The Mojave Desert
The driest desert in North America, the Mojave Desert
receives only 4 inches of rain every year. High winds sweep through the
valleys and scorching temperatures are an annual tradition.
The Mojave Desert lies between the Sonoran Desert and
the higher, cooler Great Basin. Arizona, Utah and parts of California
and Nevada lie within the 25,000 square mile area of the Mojave.
Water in the desert
Finding water in the middle of the desert
may seem like a mirage rather than a reality, but before many people inhabited
the area of the Las Vegas Valley, natural springs flowed out of the ground
from an artesian well.
When groundwater is under pressure, it can break through
the surface without a well being drilled. This is called an artesian spring.
Natural springs once flowed throughout the valley and at the
Las Vegas Springs, attracting people
who were traveling in the West.
The springs and the grassy meadows growing around them
inspired early Spanish travelers to name the valley Las Vegas, which is
Spanish for "the meadows." |
