Cirac Valley is a valley, located in the Battle Mountain District, in

Esmeralda County Esmeralda County is a county in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 729, making it the least populous county in Nevada. Esmeralda County does not have any incorporated communities. Its ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It covers a land area of 23,940 acres.

Geography

The area is located west of the Royston hills, east of the

Cedar Mountains Cedar Mountains may refer to: * Cedar Mountains (Nevada) * Cedar Mountains (Iron County), a List of mountain ranges of Utah, mountain range of Utah * Cedar Mountains (Tooele County, Utah) ** Cedar Mountain Wilderness See also

* Cedar Mountain R ...

, and 30 miles northwest away from Tonopah. The valley is managed by the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's la ...

's Battle Mountain District Office. On the west part of the area, rhyolite exposures can be found, as well as summits, and a rock canyon system. The elevation of the valley ranges between 3550 feet and 6300 feet. In the west part of the unit, the Outlaw Springs can be found, which provide enough water for the wildlife to thrive in the area.

Flora and Fauna

The geographical area mainly moderated by natural wild forces and is characterized by plants such as

blackbrush ''Coleogyne ramosissima'' or blackbrush, is a low lying, dark grayish-green, aromatic,Turner, Raymond M. 1982. Great Basin desertscrub. In: Brown, David E., ed. Biotic communities of the American Southwest--United States and Mexico. Desert Plan ...

, cholla, and

saltbrush ''Atriplex'' () is a plant genus of about 250 species, known by the common names of saltbush and orache (; also spelled orach). It belongs to the subfamily Chenopodioideae of the family Amaranthaceae ''s.l.''. The genus is quite variable and w ...

. The eastern parts of the area are characterized with a sandy soil which predisposes the growth of

greasewood Greasewood is a common name shared by several plants: * ''Adenostoma fasciculatum'' is a plant with white flowers that is native to Oregon, Nevada, California, and northern Baja California. This shrub is one of the most widespread plants of the ...

Bighorn sheep The bighorn sheep (''Ovis canadensis'') is a species of sheep native to North America. It is named for its large horns. A pair of horns might weigh up to ; the sheep typically weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates three distinct subspec ...

can be found near the borders of the Cedar mountain.

Wild horses Wild horse (''Equus ferus'') is a species of the genus ''Equus'' that includes domesticated and undomesticated subspecies. * Przewalski's wild horse (''Equus ferus przewalskii'' or ''Equus przewalskii''), a rare and endangered subspecies of wild ...

pronghorn The pronghorn (, ) (''Antilocapra americana'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed, hoofed) mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is known colloquially in North America as the American a ...

and burros are also frequent in the area.

Stargazing

The valley is far from towns and city lights, which makes it a good spot for star gazing at night.

References

{{coord missing, Nevada Valleys of Esmeralda County, Nevada