When we think of the desert, we almost never associate it with water. Rather we define it by the very absence of water. Yet the desert was carved by water-canyons, arroyos, ravines, chasms, washes-and water, in any amount, is the desert's most precious and mysterious commodity. Small creeks flow at night, but dry up and disappear during daylight hours, only to return when the sun goes down. And after torrential rains, entire rivers can form with small fish appearing out of what had been only a dusty streambed. Small springs ...
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When we think of the desert, we almost never associate it with water. Rather we define it by the very absence of water. Yet the desert was carved by water-canyons, arroyos, ravines, chasms, washes-and water, in any amount, is the desert's most precious and mysterious commodity. Small creeks flow at night, but dry up and disappear during daylight hours, only to return when the sun goes down. And after torrential rains, entire rivers can form with small fish appearing out of what had been only a dusty streambed. Small springs can support a variety of wildlife as well as pinyon, juniper trees, and yuccas. These hydro-miracles are chronicled in this new full-color book by landscape photographer MARK LISK and author WILLIAM FOX. In his fascinating essay, Fox examines water and its role in the North American desert, covering rivers, trapped water pockets, oases, freshwater lakes, salt and alkali lakes, and lake beds left by ancient floods in the five major desert regions in North America: the Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran, Colorado Plateau, and Chihuahuan.
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