2011 Map of Carson Sink SW

About this map

Mopung Hills rise above the arid basin of Churchill County, defining the northern edge of this desert landscape. The terrain is characterized by the expansive white reaches of the Carson Sink, a terminal lake bed where water levels fluctuate with the seasons. Humboldt Slough enters from the west, representing one of the few distinct hydrographic features in an area otherwise dominated by salt flats and intermittent drainage patterns. This map records the stark geography of the Great Basin at a time when digital mapping began to meticulously document these remote playa environments, providing a baseline for studying the shifting margins of the sink and its surrounding high ground.