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Lahontan and Tonopah Playas
Ecoregion
in
Great Basin
in
NV
,
CA
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The nearly level and often barren Lahontan and Tonopah Playas ecoregion contains mud flats, alkali flats, and intermittent saline lakes, such as the Black Rock Desert, Carson Sink, and Sarcobatus Flat in Nevada, and the Honey Lake Basin in California. Marshes, remnant lakes, and playas are all that remain of Pleistocene Lake Lahontan, which was once the size of Lake Erie. Playas occur at the lowest elevations in the Lahontan Basin and are the terminus or “sink” of rivers flowing east from the Sierra Nevada. They fill with seasonal runoff from surrounding mountain ranges during winter, providing habitat for migratory birds. Black greasewood or four-winged saltbush grows around the perimeter in the transition to the salt shrub community, often stabilizing areas of low sand dunes. Ecoregion 13h has very limited grazing potential. Windblown salt dust from exposed playas may affect upland soils and vegetation. The Lahontan and Tonopah Playas are important as wildlife habitat and for some recreational and military uses.
—
EPA
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Classified As
Ecoregion
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