2018 Map of Desert Creek Ranch

About this map

Smith Valley and the Desert Creek Ranch dominate this high-desert landscape on the border of Lyon and Douglas counties. Water management is a primary feature of the northern terrain, where the Plymouth Canal and Saroni Canal move water through the valley floor. To the south, the topography rises sharply into the Desert Creek Mountains and Wellington Hills, protected as part of the Toiyabe National Forest. This 2018 survey reveals the infrastructure of the rural west, from the remote Jackpot Mine in the east to the Desert Creek Airport and the Wellington Spur road. The transition from irrigated agricultural valley to steep, drainage-carved slopes like Dalzell Canyon and O'Banion Canyon defines the region's ranching and resource economy.