The Mojave River flows into the Mojave Desert since about 2-1.5 million years ago, when its previous southward course was blocked by the uplift of the Transverse Ranges. The Mojave River did not always end in Lake Mojave; at other points of its history it reached Lake Harper, Lake Manix, the Cronese Lakes and Lake Manly. Lake Mojave was reached about 20,000 years before present by water overflowing from Lake Manix. Compared to today, water flow would have to be at least ten times higher to allow for the formation of Lake Mojave.