Salt Spring
Salt Spring marks the terminal area of the ancestral Mojave River system and represents the final stage of surface and subsurface flow within the Mojave Desert. It is associated with saline groundwater discharge at the lowest elevations of the basin.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING
Salt Spring is located near the eastern extent of the Mojave River drainage, beyond the Soda Lake and Silver Lake basins. It lies within a low elevation desert environment where water from upstream basins ultimately accumulates.HYDROLOGIC ROLE
As water moved through the Mojave River system and its chain of lakes and basins, it became increasingly saline due to evaporation and mineral concentration. By the time it reached the terminal area near Salt Spring, most surface water had either evaporated or infiltrated into the ground.Salt Spring represents a point where groundwater, enriched with dissolved salts, returns to the surface. This discharge reflects the final movement of water through the system.
SYSTEM FUNCTION
The spring marks the effective end of the Mojave River as a flowing system. Beyond this point, water does not continue as a river but instead dissipates through evaporation, infiltration, and localized groundwater emergence.During periods of extreme overflow in the past, some water may have continued beyond this region toward lower basins, potentially reaching areas connected to Death Valley.
SIGNIFICANCE
Salt Spring illustrates the terminal behavior of closed basin desert river systems, where water is not carried to an ocean but instead is lost within the landscape. It provides evidence of the full hydrologic pathway of the Mojave River, from mountain headwaters to final evaporation and mineral concentration in the desert.< Previous <> Contents page >