On our way to Death Valley

Source: https://www.tripsavvy.com/death-valley-photo-tour-4082713

This week I visited Death Valley in California.  While the name is ominous and fits perfectly well as it looks completely devoid of life for most of what we saw, there were some areas in which life flourished and were true oases in the desert.

One particular question I had was in regards to Ubehebe Crater.  In the history lesson we received, it was stated that there was a "most dramatic eruptions ... when magma met water-soaked bedrock..."  I was under the impression that water was a scarce resource as I had heard that Death Valley receives less than 2 inches of rain per year.  Though I know there are springs that help provide life in some areas of the valley, I wonder how much was available in this particular region during this eruption.  I'm also curious on if the water source still exists in the area.

Another region that held a few questions for me was the Saratoga Springs.  Again, my curiosities are drawn towards the presence of water in this region.  The Saratoga Springs serves as host to many different flora and fauna, some of which exist only in this region.  This makes me wonder if they have adapted to living in this climate and where they had come from originally.  If they were from this region from the beginning, what adaptations did they go through during the changes that occurred at Death Valley?

The last region we visited in which I had some questions for was the Badwater area.  This area used to harbor a lake thousands of years ago.  However, with the climate warming and declining rainfall, the area dried up.  Despite this change, even currently, there is an annual 1.9 inches of rainfall annually.  Does this rainfall allow for any life to gather around the water that collect?  I am aware that the water does evaporate rather quickly, but I am curious as to whether or not before the water disappears, if it is suitable for life or if it is too concentrated with salt and other minerals that saturate the area.