The lower parts of many basins have heavy accumulations of alkaline and saline salts. Streams are rare and few are permanent.
Many mountains rise steeply from the semiarid, sagebrush-covered plains.
These mountains are generally well covered by vegetation, and their upper elevations usually bear sparse conifer forests. Temperate semidesert in Utah. Shadscale is the principal shrub shown. Spring comes early, except at higher elevations. Almost no rain falls during the summer months except in the mountains.