Wind and Water in the Great Divide Basin

Wind and Water in the Great Divide Basin. . , The Continental Divide, "The Backbone of the Nation," follows the crest of the Wind River Range and then splits near South Pass. At this point, the Continental Divide loops, creating the Great Divide Basin, before it comes back together near Bridger Pass about 20 miles southwest of Rawlins. , The scarce precipitation falling in the Great Divide Basin never flows out of Wyoming; it escapes only by evaporation. Because no high mountains exist to the east or to the west, the Basin provides the perfect conditions for high winds which are generally restricted in the mountainous areas. Extensive sand dune fields occur in the Basin because of these high winds. At 90 miles long, the Killpecker dune field is the largest continuous area of active sand dunes in the United States. , Travelers along I-80 between Rock Springs and Rawlins cross the Continental Divide twice as they drive through the southern part of the Basin. One crossing is approximately 5.5 miles west of Rawlins near the Hadsell exit. The other is located about 58 miles west of Rawlins between the Red Desert and Table Rock exits.