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A cienega (or cienaga) is a Spanish Colonial term for a spring
Spring (hydrosphere)

A spring is a point where groundwater flows out from the ground, and is thus where the aquifer surface meets the ground surface.Dependent upon the constancy of the water source , a spring may be ephemeral or Perennial stream ....
, that is in use in English in the southwestern United States
Southwestern United States

The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit, such as the 37th parallel north, 38th parallel north, 39th parallel north, or 40th parallel north line....
. A cienega usually is a wet, marshy area at the foot of a mountain, in a canyon
Canyon

A canyon, or gorge, is a deep valley between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Most canyons were formed by a process of long-time erosion from a plateau level....
, or on the edge of a grassland where groundwater
Groundwater

Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil porosity spaces and in the fractures of lithologic formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water....
 bubbles to the surface. Often, a cienega does not drain into a stream, but evaporates, forming a small playa
Playa

A playa is a dry or Ephemeral lakebed, generally extending to the shore, or a remnant of, an endorheic lake. Such flats consist of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali salts....
.

Many lands have artificial cienegas, such as the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas, Nevada in order for people to experience them.

use evaporation usually causes the water to be alkaline, vegetation around a cienega commonly includes halophyte
Halophyte

A halophyte is a plant that naturally grows where it is affected by salinity in the root area or by salt spray, such as in saline semi-deserts, mangrove swamps, marshes and sloughs, and seashores....
s, including many unusual, rare, and endangered species of plants and animals.






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Encyclopedia


A cienega (or cienaga) is a Spanish Colonial term for a spring
Spring (hydrosphere)

A spring is a point where groundwater flows out from the ground, and is thus where the aquifer surface meets the ground surface.Dependent upon the constancy of the water source , a spring may be ephemeral or Perennial stream ....
, that is in use in English in the southwestern United States
Southwestern United States

The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit, such as the 37th parallel north, 38th parallel north, 39th parallel north, or 40th parallel north line....
. A cienega usually is a wet, marshy area at the foot of a mountain, in a canyon
Canyon

A canyon, or gorge, is a deep valley between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Most canyons were formed by a process of long-time erosion from a plateau level....
, or on the edge of a grassland where groundwater
Groundwater

Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil porosity spaces and in the fractures of lithologic formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water....
 bubbles to the surface. Often, a cienega does not drain into a stream, but evaporates, forming a small playa
Playa

A playa is a dry or Ephemeral lakebed, generally extending to the shore, or a remnant of, an endorheic lake. Such flats consist of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali salts....
.

Many lands have artificial cienegas, such as the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas, Nevada in order for people to experience them.

Ecology

Because evaporation usually causes the water to be alkaline, vegetation around a cienega commonly includes halophyte
Halophyte

A halophyte is a plant that naturally grows where it is affected by salinity in the root area or by salt spray, such as in saline semi-deserts, mangrove swamps, marshes and sloughs, and seashores....
s, including many unusual, rare, and endangered species of plants and animals. Notable among these is the monotypic genus Anemopsis, widely known in the southwestern United States as Yerba mansa.

Notable cienegas

  • La Cienega, New Mexico
    La Cienega, New Mexico

    La Cienega is a census-designated place in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area....
  • St David Cienega, Arizona
    Arizona

    The State of Arizona is a U.S. state located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix, Arizona....
  • Las Vegas Springs Preserve
    Las Vegas Springs Preserve

    Las Vegas Springs Preserve consists of dedicated to nature walks and displays and is owned by the Las Vegas Valley Water District and operated by the Las Vegas Springs Preserve Foundation....
    , Nevada
  • Cuatrociénegas, Coahuila, México.


See also

  • La Cienega
    La Cienega

    La Cienega may refer to:*Cienega, an inland marsh or bog...
  • Salt pan
    Salt pan

    Salt pans can refer to:*Salt pan , a flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals, usually found in deserts*Salt evaporation pond, a method of producing salt by evaporating brine...
  • Salt flat
  • Oasis
    Oasis

    In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source. Oases also provide habitat for animals and even humans if the area is big enough....
  • Grass valley
    Grass Valley

    Grass Valley may refer to:...


External links