The Intermontane Basin and Plateau Physiographic Province

Intermontane Basin & Plateau: The West's Rugged Heart

This major physiographic province spans the western US between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific ranges (Cascades/Sierra Nevada).

Two Sub-Provinces

1. Colorado Plateau (South):
   • High, relatively flat plateaus (5,000–11,000 ft).
   • Iconic red rock: Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Arches, Monument Valley.
   • Colorado River drainage.
   • Arid to semi-arid.
2. Basin and Range Province (North/West):
   • Repeating pattern: North-south mountain ranges separated by flat, arid basins (horst & graben fault blocks).
   • Great Basin (internal drainage), Death Valley, Salt Lake Valley.
   • Extreme aridity, unique desert ecosystems.

States Covered

Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Significance

• Major mineral deposits (copper, gold, lithium, uranium).
• Iconic national parks.
• Native American homelands for millennia.
• Renewable energy potential (solar, wind, geothermal).