Mohave Valley
Encyclopedia
The Mohave Valley is a small valley
, mostly on the east shore of the south-flowing Colorado River
in northwest Arizona
; the valley borders southeast California
's San Bernardino County; also, the north of the valley borders extreme southeast Clark County
, Nevada
. The valley is in southwest Mohave County
, Arizona and is a region at the intersection of the southeast Mojave
and northwest Sonoran Desert
s.
The valley
extends into the three states, and the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation
extends into them as well. On the west, the reservation borders the Dead Mountains
of California which border the tri-state intersection point.
Southwest Mohave Valley is approached steeply from the west, and shows its greenery, oasis
-like appearance along the Colorado River. The drive downhill is towards Needles
at the southwest of the valley. Views from the descending 15-mile (24 km) long road, Interstate 40 in California
parallels the descent of Piute Wash
to the north as it traverses the southern perimeter of the Dead Mountains
.
and up to 10 miles (16 km) wide at some areas. Mohave Valley, Arizona
, in the center of the reservation, is at the center point of the valley. Bullhead City
is at the northern perimeter of the valley; Needles
is on the southwest border of the valley in California. Downstream, and southeast, near the southern valley perimeter is the Topock Marsh
in Arizona, and also on the southern perimeter, Interstate 40 in Arizona
as it ascends uphill out of the Sacramento Wash
, and eventually enters the entire north-south Sacramento Valley
which lies on the east, southeast, and partial south of the Black Mountains
.
Mohave Valley, Arizona, town center of the reservation, is located at 34°57′25"N 114°35′5"W; the town center is at the valleys center, and slightly west, closer to the Colorado River, the valley's west perimeter in many parts. The Boundary Cone
landmark, lies east, at the northwest perimeter of the Black Mesa (western Arizona)
, a subsection mountain region at the southern end of the Black Mountains
.
directly south, and Dutch Flat
, east of the Mohave Mountains, which drains northwest into Sacramento Wash
. The southeast of the valley meets the outfall of Sacramento Wash, and associated drainage plains; Sacramento Valley itself is mostly east and south of the Black Mesa
section at the south of the Black Mountains (Arizona)
; the Sacramento Wash turns due west, and follows Interstate 40 in Arizona
as it turns west and parallels the wash to meet Needles at the Colorado River; it is also the southern drainage outfall point into the Topock Marsh
, at Topock
, eastern shore of the Colorado River, in the southeast valley. Other washes drain through the eastern Mohave Valley plains and foothills into the Topock Marsh from the southwest of the Black Mountains, the extensive range which goes north 75 miles (121 km) to Lake Mead
.
drains the Sacramento Valley
southwest of Kingman
, in Nevada the Piute Wash
drains the Piute Valley
of southeast Nevada. A separate drainage lies between them on the Colorado River, the Havasu-Mohave Lakes Drainage. These three drainages, the west, center, and east all drain into the Mohave Valley region.
----
Watersheds
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
, mostly on the east shore of the south-flowing 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...
in northwest Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
; the valley borders southeast California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's San Bernardino County; also, the north of the valley borders extreme southeast Clark County
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. The valley is in southwest Mohave County
Mohave County, Arizona
Mohave County is located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 200,186, an increase of 45,154 people since the 2000 census count of 155,032. The county seat is Kingman...
, Arizona and is a region at the intersection of the southeast Mojave
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...
and northwest Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
s.
The valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
extends into the three states, and the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation
Fort Mojave Indian Reservation
The Fort Mojave Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation along the Colorado River, currently encompassing 23,669 acres in Arizona, 12,633 acres in California, and 5,582 acres in Nevada. The reservation was originally established in 1870 and is now home to approximately 1,100 members of the...
extends into them as well. On the west, the reservation borders the Dead Mountains
Dead Mountains
The Dead Mountains are a mountain range in the southeastern Mojave Desert, in San Bernardino County, California. The range borders the tri-state intersection of Nevada, Arizona and California, and the Mohave Valley, with the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation bordering the range foothills on the east...
of California which border the tri-state intersection point.
Southwest Mohave Valley is approached steeply from the west, and shows its greenery, 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...
-like appearance along the Colorado River. The drive downhill is towards Needles
Needles, California
Needles is a city located in the Mojave Desert on the western banks of the Colorado River in San Bernardino County, California. It is located in the Mohave Valley, which straddles the California–Arizona border. The city is accessible via Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 95...
at the southwest of the valley. Views from the descending 15-mile (24 km) long road, Interstate 40 in California
Interstate 40 in California
In the U.S. state of California, Interstate 40 has its western terminus in Barstow. Known as the Needles Freeway, a major east–west route of the Interstate Highway System, it heads east from Barstow across the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County past the Clipper Mountains to Needles,...
parallels the descent of 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....
to the north as it traverses the southern perimeter of the Dead Mountains
Dead Mountains
The Dead Mountains are a mountain range in the southeastern Mojave Desert, in San Bernardino County, California. The range borders the tri-state intersection of Nevada, Arizona and California, and the Mohave Valley, with the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation bordering the range foothills on the east...
