Everything about Deep Springs Valley totally explained
Deep Springs Valley is a high desert valley in the
Inyo-
White Mountains of
Inyo County,
California. It is located directly east of the
Owens Valley and the
Sierra Nevada mountain range, and west of
Fish Lake Valley, Nevada, and the
California-
Nevada state border. California
State Route 168 connects it to the Owens and Fish Lake valleys, crossing
Westgard Pass to the west and
Gilbert Pass to the east. To the north lies
White Mountain Peak. To the south lies
Eureka Valley, connected via
Soldier Pass, which can be crossed by horses but not cars.
Geography
Deep Springs Lake is a seasonal
salt lake, drying in the summer to produce a salt pan and filling in early spring due to snowmelt. Birds, and birdwatchers, flock to the lake during the spring and fall migrations. Surrounding the lake are numerous springs, some of them artesian, which gave the valley its name. The springs are home to the
Deep Springs Black Toad (Bufo exul, or "exile toad"), an endemic species that occurs only in Deep Springs Valley. In the 1980s, a second population of the toads was established several miles away at Antelope Springs as a defense against extinction due to unforeseeable disaster. The population of toads, however, appears to be stable, and even to benefit from the presence of cattle around the lake during the winter and spring.
Geology
On the hillsides of the southwestern end of the valley lie the
Poleta Folds, a distinctly visible example of
crustal folding frequently studied by geology students from the
University of California and
California State educational systems. The intensely folded and clearly visible layers comprise the
Cambrian-aged Poleta formation. Several complex fault systems add to the challenge for geology students to unravel the areas' history. The Poleta Folds field area is revered as one of the most complexly folded and faulted areas in California and has been used by generations of undergraduate-level
geology students around the
United States and
Canada. During a typical summer one can often find near-established trails leading to the best
outcrops.
Also easily visible at the base of the
Inyo Mountains, in the southwestern end of the valley behind Deep Springs Lake, is a sizable
faultline. Up to 40 feet in height, it's evidence of a massive earthquake estimated to have occurred about 2000 years ago. The fault is still active, but studies suggest that it slips about every 4000 years. Deep Springs Lake is intermittently filled and actively precipitating
dolomite, understood to rarely occur in such conditions.
Population
It is the home of
Deep Springs College, a nontraditional two-year liberal arts institution. There are also ruins of an early small mining establishment, White Mountain City, in the northwest corner of the valley.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Deep Springs Valley'.
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