| Hamlin Valley | |
| Valley | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| States | Nevada, Utah |
| Counties | Lincoln, White Pine, Beaver, Iron, Millard |
| Part of | Great Basin |
| Borders on | Mountain Home Range–E Indian Peak Range–S Needle Mountains–W White Rock Mountains–W Limestone Hills–W Snake Valley–N |
| Rivers | Hamlin Valley Wash, Big Springs Creek |
| Elevation | 6,000 ft (1,800 m) (approx.) |
| Coordinates | |
| Length | 60 mi (100 km) (approx.) |
| Width | 10 mi (16 km) (approx.) |
| Area | 750 sq mi (1,900 km2) (approx.) |
Hamlin Valley is a north-south trending valley of the Great Basin located near the Nevada–Utah state line. It is about 60 miles (97 km) long.[1]
Hamlin Valley lies between the Mountain Home Range and Indian Peak Range on the east and south, and the Needle Mountains, White Rock Mountains, and Limestone Hills on the west. On the north it merges with Snake Valley, about 11 miles (18 km) south of Garrison. The north end of the valley is located at , and the south end at .[2] Rosencrans Well is located just southwest of the valley's center.[3]
The Hamlin Valley Wash is an ephemeral stream running through the valley. It originates in the foothills north of Modena, Utah, and drains northwest, following the Hamlin Valley into Nevada.[1] The Hamilin Valley Wash disappears near the northern end of the valley. Big Springs Creek, originating at the northern end of Hamlin Valley flows north past Burbank and into the Snake Valley, joins Lake Creek and empties into Pruess Lake. The Hamlin and Snake valleys together constitute a closed drainage basin.
In 1953, at a sheep camp in Hamlin Valley, Elma Mackelprang observed tiny whitish flakes swirling through the air. They were part of the fallout associated with the Grable experiment, part of the Operation Upshot-Knothole series of nuclear weapon tests, the most reckless and dirtiest ever conducted in Nevada. Mackelprang later experienced symptoms of radiation poisoning.[4]