Great Basin Divide

Not to be confused with Great Divide (disambiguation), Great Divide Basin, or Great Western Divide.
Great Basin Divide
continental divide
Part of North America
Columbia/ Klamath
44.1°N (Silvies R divide)
Dean
Pass
Columbia/Colorado
Klamath/ Sacramento
Pegleg Mtn
Peeler Lake
Crumbly Sp[1]
31.46°N
Great Basin Divide
-triple pt,[1] -overflow pt, -border, -other

The Great Basin Divide is the western continental divide that separates the Great Basin from the Pacific Ocean watershed. The water divide is the perimeter of the largest set of contiguous endorheic watersheds of North America, including six entire USGS watershed subregions.[2] For example, the San Joaquin River subregion that drains to the Pacific is adjacent to the Great Basin's Mono-Northern Mojave subregion and central Lahontan subregion, and their triple point is on the Great Basin Divide.

Contents
east   west   References  

In addition to subregion triple points, the table below lists crossings of various boundaries, including those of states, United States physiographic regions (e.g., into/out of the smaller Great Basin section), Interstate Highways, and aqueducts.

Great Basin Divide points, north-to-south except 1st section (north, OR-to-WY) is east-to-west
ST: County range or watershed elevation & coordinates description
OR: Deschutes Silvies River Watershed extreme point: northernmost point of Great Basin
OR crossing (physiographic): Harney section & Great Basin section
OR subregion: Black Rock-Humboldt triple point: Oregon closed basin & Upper Snake subregions
OR/NV state line: 42nd parallel north
NV Humboldt River Basin southernmost point of Upper Snake subregion
NV: Elko Jarbidge Mountains 2,457 ft (749 m) crossing (physiographic): Payette, Snake River Plain, & Great Basin sections
NV subregion: Great Salt Lake triple point: Upper Snake & Black Rock-Humboldt subregions
NV/UT state line: between 115th & 114th west meridians
UT Raft River Mountains
UT/ID state line: 42nd parallel north
ID: Power Curlew Valley Watershed triple point: American Falls & Lake Walcott watersheds
ID: Caribou crossing (physiographic): Snake plain, Mid Rockies, & Great Basin sections
ID: Caribou 7,260 ft (2,210 m)[3][4] on ridgeline of Columbia River Great Basin Divide
ID/WY state line: 111° 3′ meridian west
WY: Lincoln

east

 subregion: Bear River triple point: Columbia (Snake) & Colorado (Green) rivers
WY: Lincoln extreme point: easternmost point of Great Basin
WY: Uinta align=center| crossing (road): Interstate 80 in Wyoming @ Divide Rd
WY/UT state line: 41st parallel north
UT crossing (trail): Highline Trail, Utah
UT Uinta Mountains triple point: Bear, Weber, & Green rivers
UT crossing (road): Interstate 70 in Utah near west terminus
UT subregion: Escalante-Sevier triple point: Great Salt Lake subregion & Colorado River
UT: Paunsaugunt Plateau
UT: Washington Bull Valley Mountains triple point: Upper/Lower Virgin & Escalante watersheds
UT/NV Escalante Watershed state line: meridian between 115th & 114th
NV: Lincoln Escalante Watershed triple point: Lower Virgin & Meadow watersheds
UT/NV subregion: Escalante-Sevier triple point: Great Salt Lake, Lower Colorado-Lake Mead subregions
NV: Lincoln subregion: Central Nevada Desert Basins triple point: Meadow, Hamlin-Snake, & Spring-Steptoe watersheds
NV: Lincoln Delamar Mountains triple point: Dry Lake, Meadow, & Muddy watersheds (Double BM)
NV: Lincoln Dry Lake Watershed triple point: White & Muddy watersheds
NV White Pine Range crossing (road): US 50 near Little Antelope Summit
NV Grant Range range's southernmost point on the Divide
NV: Lincoln Sand Spring-Tikaboo Watershed adjacent to White Watershed
NV: Clark subregion: Mono-Northern Mojave crossing (physiographic): Sonoran & Great Basin sections in Mojave Desert
CA: San Bernardino subregion: Mono-Northern Mojave crossing (road): Interstate 40 in California in Mojave Desert
CA: Riverside subregion: Southern Mojave-Salton crossing (road): Interstate 10 in California in Colorado Desert
CA: Imperial Salton Sea Watershed crossing (waterway): All-American Canal in Colorado Desert
CA/Baja CA

