Lahontan Valley

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The Lahontan Valley and the Carson Sink playa/slough form the central portion of the lakebed of the prehistoric Lake Lahontan of Nevada, which existed at the end of the last ice age, between 20,000 and 9,000 years ago.

The Lahontan Valley and Carson Sink is geographically attached northwest to the Humboldt Sink and combined the two sinks and valley only represent about 5-10 percent of ancient Lake Lahontan. Pyramid Lake is the largest and deepest remnant of Lake Lahontan; the entirety of Lake Lahontan spread throughout all the valleys of western Nevada, leaving about half of the surrounded land as islands of mountains and some plains.

[edit] Forty Mile Desert

This valley is sometimes called the Forty Mile Desert, from the era of the California Trail. The name comes from the emigrants who came into the Lahontan Valley via the Humboldt River. When the river terminated they had to decide which river they would follow on the other side of the valley, the Carson or the Truckee. No matter which route was taken along the trail (Carson or Truckee route) the travelers would have to endure 40 miles (64 km) without usable water.^[1] If they chose the Truckee route they would walk a route similar to modern I-80 between Lovelock and Wadsworth, where they would reach the waters of the Truckee. If the Carson route was taken they would have to walk towards an area called Ragtown, west of modern Fallon. This was the last usable water on the Carson River, the name Ragtown comes from all the clothing left by the passing travelers while refreshing at the river.^[2]

Despite the notoriety of other parts of the California Trail, such as Donner Pass, the Forty Mile Desert was the deadliest and most dreaded part of the California Trail. To avoid crossing the barren desert with extreme heat, the desert was usually crossed at night. A state historical marker explaining the Forty Mile Desert stands at a rest area on the western edge of the valley near the junction of I-80 and US 95.^[1][3]

I-80 closely follows the Truckee route of the California Trail and the First Transcontinental Railroad along this portion. Modern Fernley lies on the western end of the valley and Lovelock on the east. Near Lovelock is where the two branches of the California Trail separate.^[4] The Carson route is approximated by U.S. Route 95, U.S. Route 50, U.S. Route 395 and State Route 88/California State Route 88.

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