Lake Humboldt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Humboldt |
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Humboldt Sink and Lake
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 Lake Humboldt
Location in Nevada
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| Location | Churchill / Pershing counties, Nevada, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°00′02.88″N 118°37′27.12″W / 40.0008000°N 118.6242000°W |
| Type | Endorheic |
| Primary inflows | Humboldt River |
| Primary outflows | none (Humboldt Sink) |
| Basin countries | United States |
Lake Humboldt, sometimes called Humboldt Lake, is a unique body of water in the desert state of Nevada, United States. It is located in northern Churchill County and southern Pershing County. This lake is named after Alexander von Humboldt, a famous German scientist who studied nature.
Lake Humboldt: A Special Desert Lake
Lake Humboldt is known as an endorheic basin lake. This means it's like a big bowl in the land where water flows in but never flows out to the ocean. Imagine a bathtub with no drain! The water stays trapped within the basin.
The main source of water for Lake Humboldt is the Humboldt River, which flows into it from the north. Because the water has no way to leave the lake, it can become quite salty.
Why Is the Water Salty?
Since Lake Humboldt has no outlet, the water that flows in stays there. Over time, as the water evaporates into the air, it leaves behind minerals and salts. This makes the lake's water change.
Sometimes it can be a little salty, like brackish water. Other times, especially when there hasn't been much rain, it can become very salty. This depends on how much fresh water is flowing in and how much water is evaporating.
What Is the Humboldt Sink?
South of Lake Humboldt, there's an area called the Humboldt Sink. This is like an extra part of the lake that only fills with water sometimes. It's an intermittent extension, meaning it's not always wet.
The Humboldt Sink stretches into northern Churchill County. When the Humboldt River brings a lot of water, the lake expands and fills this sink area. When there's less water, the sink dries up.