west

 Laguna Salada watershed crossing (international) in Sonora-Yuha Desert
OR: Klamath Summer Lake Watershed triple point: Klamath & Columbia subregions [1]
OR: Klamath subregion: OR closed basin county's westernmost divide point [2]
OR/CA: Lake/Modoc Goose Lake Watershed state line: 42nd parallel north[3]
CA Goose Lake Watershed triple point: Klamath & Sacramento subregions
CA Goose Lake Watershed overflow point ("rare"): Goose Lake to North Fork Pit River[5]
CA Buck Mountain triple point: Upper Pit w/ Goose Lake & Surprise Valley watersheds
CA Warner Mountains triple point: Upper Pit w/ Surprise Valley, and Madeline Plains watersheds
CA: Honey-Pyramid Watershed  7,112 ft (2,168 m) Pegleg Mountain (northernmost Sierra Crest point)
CA: Diamond Mountains  7,749 ft (2,362 m) Thompson Peak (highest Diamond Mts peak)
CA: Plumas Diamond Mountains  5,221 ft (1,591 m) Beckwourth Pass (lowest Sierra Crest point)
CA north/central Lahontan subregions triple point: closest Sierra Crest point to NV
CA: central Lahontan subregion  9,819 ft (2,993 m) Sacramento & San Joaquin subregions
CA Truckee Watershed watershed's westernmost point
CA: Placer Donner mountains 7,240 ft (2,210 m) crossing (road): Interstate 80 in California (Euer Saddle)
CA: El Dorado Echo Summit 7,382 ft (2.250 km)
CA: Mono Wheeler Crest Wheeler Peak
CA subregion: central Lahontan 12,260 ft (3,740 m) triple point: San Joaqin R & Mono-Northern Mojave subregion
CA: Madera/Tuolumne Cathedral Range 13,120 ft (4,000 m) Mount Lyell
CA Crowley Lake Watershed 13,236 ft (4,034 m) triple point: Evolution Cr (S Joaquin) & M Fork Kings R ↔ Bishop Cr[4]
CA: Fresno subregion: Tulare-Buena Vista Kings Canyon National Park (central Sierras' southernmost divide point)[5]
CA Tulare Basin triple point: central CA coastal & San Joaquin River watersheds
CA subregion: Tulare-Buena Vista triple point: southern & central California coastal watersheds
CA: Fresno Diablo Range
CA: Fresno Los Gato-Avenal Watershed extreme point: westernmost watershed of Great Basin
CA: Kern subregion: Tulare-Buena Vista Mojave River watersheds
CA: Kern; Tehachapi Pass 3,793 ft (1,156 m) crossing (trail): Pacific Crest Trail
CA: Los Angeles subregion: Mono-Northern Mojave crossing (waterway): Los Angeles Aqueduct in Mojave Desert
CA: San Bernardino subregion: Mono-Northern Mojave crossing (road): Interstate 15 in California in Mojave Desert
CA: San Bernardino triple point: So CA coastal & San Jacinto watersheds
CA: Riverside subregion: Southern Mojave-Salton crossing (road): Interstate 10 in California in Colorado Desert
CA: Riverside subregion: Southern Mojave-Salton crossing (waterway): Colorado River Aqueduct in Colorado Desert
CA: Riverside subregion: Southern Mojave-Salton crossing (trail): Pacific Crest Trail in Mount San Jacinto State Park[6]
CA: Riverside San Jacinto Watershed 1,256 ft (383 m)[4] overflow point ("rare"): natural divide [7] at Wasson sill[8]
CA Peninsular/Transverse ranges crossing (physiographic): Lower California & LA Ranges
CA/Baja CA Salton Sea Watershed crossing (international)
Baja CA Laguna Salada watershed triple point: Pacific coast and Colorado River subregions

References

  1. ^ a b "USA Lower 48 Triple Divide Points". PeakBagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=1762. Retrieved 2011-11-13. 
  2. ^ "Boundary Descriptions and Names of Regions, Subregions, Accounting Units and Cataloging Units". USGS.gov. http://water.usgs.gov/GIS/huc_name.html. Retrieved 2010-06-07. 
  3. ^ "USGS Elevation Web Service Query". United States Geological Survey accessdate=2010-05-23. http://gisdata.usgs.gov/xmlwebservices2/elevation_service.asmx?op=getElevation.  3908 ft (Columbia River Great Basin Divide)
  4. ^ a b "Query Form For The United States And Its Territories". U.S. Board on Geographic Names. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic. Retrieved 2010-05-13. 
    Donner Pass (259475, Placer Co), Donner Summit (276078, Nevada Co), Donner Summit Bridge (259478), Donner Summit Recreation Site (1662521), Donner Summit Ski Area (1662460), Euer Saddle (252113)
  5. ^ "Welcome". Pit River Watershed Alliance. 10 October 2007. http://www.pitriveralliance.net/. Retrieved 2010-07-17. 

See also

Great Basin hydrologic units
Rows list the basins of each subregion. The 4-digit subregion code is preceded by the abbreviation for the state to which the watersheds drain.
Bear River (UT 1601)
Upper Bear River  · Lower Bear River
Great Salt Lake (UT 1602)
Escalante-Sevier (UT 1603)
Black Rock-Humboldt (NV 1604)
Central Lahontan (NV 1605)
Central Nevada desert (NV 1606)
no basin level hydrologic units
Oregon closed basins (OR 1712)
no basin level hydrologic units
Tulare-Buena Vista (CA 1803)
North Lahontan (CA 1808)
no basin level hydrologic units
Northern Mojave-Mono Lake (CA 1809)
Southern Mojave-Salton Sea (CA 1810)
Baja California & other CA
External links (lists)--USGS: USA · EPA: CA, ID, NV, OR, UT, WY