SMALLEST DESERT IN AFRICA

SMALLEST DESERT IN AFRICA by Amorian 2013/08/27 17:34
The Red Desert is a high altitude
desert and sagebrush steppe
located in south central Wyoming,
comprising approximately 9,320
square miles (24,000 km). Among
the natural features in the Red
Desert region are the Great Divide
Basin , a unique endorheic
drainage basin formed by a
division in the Continental Divide,
and the Killpecker Sand Dunes, the
largest living dune system in the
United States. In the 19th century,
the Oregon , California and
Mormon Trails tracked through
the northern and western regions
of the Red Desert after crossing
the Continental Divide at South
Pass . Today, busy Interstate 80
bisects the desert's southern
region while gas field roads cross
the desert.
The majority of the Red Desert is
public land managed by the Rock
Springs and Rawlins field offices
of the U.S. Bureau of Land
Management (BLM). The region is
rich in oil , natural gas, uranium ,
coal and trona . An estimated 84%
of the Red Desert has been
"industrialized" by oil and gas
drilling or by mining operations
and associated roads.[1]
The Red Desert supports an
abundance of wildlife, despite its
scarcity of water and vegetation.
The largest migratory herd of
pronghorn in the lower 48 states
and a rare desert elk herd, said to
the be world's largest, live in the
desert.[2] Ponds fed by summer
snowmelt attract a wide range of
migratory birds such as ducks,
trumpeter swans, snowbirds, and
white pelicans. Herds of feral
horses known for their long
manes and tails roam the area in
large numbers, despite roundups
and population control efforts by
the BLM. The Hayden Expedition
(1871) said Bighorn Sheep were
numerous during their stay at the
Honeycomb Buttes in the Red
Desert, but today wild sheep are
only found high in the mountain
ranges and are rarely seen. Bison
were also common and their skulls
and horns can occasionally be
found there.