Playas Valley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Playas Valley |
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 Playas Valley
Location in New Mexico
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| Length | 60 mi (97 km) N-S |
| Width | 15 mi (24 km) E-W |
| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| States | New Mexico and Sonora |
| Regions | New Mexico Bootheel and Chihuahuan Desert |
| District | Hidalgo County, NM |
| Population center | Playas, NM |
| Borders on | Continental Divide, Animas Mountains, Little and Big Hatchet Mountains |
The Playas Valley is a long, narrow valley in Hidalgo County, New Mexico. It stretches about 60 miles (97 km) from north to south. This valley is part of the "Bootheel Region" in southern New Mexico. A small part of the valley even reaches into Chihuahua, Mexico. The town of Playas, NM is found in the northeast part of the valley.
A cool feature of the Playas Valley is the Playas Lake, which is usually a dry lake (also called a playa). The Continental Divide of the Americas forms the western edge of the valley. This divide also marks where water flows in different directions. To the south, the valley blends into the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico. This desert also extends north into the foothills of nearby mountains.
What is the Playas Valley Like?
The Playas Valley has a long, straight shape, running from north to south. Mountains surround it on most sides. However, to the south, the flat land simply joins the wide Chihuahuan Desert.
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Mountains to the West
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Mountains to the East
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The Special Playas Lake
Animas, left; Playas, center; and Hachita Valley, northeast.
Most of the water that flows into Playas Valley does not end up in a dry lake. In the southern part of the valley, there are mostly dry streambeds, called washes. These washes do not usually reach the flat valley floor.
Playas Lake is a long, dry lake. It is about 10 miles (16 km) long. It sits just 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the town of Playas, NM. There is also a smaller dry lake next to it, to the south. Both of these dry lakes are in the northern part of the valley. Water flows into them from the Continental Divide. This divide forms the edge of the valley, curving around the Pyramid Mountains and then near the Animas Mountains.
Playas Lake is the lowest point in the northern valley. It is about 4,278 feet (1,304 meters) above sea level.
See also
In Spanish: Valle de las Playas para niños
