Looking at this aquatic scene it is hard to believe the normally here we would be looking at arid salt flats extending toward the horizon, not the reflective surface of a very large lake. But this is Death Valley, a place of astonishing variety, and sometimes that arid landscape is full of water.
Unexpectedly, perhaps, the landscape of Death Valley National Park is full of obvious evidence of the land-forming effects of water. The vast, salt-crusted playa at Badwater is there precisely because water has flooded the basin and then evaporated in the hot, dry climate. Great gravel fans line the valley where stream beds come down from the mountains. In places, terraces high on the hillsides show where the waterline of the lake once was.
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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email
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