Eldorado Valley
Encyclopedia
Eldorado Valley, or El Dorado Valley, is a Great Basin
valley in the Mojave Desert
southeast of Las Vegas
and southwest of Boulder City, Nevada
. It is the extension from the endorheic dry lake region at the west side of the McCullough Range, the central and southern, upland part of the north-south Ivanpah Valley
.
, Eldorado Dry Lake or Eldorado Playa, while the southern two thirds drains northwards. U.S. Route 95
traverses eastern portions of the valley, and climbs steeply to meet U.S. Route 93
, connecting Boulder City to Henderson
.
The endorheic basin lies north of the Piute Wash
Watershed, of the north-south Piute Valley
. The Piute Wash drains south, then southeast to the Colorado River
.
nature reserve
for the Desert Bighorn Sheep
is located in the southern portion of the Eldorado Valley, named the 'Highland Range Crucial Bighorn Habitat'. There are no public access routes into the habitat area, to protect the Bighorn.
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
valley in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
southeast of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
and southwest of Boulder City, Nevada
Boulder City, Nevada
Boulder City is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is approximately from the City of Las Vegas. As of the 2010 census the population of Boulder City was 15,023.Boulder City is one of only two cities in Nevada that prohibit gambling....
. It is the extension from the endorheic dry lake region at the west side of the McCullough Range, the central and southern, upland part of the north-south Ivanpah Valley
Ivanpah Valley
The Ivanpah Valley is in southeastern California and southern Nevada in the United States. The valley is between the New York Mountains and the Ivanpah Mountains in San Bernardino County on the California side, and in Clark County on the Nevada side. The communities of Cima, California, Nipton,...
.
Geography
The north end of the valley contains a large salt pan, or dry lakeDry lake
Dry lakes are ephemeral lakebeds, or a remnant of an endorheic lake. Such flats consist of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali salts. Dry lakes are also referred to as alkali flats, sabkhas, playas or mud flats...
, Eldorado Dry Lake or Eldorado Playa, while the southern two thirds drains northwards. U.S. Route 95
U.S. Route 95 in Nevada
In the U.S. state of Nevada, U.S. Route 95 is a major U.S. highway traversing the state from north to south directly through Las Vegas and providing connections to both Carson City and Reno...
traverses eastern portions of the valley, and climbs steeply to meet U.S. Route 93
U.S. Route 93 in Nevada
In the U.S. state of Nevada, U.S. Route 93 is a major U.S. highway traversing the eastern edge of the state. The highway connects the Las Vegas area to the Great Basin National Park, and provides further connections to Ely and Wells...
, connecting Boulder City to Henderson
Henderson, Nevada
-Demographics:According to the 2000 census, there were 175,381 people, 66,331 households, and 47,095 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.8 people per square mile . There were 71,149 housing units at an average density of 892.8 per square mile...
.
The endorheic basin lies north of the Piute Wash
Piute Wash
The Piute Wash of extreme southeastern Nevada and northeast San Bernardino County California is the south-flowing drainage of the Piute Valley. The wash and valley are located northwest of Needles, California....
Watershed, of the north-south Piute Valley
Piute Valley
The Piute Valley is a long north-south valley southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and northwest of Needles. The north of the valley is at Searchlight, with some of the valley extending northwest from Searchlight. At the center-north lies Cal-Nev-Ari, Nevada....
. The Piute Wash drains south, then southeast to the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
.
Solar power
Acciona Solar Power owns and operates a 64-megawatt concentrating solar thermal plant in the Eldorado Valley.Highland Range Crucial Bighorn Habitat
A habitatHabitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
for the Desert Bighorn Sheep
Desert Bighorn Sheep
The Desert Bighorn Sheep is a subspecies of Bighorn Sheep that occurs in the desert Southwest regions of the United States and in the northern regions of Mexico. The trinomial of this species commemorates the American naturalist Edward William Nelson...
is located in the southern portion of the Eldorado Valley, named the 'Highland Range Crucial Bighorn Habitat'. There are no public access routes into the habitat area, to protect the Bighorn.