200,000 tons of borax ? : Photos, Diagrams & Topos : SummitPost

This species of bright yellow flower is endemic
to the Lake Mead region of southwestern Clark
County, Nevada. It can be found in gypsum-rich
soils, with a GYPSUM content of 36 to 69%.

I found this scenic wonder growing at 1,900 feet,
very close to the charred remains of an
"ore-loading facility" associated with the
Anniversary (borax) Mine, which is located in Lovell
Wash and produced 200,000 tons of borax in the
1920s.

What is borax?? Here's a LINK. Another substance
found in this area is caliche (ka-LEE-chee.) Calcium
carbonate and other chemicals in the soil and in
airborne dust REACT with rainwater to form a natural
cement. Over the years, caliche can develop as a
as a thick and durable layer in the soil and on the
bottom of many rocks.

Photo taken approximately 1.5 miles from Lake
Mead's Northshore Road in Southern Nevada.

March 31, 2008