Tyson Wash

Tyson Wash
Desert Wash
View due west from Palm Canyon (dirt road climbs beige alluvial fan) (in foreground) Trigo Mountains, south, Dome Rock Mountains, north (farthest horizon: (in CA): Chocolate, Palo Verde & Little Chuckwalla mountain ranges)
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Region	Lower Colorado River Valley NW-Sonoran Desert (SE-Mojave Desert-(NW & N))
Municipality	Quartzsite, AZ–Blythe, CA

Borders on	La Posa Plain

Coordinates	33°39′54.000″N 114°13′15.000″W / 33.66500000°N 114.22083333°W / 33.66500000; -114.22083333Coordinates: 33°39′54.000″N 114°13′15.000″W / 33.66500000°N 114.22083333°W / 33.66500000; -114.22083333

Length	50 mi (80 km), (S-to-N, then W)
Width	0.4 mi (1 km), E-W, (then N-S)

location of Tyson Wash in Arizona

Tyson Wash is one of the larger eastern-bank dry washes that enter the Colorado River in western Arizona. It drains the La Posa Plain south-to-north and is also coincident with the Plain, (southern two thirds).

Tyson Wash is the southwest drainage of a pair of drainages, the other being the Bouse Wash Drainage. They are in the Lower Colorado River Valley, south of Parker, Arizona and both enter the region east of the Colorado River, with no Colorado River confluence; they both end at regions on the eastern border of the Colorado River Indian Reservation located along the Colorado River in the Parker Valley.

The two drainages, the Tyson and the Bouse, enter upper regions of the Imperial Reservoir Drainage.

Tyson Wash description

La Posa Plain

While northeasterly, the Bouse Wash drainage borders the Bill Williams River Drainage, (almost a de facto separation line of the Mojave Desert northwest and the Sonoran Desert south and east), the Tyson Wash drains the extensive 75-mile (120 km) long north-south La Posa Plain. Quartzsite, Arizona and four mountain ranges to the south, including western regions of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, all drain north into Tyson Wash. The Tyson Wash forms a water divide on the south as the Castle Dome Wash and Plain drain to the south and southwest.

Tyson Wash drains northward on the western perimeter of the La Posa Plain; the Trigo Mountains are southwest, and in the north the wash turns west around the north end of the Dome Rock Mountains-(see Table). As proof of the aridity of this stretch of the western Sonoran Desert, the main transportation route north-south on the La Posa Plain is a stretch of U.S. Route 95-State Route 95 which makes no turns, even minor, for 75 miles (121 km).

The La Posa Plain turns northwest to meet the Colorado River, and the south of the Parker Valley; Tyson Wash remains to the left (southwest) of the plain's direction and enters land abutting the southeast of the Colorado River Indian Reservation.

Quartzsite and Granite Mountain on the Wash

The community of Quartzsite is located on the central-north section of the wash and east-central Dome Rock Mountains; Granite Mountain south of Interstate 10 and part of southwest Quartzsite, has drainage washes feeding into Quartzsite proper. The entire Quatzsite region is a winter visitor region noted for its winter population of recreational vehicles and for its rockhounding activities because of old mines, mineralized mountains, and mild winter temperatures. An annual bazaar is held focussed partially on Rocks and Minerals. Numerous access routes to the wash and mountain areas surround Quartzsite.

Northern Tyson Wash access

The northern region of the wash is accessed by dirt road west of AZ Route 95; the route is about 25 miles (40 km) long and ends at the southern area of the Colorado River Indian Reservation, 35 miles (56 km) north of Ehrenberg, Arizona. This access route off AZ Route 95 is 2.5 miles (4 km) south of an intersection to a paved route northeasterly to Bouse through the Plomosa Mountains; that paved route is called Plomosa Road-(Bouse-Quartzsite Road), and ends at Bouse, the Bouse Wash, and the north end of the Ranegras Plain.

Table sequence of landforms, Tyson Wash-La Posa Plain

The landforms surrounding the Tyson Wash section of the southern La Posa Plain:

West Mtns North	Tyson Wash	La Posa Plain	East Mtns North
Colorado River & Parker Valley La Posa Plain	Cactus Plain La Posa Plain	Cactus Plain La Posa Plain	Ranegras Plain ((foothills)-Plomosa Mountains)
Colorado River & Colorado River Indian Reservation Tyson Wash	xxxxxxx	La Posa Plain	Plomosa Mountains
Dome Rock Mountains	Tyson Wash	La Posa Plain	Plomosa Mountains
I-10–Quartzsite	I-10–Quartzsite	I-10–Quartzsite	I-10–Quartzsite
Dome Rock Mountains	Tyson Wash	La Posa Plain	New Water Mountains (abuts north of Kofa Mountains)
Trigo Mountains	Tyson Wash	La Posa Plain	Palm Canyon (northwest)-Kofa Mountains
Chocolate Mountains (Arizona)	Tyson Wash water divide	xxxxxxx water divide	King Valley (northern)-Castle Dome Mountains

Three plains converge at the north of the La Posa Plain. The Ranegras Plain from the southeast contains Bouse Wash. The Cactus Plain is in the center. The three plain region is bordered on the northeast by parallel mountain ranges and valleys that are called the Maria fold and thrust belt. The entire belt region contains about thirty landforms of plains, valleys, and mountain ranges.

External links

Rivers and streams of Arizona

Apache County	Agua Sal Creek Bis Ii Ah Wash Black Creek Black River Blue River Chinle Creek Chinle Wash Kinlichee Creek Laguña Creek Little Colorado River Puerco River San Francisco River Walker Creek Zuni River

Cochise County	Babocomari River Black Draw Bonita Creek Dragoon Wash Mescal Arroyo San Bernardino River San Pedro River San Simon River Steins Creek Tres Alamos Wash Whitewater Draw

Coconino County	Colorado River Corn Creek Wash Fossil Creek Havasu Creek Hockey Puck Spring Kanab Creek Little Colorado River Oak Creek Paria River Verde River

Gila County	Canyon Creek Canyon Creek Cherry Creek Christopher Creek East Verde River Fossil Creek Gila River Haigler Creek Horton Creek Negro Wash Salome Creek Salt River Tonto Creek White River Workman Creek

Graham County	Aravaipa Creek Ash Creek Bar X Wash Black River Gila River San Pedro River San Simon River

Greenlee County	Black River Blue River Eagle Creek River San Francisco River

La Paz County	Bouse Wash Colorado River Ehrenberg Wash Santa Maria River Tyson Wash

Maricopa County	Agua Fria River Centennial Wash Gila River Hassayampa River Salt River Verde River

Mohave County	Beaver Dam Wash Big Sandy River Bill Williams River Centennial Wash Colorado River Diamond Creek Granite Wash Kingman Wash Sacramento Wash Santa Maria River Virgin River

Navajo County	Black River Chevelon Creek Clear Creek Laguña Creek Little Colorado River Little Lithodendron Wash Puerco River Silver Creek White River

Pima County	Arivaca Creek Brawley Wash Ciénega Creek Mescal Arroyo Molino Creek Sabino Creek San Cristobal Wash San Pedro River Santa Cruz River Tenmile Wash

Pinal County	Gila River San Pedro River Santa Cruz River Tom Mix Wash

Santa Cruz County	Babocomari River Ciénega Creek Harshaw Creek Santa Cruz River Sonoita Creek

Yavapai County	Agua Fria River Fossil Creek Granite Creek Hassayampa River Verde River

Yuma County	Colorado River Gila River San Cristobal Wash Tenmile Wash Tyson Wash

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