Beowawe, Nevada

Beowawe (pronEng|beɪoˈwɑːwiː, bay-o-WAH-wee) is an unincorporated area and ghost town in Eureka County, in northeastern Nevada in the western United States. "Beowawe" is a Paiute Native American word meaning "gate". The town is located at 40.592°N, 116.476°W, at an elevation of 4695 feet (1431 m). Beowawe is situated on State Route 306 immediately south of Interstate 80.

Beowawe was officially founded in 1868 with the arrival of the railroad. The town reached its peak around 1881 with a population of 60 people. In 1909 a power plant was built but, like many ghost towns, the boom had ended by 1916 and many of the residents had moved on. Currently, Beowawe is once again tied to energy production, the home to both a geothermal power plant and a large propane tank farm near the railroad.

Beowawe is also the name of one of two geyser fields located in the region (the other is Steamboat Springs). Geyser activity in both fields was destroyed by the creation of the local dual-flash geothermal power plant in 1985.

External links

* [http://www.co.eureka.nv.us/ Eureka County website]
* [http://www.elkocountylibrary.org/beowawe.htm Beowawe Branch Library]
* [http://www.elkorose.com/beowawe.html Elko County Rose Garden - Beowawe website]
* [http://www.elkorose.com/geysers.html Elko County Rose Garden - Beowawe Geysers]
* [http://www.caithnessenergy.com/geothermal.html#beow Caithness Energy - Beowawe Geothermal Project site]