Skull Valley (Utah) Explained

Skull Valley
Map:USA Utah
Location:Tooele County, Utah, United States
City Type:Communities
City:Iosepa
City1:Terra
City2:Dugway
City3:Delle
City4:Timpie
Coordinates:40.5372°N -112.7444°W
Length Mi:40
Width Mi:12
Border:Cedar Mountains
Border1:Lakeside Mountains
Border2:Stansbury Bay (Great Salt Lake)
Border3:Stansbury Mountains
Border4:Onaqui Mountains
Border5:Dugway
Border6:Great Salt Lake Desert

Skull Valley is a 40miles long[1] valley located in east Tooele County, Utah, United States at the southwest of the Great Salt Lake. The valley trends north–south, but turns slightly northeast to meet Stansbury Bay, (adjacent Stansbury Island).

Skull Valley's south and southwest borders the southeast Great Salt Lake Desert at Dugway and at a ridgeline southeast from the Cedar Mountains.

The Skull Valley Indian Reservation is located in the valley's south at the southwest foothills of the Stansbury Mountains; adjacent southeast, the valley narrows between the Stansbury Mountains and the Cedar Mountains at the west, a region of creeks from the Stansburys and valley springs, Willow Patch Springs and Scribner Spring. Creeks and springs from the northwest Onaqui Mountains also feed the southeast valley region.

Description

Skull Valley trends north-south but narrows slightly northeast towards Stansbury Bay; the Lakeside Mountains at Delle, and the northwest Stansbury Mountains at Timpie from the narrowing of the valley; Skull Valley and sections of the mountain ranges form the Great Salt Lake's southwest border.

Skull Valley narrows southeastwards at the springs, as described. Bordering southwest here, is a southeast trending 16 mi[1] long ridgeline from the west perimeter Cedar Mountains, which separates the Dugway Proving Grounds and the Great Salt Lake Desert region from the southwest Skull Valley.

The valley's center is adjacent west of Iosepa. A dissected region of sinks and flood land from neighboring washes and creeks form this valley center; this dissected flood land area is about four miles wide at its widest southwest of Iosepa, and extends seven miles[1] northwards towards the beginning of areas of salt flats, associated with the Great Salt Lake.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Utah Atlas & Gazetteer, DeLorme, 6th ed., 2014, pp. 15, 16, 23 & 24