Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1930-08-21
DEATH VALLEY MADE
GARDEN FOR PERIOD
Queer Quirk Of Weather
Makes Desert Bloom.

Washington, d. C.--Denlh valley,
normally parchod md almost llfelcss,
which a queer qulrk OF tho weather
made into n beautiful flower garden
for brief period during tho early
summer, has d sombcr fnmo because
Of Its name, It's hent, and the fact
that Il is tho lowest bit Of dry land
In the United States. The bottom Of
tho valley, which lies In eastern Call.
fornia. Is go feet below sen level;
mud In summer the temperature rises
to 1870 degrees Fahrenheit In the
shade. A bulletin from the National
Geographic society describes this sub.
cellar OF the western world,
Originated Like Dead Sea Area.
death valley resulted from q ter.
rcstrlnl sinking spell tens Of thou.
sands OF years ago." says the bulletin,
"just ns dozens Of other valleys In tho
Great Basin area did, and Just as did
the worlds most famous below sca
level area, the Dead sea region Of Pal.
estine. At the time the valley was
formed long, narrow block Of earth,
not more than a dozen miles wide IN
this particular locality, broke from
Its rocky moorlngs and settled down.
ward, leaving sheer cliffs on each side.
"SInce that distant day Of Death
valleys genesis, two important devel.
opments have been under way: rains
and winds have been cutting the
bounding cliffs into rugged, sloplng
mountainsldes; and have been trans.
porting the material to the valley
floor. Slowly Death valley is commit.
ting suicide; gradually the floor Is
being built up; and In time-after the
passage Of some thousands Of years
no part Of II will remain below sea
level.
I'm normal years only a few inches
Of rain fall on the valley floor But
during May Of this year there were
daily showers for moro than half the
month. Under this stimulus seeds,
that must have lain dormant for years,
sprouted and large patches Of the
less salty areas Of the valley became
carpeted with wild flowers and
grasses.
More rain falls on the mountains
bounding the valley, the Armagosa
range 10 the northeast, and the Pana.
mint range to the southwest. II is
the precipitation on these ranges--the
eroded remains Of the cliffs that ut
first lowered over the valley-that Is
gradually filling the great sink with
debris. From the valley floor one sees
the mouths Of numerous canyons, and
before each spreads fan.slaped de.
post OF sand, salt and stones brought
down by freshets. The water that
pours out Of these canyons after rains
In the mountains IL usually quickly
drunk up BY the dry sands; or, II It
accumulates in the lowest depressions
OF the valley, It rapidly exaporates in
the hot, dry desert air, leaving de.
poslt Of salt.
Approximately 600 square miles lie
below sea level in Death valley, In
width, the depression varies between
i've and twelve miles. From end to
end, 1t extends northwest and south.
east for 125 miles. 1t lies approx.
mately parallel to the long, diagonal
surveyed line. that forms the greater
part Of the boundary between Nevada
and California. 1t Is a few miles south.
west OF the boundary, not far from Its
mid point, and thus lies wholly within
California.
Usually pesoIate.
"The valley usually presents desc.
late appearance. The lowest areas
are salt flats. Most Of the relatively
higher portions Of the floor have an
abundance Of salt grains, too, mixed
with the sand. Here and there old So.
line crusts are broken Into hard Jagged
pieces. In places the sand and salt
drift Into dunes. The area Is not
wholly devoid Of life. An occasional
stunted mesquite bush manages to ex.
list In the shifting sand. In the autumn
and winter and early spring a few
horned 'toads' and other lizards scam.
per about; but these animals are wise
enough to migrate to more hospitab,e
regions before summer sets in,
From the steep sides of Death yal.
ley few small, scattered springs of
good water trickle. These have been
marked. Other springs are
30 impregnated with minerals that
their waters are unfit for use. One