Humboldt River

Humboldt River
The Humboldt River, flowing through Carlin Canyon
Map of the Humboldt River watershed
EtymologyAlexander von Humboldt
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNevada
Physical characteristics
SourceHumboldt Wells
 • locationEast Humboldt Range, Elko County, Nevada
 • coordinates41°7′13″N 114°58′5″W / 41.12028°N 114.96806°W / 41.12028; -114.96806[1]
 • elevation5,620 ft (1,710 m)[1]
MouthHumboldt Sink
 • location
Churchill County, Nevada
 • coordinates
39°59′17″N 118°36′4″W / 39.98806°N 118.60111°W / 39.98806; -118.60111[1]
 • elevation
3,894 ft (1,187 m)[1]
Length290 mi (470 km)
Basin size16,680 sq mi (43,200 km2)
Discharge 
 • average390 cu ft/s (11 m3/s)[2]
 • minimum0 cu ft/s (0 m3/s)
 • maximum17,000 cu ft/s (480 m3/s)
Reference no.22[3]

The Humboldt River is an extensive river drainage system located in north-central Nevada. It extends in a general east-to-west direction from its headwaters in the Jarbidge, Independence, and Ruby Mountains in Elko County, to its terminus in the Humboldt Sink, approximately 225 miles (362 km) away in northwest Churchill County.[4] Most estimates put the Humboldt River at 300 to 330 miles (480 to 530 km) long;[5][6] however, due to the extensive meandering nature of the river, its length may be more closely estimated at 380 miles (610 km).[7] It is located within the Great Basin Watershed and is the third-longest river in the watershed behind the Bear River at 355 miles (571 km) and the Sevier River at 325 miles (523 km). The Humboldt River Basin is the largest sub-basin of the Great Basin, encompassing an area of 16,840 square miles (43,600 km2).[4] It is the only major river system wholly contained within the state of Nevada.

It is the only natural transportation artery across the Great Basin and has historically provided a route for westward migration. Additionally, two major railroad routes loosely follow its path. Interstate 80 follows the river's course from its source to its mouth. The river was named by John C. Frémont for the German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt.[8][9]

  1. ^ a b c d "Humboldt River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 1980-11-28. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  2. ^ "USGS Gage#10336000 on the Humboldt River near Lovelock". National Water Information System. United States Geological Survey. 1913–2000. Retrieved 2010-02-25.
  3. ^ Nevada Historical Marker 22 Nevada State Historic Preservation Office. 2010. Retrieved 2014-08-25
  4. ^ a b "Humboldt River Chronology" (PDF). Nevada Division of Water.
  5. ^ "Science in the Humboldt River Basin | U.S. Geological Survey".
  6. ^ http://water.nv.gov/mapping/chronologies/humboldt/hrc-pt1.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  7. ^ ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT SACRAMENTO CA (1988-01-01). American River Watershed Investigation, California. Reconnaisance [sic] Report. Fort Belvoir, VA. doi:10.21236/ada436430.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States (2nd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. p. 163. OCLC 249566017. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  9. ^ Federal Writers' Project (1941). Origin of Place Names: Nevada (PDF). W.P.A. p. 11.