In a state known for dampness, the Alvord comes as something of a shock.

FORBES: A Desert Where?

Close by the proposed site are swimming holes, including Alvord Hot Springs and blue, glittering Borax Lake.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Movement in the Alvord is so slight as to be almost imperceptible--sand dunes on its eastern side are shifting.

FORBES: A Desert Where?

Around the Alvord that's about as close to civilization's riches as you get.

FORBES: A Desert Where?

As you get closer to the Alvord you'll pass Malheur National Wildlife Refuge--187, 000 acres flocked to by birds and birders alike.

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At 9, 730 feet, a vertical mile above the valley floor, you gaze out over 60 square miles of alkali --the Alvord Desert.

FORBES: A Desert Where?

Even against this backdrop, the Alvord is extraordinarily dry, sitting in a triple rain shadow created by the Coast Range, the Cascades and Steens Mountain.

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Now the Alvord is just a sulfurous expectoration away.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Wind data is being gathered for a possible wind farm nearby--a project that, if it were to move ahead, would surely spark a fight with environmentalists, who for 15 years have asked Congress to designate the Alvord a wilderness area.

FORBES: A Desert Where?