.
Mohave Valley
Mohave Valley is a 25-mile (40 km) long, north-south trending valleyValley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
and up to 10 miles (16 km) wide at some areas. Mohave Valley, Arizona
Mohave Valley, Arizona
Mohave Valley is a census-designated place in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. The population was 13,694 at the 2000 census. It is geographically connected to Needles, California and Bullhead City, Arizona....
, in the center of the reservation, is at the center point of the valley. Bullhead City
Bullhead City, Arizona
Bullhead City is a city located on the Colorado River in Mohave County, Arizona, USA, roughly south of Las Vegas, Nevada, and directly across the Colorado River from Laughlin, Nevada, whose casinos and ancillary services supply much of the employment for Bullhead City...
is at the northern perimeter of the valley; Needles
Needles, California
Needles is a city located in the Mojave Desert on the western banks of the Colorado River in San Bernardino County, California. It is located in the Mohave Valley, which straddles the California–Arizona border. The city is accessible via Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 95...
is on the southwest border of the valley in California. Downstream, and southeast, near the southern valley perimeter is the Topock Marsh
Topock Marsh
The Topock Marsh is one of the larger birdwatching sites found in the Lower Colorado River Valley, found from south of Hoover Dam to the Colorado River Delta in Mohave County, Arizona...
in Arizona, and also on the southern perimeter, Interstate 40 in Arizona
Interstate 40 in Arizona
Interstate 40 is an east–west Interstate Highway that has a section in the U.S. state of Arizona connecting sections in California to New Mexico. It enters Arizona from the west at a crossing of the Colorado River southwest of Kingman...
as it ascends uphill out of the Sacramento Wash
Sacramento Wash
The Sacramento Wash is a major drainage of northwest Arizona in Mohave County. The wash is east of the Black Canyon of the Colorado and drains into the south-flowing Colorado River 45 mi south of Lake Mohave, and 90 mi south of Hoover Dam at Lake Mead. The wash outfall is in the...
, and eventually enters the entire north-south Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley (Arizona)
The Sacramento Valley of northwestern Arizona is a north-south trending valley west and southwest of Kingman in Mohave County. The valley lies just east of the southern section of the Black Mountains...
which lies on the east, southeast, and partial south of the Black Mountains
Black Mountains (Arizona)
The Black Mountains of northwest Arizona are an extensive, mostly linear, north-south 75-mile long mountain range. It forms the north-south border of southwest Mohave County as it borders the eastern shore of the south-flowing Colorado River from Hoover Dam.The northwest, and parts of the west of...
.
Mohave Valley, Arizona, town center of the reservation, is located at 34°57′25"N 114°35′5"W; the town center is at the valleys center, and slightly west, closer to the Colorado River, the valley's west perimeter in many parts. The Boundary Cone
Boundary Cone
Boundary Cone is a geologic promontory located in the western foothills of the Black Mountains, Mohave County, Arizona. The peak is to the east-northeast of the Mohave Valley along the Colorado River, north of Needles, CA, and south of Bullhead City, AZ. The peak is about 4 mi. southwest of...
landmark, lies east, at the northwest perimeter of the Black Mesa (western Arizona)
Black Mesa (western Arizona)
The Black Mesa of northwestern Arizona is the extreme southern section of the Black Mountains.It is a notable mountain section, since the entire Warm Springs Wilderness comprises the entire mesa; it is separated to the north from the Black Hills range by a canyon and road; the north side of the...
, a subsection mountain region at the southern end of the Black Mountains
Black Mountains (Arizona)
The Black Mountains of northwest Arizona are an extensive, mostly linear, north-south 75-mile long mountain range. It forms the north-south border of southwest Mohave County as it borders the eastern shore of the south-flowing Colorado River from Hoover Dam.The northwest, and parts of the west of...
.
Arizona, southeast & east-(Sacramento Wash & Valley)
The southern end of the valley begins elevated regions, with the Mohave MountainsMohave Mountains
The Mohave Mountains is a small mountain range of northwest Arizona, in the southwest of Mohave County. The northwest area surrounding the range borders the south-flowing Colorado River and the Topock Gorge...
directly south, and Dutch Flat
Dutch Flat (Arizona)
Dutch Flat of Arizona is a valley south of the Sacramento Valley and Interstate 40 in southern Mohave County.The region is part of the southeast extension of the Mojave Desert into northwest Arizona...
