1986 Map of Carson Sink SE

About this map

Fallon Nat Wildlife Refuge dominates this mid-1980s terrain study of the high desert in Churchill County. This area is characterized by the expansive Carson Sink, a significant geological depression where the Carson River once terminated in an endorheic basin. The map reveals a landscape of environmental extremes, alternating between the protected habitat of the Fallon NWR and the desolate stretches of Alkali Flat. These features reflect the natural drainage patterns of the Great Basin, where evaporation leaves behind mineral-rich crusts across the sink. The grid system of townships and ranges, including T 23 N and T 22 N, provides the only human-imposed structure over this largely uninhabited wetland and desert complex.