and U.S. Route 395 freeway around the property to preserve the home and ranch. Geology The Truckee Meadows is a valley in western Nevada located within the western Great Basin. Named for the Truckee River, which flows through the valley from west to east, this area contains archaeological evidence of aboriginal human occupation. The Truckee Formation, is the oldest deposit of the valley and yields very little water to wells. Most of the discharge of water is by evapotranspiration and by seepage to ditches and streams. Some water in the area is unsuitable for many uses because of its poor chemical quality. Water in the Steamboat Springs area is hot and has high concentrations of chloride and dissolved solids. Both water draining areas of bleached rock and ground water from areas of leached rock have high concentrations of sulfate and dissolved solids. References Landforms of Washoe County, Nevada Valleys of Nevada