Great Basin

in North American geography, a large area of interior drainage lying between the Wasatch Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. It has no outlet to the sea. It lies in Utah, Nevada, California, Idaho, and Oregon. Its general shape is triangular, with its base at the north. Its area is about 212,000 square miles. There are a number of salt lakes, each receiving streams. The largest is the Great Salt Lake. The largest river in this region is the Humboldt. There is little rainfall. Three regions of the basin are known respectively as Great Salt Lake Desert, The Mohave Desert, and the Black Rock or Carson Desert. A large part of the soil is of volcanic origin, for want of rain almost destitute of vegetation. The chief source of wealth is mineral. Iron, copper, silver, and gold exist in quantities. If water could be had for purposes of irrigation, this great region would become a garden spot of the world. See Great Salt Lake; Alkali; Irrigation