Humboldt River

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/humboldt-river

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How long is the Humboldt River?Estimated 380 miles (610 km)
2. How big is the Humboldt River?16,840 square miles (43,600 km2)
3. What is the location?Northern and central Nevada, United States
4. What is the terminus?Humboldt Sink
5. Where does the Humboldt River start?Its headwaters rise in the high peaks of the Jarbidge, Independence, and Ruby Mountains in Elko County. Those mountains are in the alpine and subalpine parts of Nevada.
6. Why was the Humboldt River important for pioneers?During the Gold Rush, pioneers followed the river to cross the desert. The river’s path helped build roads and railroads, like Interstate 80, that still follow it today.

Fluvial system: Relating to or found in a river; a system involving rivers and streams.
Endorheic basin: A closed drainage basin where water collects and evaporates, without an outlet to the sea.
Riparian zones: Areas along the banks of a river or stream that are influenced by the water and support distinct vegetation.
Sinous: Having many curves and twists; winding.