, east of the Mohave Mountains, which drains northwest into Sacramento Wash
Sacramento Wash
The Sacramento Wash is a major drainage of northwest Arizona in Mohave County. The wash is east of the Black Canyon of the Colorado and drains into the south-flowing Colorado River 45 mi south of Lake Mohave, and 90 mi south of Hoover Dam at Lake Mead. The wash outfall is in the...
. The southeast of the valley meets the outfall of Sacramento Wash, and associated drainage plains; Sacramento Valley itself is mostly east and south of the Black Mesa
Black Mesa (western Arizona)
The Black Mesa of northwestern Arizona is the extreme southern section of the Black Mountains.It is a notable mountain section, since the entire Warm Springs Wilderness comprises the entire mesa; it is separated to the north from the Black Hills range by a canyon and road; the north side of the...
section at the south of the Black Mountains (Arizona)
Black Mountains (Arizona)
The Black Mountains of northwest Arizona are an extensive, mostly linear, north-south 75-mile long mountain range. It forms the north-south border of southwest Mohave County as it borders the eastern shore of the south-flowing Colorado River from Hoover Dam.The northwest, and parts of the west of...
; the Sacramento Wash turns due west, and follows Interstate 40 in Arizona
Interstate 40 in Arizona
Interstate 40 is an east–west Interstate Highway that has a section in the U.S. state of Arizona connecting sections in California to New Mexico. It enters Arizona from the west at a crossing of the Colorado River southwest of Kingman...
as it turns west and parallels the wash to meet Needles at the Colorado River; it is also the southern drainage outfall point into the Topock Marsh
Topock Marsh
The Topock Marsh is one of the larger birdwatching sites found in the Lower Colorado River Valley, found from south of Hoover Dam to the Colorado River Delta in Mohave County, Arizona...
, at Topock
Topock, Arizona
Topock is a small unincorporated community in Mohave County, Arizona. Topock has a ZIP Code of 86436; in 2000, the population of the 86436 ZCTA was 1,790....
, eastern shore of the Colorado River, in the southeast valley. Other washes drain through the eastern Mohave Valley plains and foothills into the Topock Marsh from the southwest of the Black Mountains, the extensive range which goes north 75 miles (121 km) to Lake Mead
Lake Mead
Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States. It is located on the Colorado River about southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the states of Nevada and Arizona. Formed by water impounded by the Hoover Dam, it extends behind the dam, holding approximately of water.-History:The lake was...
.
Nevada, Piute Wash & Valley-(northwest)
While in Arizona the Sacramento WashSacramento Wash
The Sacramento Wash is a major drainage of northwest Arizona in Mohave County. The wash is east of the Black Canyon of the Colorado and drains into the south-flowing Colorado River 45 mi south of Lake Mohave, and 90 mi south of Hoover Dam at Lake Mead. The wash outfall is in the...
drains the Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley (Arizona)
The Sacramento Valley of northwestern Arizona is a north-south trending valley west and southwest of Kingman in Mohave County. The valley lies just east of the southern section of the Black Mountains...
southwest of Kingman
Kingman, Arizona
Kingman is located in a desert climate on the edge of the Mojave Desert, but its higher elevation and location between the Colorado Plateau and the Lower Colorado River Valley tempers summer high temperatures and contributes to winter cold and rare snowfall. Summer daytime highs reach above 90 °F ...
, in Nevada 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....
drains the 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....
of southeast Nevada. A separate drainage lies between them on the Colorado River, the Havasu-Mohave Lakes Drainage. These three drainages, the west, center, and east all drain into the Mohave Valley region.
External links
Mohave Valley- area map; Mohave Valley, Colorado River, Bullhead City, AZBullhead City, ArizonaBullhead City is a city located on the Colorado River in Mohave County, Arizona, USA, roughly south of Las Vegas, Nevada, and directly across the Colorado River from Laughlin, Nevada, whose casinos and ancillary services supply much of the employment for Bullhead City...
, Meedles, CA, Warm Springs WildernessWarm Springs WildernessThe Warm Springs Wilderness makes up the entirety of the Black Mesa and parts of the surrounding foothills, washes, alluvial fans, and valleys. The Black Mesa is the southernmost section of the Black Mountains of western Mohave County, in northwest Arizona...
, Sacramento ValleySacramento Valley (Arizona)The Sacramento Valley of northwestern Arizona is a north-south trending valley west and southwest of Kingman in Mohave County. The valley lies just east of the southern section of the Black Mountains...
, Whipple MountainsWhipple MountainsThe Whipple Mountains, 'Avii Kur'utat in the Mojave language, are located in eastern San Bernardino County, California. They are directly west of the Colorado River, Parker Dam, and Lake Havasu; south of Needles, California; north of Parker, Arizona and Vidal, California; and northeast of Vidal...
; from: Warm Springs Wilderness at Public Lands
----
Watersheds