Great Divide Basin
The Great Divide Basin ( in German about the great basin watershed ) is an outflow -free area in the southwest of the U.S. state of Wyoming. It effectively represents an "island" in the course of the Continental Divide of North America dar.
Location
The Great Divide Basin is located in the southwest of the state Wyonimg, immediately south of Südpasses where the great continental watershed divides into two branches: one runs to the south, another to the east. Both branches surround the approximately oval-shaped area, which has an area of approximately 10,000 km ². It is slightly larger than the island of Cyprus.
Nature
As endorheic ( endorheic ) plateau in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, the basin is a very dry, barren area. Its landscape is characterized by deserts and semi-deserts, salt flats and sparse grasslands. Since it is largely uninhabited ( only town of the area is Wamsutter ) is a very pristine area. Here are pronghorn antelope, mule deer, wild horses and elk occasionally occur.
The area has no closed forests. It occur only grassland and shrubs, especially well adapted to the arid sagebrush, which is an important food source for the mentioned ungulates. On some non-vegetated sites bizarre rock formations emerge.
Mineral resources
In the area of the basin deposits of oil, natural gas and uranium were discovered. One of exploitation is offset by considerations to designate the site as a national monument or Wilderness Area.
Nevertheless, more and more natural gas deposits have been drilled in recent years and now companies like BP and Halliburton are involved in the exploitation of oil reserves. The population of Wamsutter, which acts as a center of local gas production, so continues to grow.
According to information from BP early 2007 were in the area of Wamsutter total of 950 wells in operation. The value of gas reserves is estimated at U.S. $ 2.2 billion .. Since the reserves are considered to be difficult to explore, to try out on the gas fields particularly modern drilling techniques.
In addition, explorations are carried out by uranium deposits
Much of the surface of the basin is owned by the Bureau of Land Management, an agency of the Ministry of Interior.
Traffic
Although almost completely uninhabited, the basin is crossed by two highways: In East-West direction Interstate 80 from the east coast to San Francisco and north-south direction is the US-287 from Montana to Texas. In addition, the 1869 opened transcontinental railroad of the Union Pacific Railroad runs through the pelvis.
Great Basin
The name " Great Divide Basin " can lead to confusion with the term " Great Basin ". " Great Basin " ( " Great Basin " ), however, refers to another, much larger outflow -free area in the western U.S., which lies west of the Continental Divide. In contrast to the Great Divide Basin, the Great Basin is entirely inhabited. Here, among others are the Great Salt Lake and the city of Salt Lake City.
Literature and sources
- Bryce S. Walker: The Rocky Mountains. 10 German print. Time-Life Books, Amsterdam, 1990, ISBN 90-6182-067-7 ( The wilds of the world).