Russell Spit

   Russell Spit is located in the south west corner of the Carson Desert, approximately 14 miles south west of Carson Lake.  On its west side, Russell Spit encloses a playa named Dry Lake which was once a small, shallow lagoon. Russell Spit and the surrounding area is all owned by the Bureau of Land Management, and is easily accessible via two unpaved roads leading off state highway 95.

[FrontPage Image Map Component]                                                             

See a high resolution image of  Russell Spit quadrangle (about 170 K) 

    Russell Spit was first interpreted in 1885 by geologist Israel Russell who published his work within  Monograph XI of the United States Geological Survey.  The monograph contains detailed information about much of the shoreline phenomena that is evident throughout the Lahontan basin, as well as Lake Lahontan in general. 

• View an 1885 topographic plate of Russell Spit (about 350k)

    Russell Spit is a barrier spit that is thought to have formed during the last lake-level highstand, approxiamtely 13,000 years ago.  However, the exact time of formation is still a topic of some controversy. 

• Formation of Barrier Spits

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