So it's white. It really looks like that. That's because it's all salt; the whole basin is covered with plates of salt. I have some nice close-up pictures of the salt plates; maybe i'll scan some in when i get a chance. If you go there after heavy rains, the water will be just a few inches deep for miles around, because the basin is incredibly flat. Straight ahead is a great example of an alluvial fan coming out of a valley. Maybe you can see my car sitting on it.