History
The name of the river comes from the Spanish word, amargo, for "bitter", probably shortened from agua amargosa, "bitter water". The name was first recorded in 1844 and is believed to refer to the alkaline water. The river is an ancient stream, following an antecedent canyon. Evidence of human habitation along the river goes back more than 10,000 years. In addition to prehistoric Lake Manly in Death Valley, the middle river valley was submerged during the late Pleistocene by prehistoric Lake Tecopa.
The canyon floor along the Amargosa Range has remnants of indigenous habitations that are protected by the Bureau of Land Management. The Old Spanish Trail followed the course of the river in the 19th century. From 1907 to 1941, the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad followed the lower course of the river serving remote Death Valley communities.
In March 2009, as part of the Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act, a 26-mile (42 km) stretch of the river between Shoshone and Dumont Dunes was protected as a Wild and Scenic River.
Read more about this topic: Amargosa River
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