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Tonopah Basin

Ecoregion in Great Basin in NV, CA

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The Tonopah Basin ecoregion lies in the transition between the Great Basin and the more southerly Mojave Desert. The Tonopah Basin shows varying degrees of Great Basin and Mojave Desert characteristics. The western side of the Tonopah Basin is a continuation of the Lahontan Basin, whereas the lower and hotter Pahranagat Valley on the eastern side is more like the Mojave Desert. Similar to basins farther north, shadscale and associated arid land shrubs cover broad rolling valleys, hills, and alluvial fans. However, unlike the Lahontan Salt Shrub Basin (13j) and Upper Lahontan Basin (13z) ecoregions, the shrubs often co-dominate in highly diverse mosaics. The shrub understory includes warm season grasses, such as Indian rice grass and galleta grass. Valleys with perennial water contain endemic fish species, including the Railroad Valley tui chub, Pahranagut roundtail chub, Railroad Valley springfish, and White River springfish.

— EPA

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