Deep Springs

In Deep Springs Valley a series of springs along the fault line at the base of the Inyo Mountains drain to form a wetland and the shallow, alkaline, sulphurous Deep Springs Lake. The northerly and a few other springs maintain a flow of fresh water, while the remainder vary from very brackish to sulphurous. (Much of the sulphurous odor is due to sulphur bacteria. )

Several habitats are found in close proximity and support a variety of plant and animal life unusual in the otherwise arid valley. Five plant communities are present. The alkali sink vegetation, including the alkali-encrusted lake shore, contains Machaeranthera carnosa, Cleomella parviflora, Suaeda moquinii and Triglochin concinna var. debilis. Atriplex phyllostegia, Juncus balticus, Scirpus acutus and Typha domingensis are found in the alkali slough and brackish ponds. A number of species are found in the alkali meadow, including Artemisia dracunculus, Carex praegracilis, Leymus cinereus, Pyrrocoma racemosa var. paniculata, and Salix lutea.

There are several acres of freshwater marsh containing such species as Berula erecta, Juncus ensifolius, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Potentilla gracilis var. elmeri, Scirpus pungens and Scirpus nevadensis. Shadscale scrub, which tends toward alkali scrub in places, is found along the base of the mountain between the springs and the ponds and includes, among other plants, Artemisia arbuscula ssp. nova, Artemisia spinescens, Atriplex canescens, Atriplex confertifolia, Atriplex lentiformis ssp. torreyi, Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. consimilis, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, and Prunus fasciculata.

At this oasis animal life is abundant. A number of species of waterfowl, shore and wading birds have been observed in the marshland but the populations are small due to the limited area. The bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis, used the springs as water-holes in the past but they have not been observed recently. Two amphibians, Hammond's spadefoot, Scaphiopus hammondi intermontanus, and the black toad, Bufo exsul, are found in the area. The latter is rare, its distribution limited to this valley. A brine shrimp is occasionally found in sufficient numbers to redden the brackish ponds. A pupfish, Cyprinodon sp., has been introduced in the area.

During the late Pleistocene, Deep Springs Valley was well watered and supported a relatively lush vegetation. Progressive aridity has effectively isolated the toad population from other populations for a considerable length of time.

Integrity: Much of the area is used for grazing, and portions of the wetlands have been trampled; however, a fence has been erected around a part of the wetland to protect it. Feral goats have been observed grazing above the springs. There is a levee in the lake and there are several dirt roads in the area.

Use: Private

Ref: Myers, G. S. 1942. The Black Toad of Deep Springs Valley, Inyo County, California. Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool. Univ. Mich. No. 460, pp. 1-13.

Schuierer, F. W. 1961. Remarks upon the Natural History of Bufo exsul Myers, the Endemic Toad of Deep Springs Valley, Inyo County, California. Herpetologica Vol. 17 (4), pp. 260-266.

Pister, P. 1971. Survival in the Desert. DFG Helps College to Perpetuate the Rare Black Toad. Outdoor Calif. Vol. 32 (1-2), p. 16

October 1975