3 ▁degrees ▁east ▁variance ▁of ▁true ▁north , ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁the ▁current ▁variance ▁of ▁ 1 2 . 4 ▁degrees ▁east ▁( 2 0 1 4 .) ▁This ▁is ▁consistent ▁with ▁a ▁calculated ▁magnetic ▁variance ▁at ▁this ▁location ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁The ▁larger ▁lake ▁bed , ▁Rog ers , ▁en comp ass es ▁ ▁of ▁desert . ▁Because ▁of ▁Rog ers ' ▁history ▁in ▁the ▁space ▁program , ▁it ▁was ▁declared ▁a ▁National ▁Historic ▁Land mark . ▁ ▁The ▁Ros am ond ▁dry ▁lake ▁bed ▁en comp ass es ▁ ▁and ▁is ▁also ▁used ▁for ▁emer gency ▁land ings ▁and ▁other ▁flight ▁research ▁roles . ▁By ▁August , ▁the ▁lake ▁bed ▁is ▁dry ▁and ▁rough ▁from ▁the ▁weather ▁and ▁from ▁high ▁performance ▁aircraft ▁performing ▁land ings . ▁Both ▁lake ▁b eds ▁are ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁lowest ▁points ▁in ▁the ▁Ant el ope ▁Valley ▁and ▁they ▁can ▁collect ▁large ▁amounts ▁of ▁precip itation . ▁Des ert ▁wind s ▁wh ip ▁this ▁season al ▁water ▁around ▁on ▁the ▁lake ▁b eds ▁and ▁the ▁process ▁pol ishes ▁them , ▁yield ing ▁a ▁new , ▁extremely ▁flat ▁surface ; ▁the ▁Ros am ond ▁lake ▁bed ▁was ▁measured ▁to ▁have ▁an ▁alt itude ▁deviation ▁of ▁ ▁over ▁a ▁ ▁length ; ▁that ' s ▁about ▁ ▁alt itude ▁deviation ▁over ▁every ▁ ▁of ▁length . ▁ ▁The ▁census - design ated ▁place ▁en comp ass es ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁ ▁of ▁which ▁ ▁is ▁water . ▁ ▁Environment al ▁concerns