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	The groundwater at Yucca Mountain is in a “closed” basin, where it does not seep into other groundwater systems (such as the aquifer under Las Vegas). This map shows the boundaries of the basin.

Yucca Mountain is in the Alkali Flat-Furnace Creek groundwater basin, within the larger Death Valley Regional Groundwater Flow System. This area has very dry climate, limited surface water, and deep aquifers.

The Death Valley basin is a closed hydrologic basin, which means its surface water and groundwater can leave only by evaporation and transpiration .

Yucca Mountain and the Death Valley Basin, like other areas in the southern Great Basin, generally lack perennial streams and other surface-water bodies such as lakes. The Amargosa River system drains from Yucca Mountain and the surrounding areas. Although referred to as a river, the Amargosa and its tributaries are dry most of the time.

Groundwater below Yucca Mountain and in the surrounding region flows generally south toward discharge areas in the Amargosa Desert and Death Valley.

On average, the water table is about 2000 feet below the surface of Yucca Mountain.

• Environmental Baseline File: Soils, Rev. 00
• Environmental Baseline File for Geology/Hydrology
• Environmental Baseline File: Water Resources
• Yucca Mountain Science and Engineering Report (Sections 4.2.1.2.2 - 4.2.1.2.12)
• Water Words Dictionary: Nevada Division of Water Resources
• USGS Ground-Water Discharge Report, Death Valley Regional Flow System