers are cool, and winters are cold without being brutally cold.

Because the moisture-laden air from the Pacific Ocean has to cross the 10,000 foot barrier and is subsequently cooled, it is unable to hold much moisture; in effect, the clouds are squezed dry. Consequently, the areas to the east of the barrier receive an average of only about 6 to 8 inches of precipitation, mainly as snow in winter but also from occasional thunderstorms in the summer. Humidity is very low, and there may be temperature swings of up to 50 degrees in one day. The last freeze is typically in mid-May (although it may vary by a month depending on elevation), and the first freeze is typically in late September.

Map 2. Geology of northwestern Nevada From AAPG Geologic Map of CA/NV

Geology

Northwestern Nevada is in four different geologic terranes. The northern quarter is mainly tertiary volcanic rocks with a maximum of 2000 feet of relief. Most of the area is a series of mountain ranges composed of Tertiary volcanic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, generally trending NNE-SSW, separated by basins of Quaternary alluvium obtained from erosion of the ranges. In the southwestern quarter, the ranges are a mixture of Tertiary volcanic rocks, Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, and Tertiary sedimentary rocks.

The forested lake in the extreme southwestern corner is in a graben in Tertiary granitic rocks. At its north end is a large area of Tertiary volcanic rocks. There is a river draining the lake to the north, in an area just west of the area of interest; this river eventually turns eastward and ends in a lake near the middle of the area of interest. 

Two of the creeks from the forested mountains are eroding a cone-shaped outwash fan formed by glaciers in the Pleistocene. There are large lakes in the desert valleys, but there is evidence of fossil shorelines above present-day lakes, indicating that there was a huge glacial lake of several thousand square miles, covering much of the area.

All of the mountain ranges except the western one are composed of a combination of Mesozoic sedimentary rocks and Mesozoic and Tertiary volcanic rocks. These are separated by many valleys of Tertiary and Quaternary alluvium formed by the erosion of the mountains. A cross section would indicate block faulting over the entire area, with typical displacements of several thousand feet.

On the forested area around the lake there is a considerable amount of tillite, indicating extensive mountain glaciation. Much of the granitic rock is slightly altered, although in spots it has been converted to decomposed granite. The soil is acidic.

In the other areas, the soil is alkaline, particularly in low areas where alkaline minerals are deposited. Hydrothermal activity in certain areas has also contributed to deposition of alkaline minerals such as borax.

Map 3. Land suitability of northwestern Nevada (both from "Pacific Southwest Inter-agency Comm. Appendix VI, Great Basin Region")	Map 4. Vegetal cover of northwestern Nevada Water Resources Council Land Resources and Use

Land suitability

As Map 3 shows, most of northwestern Nevada is suitable for grazing, although the food value is not very high. At least 20 acres per cow would be required to prevent overgrazing. Water supply could be a problem on the mountains. In the valleys, irrigation could provide a good source of water for both crops and livestock.

The forested area in the southwestern corner of the northwestern Nevada contains many large trees, which could be harvested for fuel and building materials. The ranges to the east are generally sparsely covered with small Juniper and Pine trees which could provide some fuel and fence posts. 

Botany

Map 4 shows that the mountains around the lake in the southwestern corner are forested; the main tree speciesa are Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyii), Sugar Pine (Pinus monticola), White Fir (Abies concolor) and Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens). Along the many streams and three rivers draining this mountain range are Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa), Mountain Alder (Alnus tenuiofolia) and various Dogwoods (Cornus spp.).

The desert valleys are mainly covered with shrubs such as Basin Sagebrush (Artemesia tridentata), Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseousus) and Desert Peach (Prunus Andersonii); however, there are some areas of grass coverage. On the slopes of the mountains are numerous trees, almost entirely Utah Juniper (Juniperus utahensis ) and Single-leaf Pinyon Pine (Pinus monophylla).

Growing along watercourses, along with the shrubs and grasses are Willows (Salix spp.), Cottonwoods (Populus spp.), Dogwoods (Cornus spp.), Currants and Gooseberries (Ribes spp.) and Mountain Alders (Alnus tenuifolia).

There is a map of ecologic zones of northwestern Nevada, along with a description of each zone.

Below is a table of  northwestern Nevada native woody plants: